The Novice’s Guide to Installing UPVC Soffits and Fascia Boards

Let’s be frank, the percentage of women who actually enjoy DIY jobs is relatively low and the same can be said for a large proportion of men. Although many of us adopt a primitive attitude in relation to labour tasks, if we don’t know how to do the job, we’d rather put it off. The reality is, when faced with the task of installing soffits and fascia boards on a Saturday afternoon, most of us can think of a zillion other fun activities we’d rather be doing.

Conversely, nobody can deny the smug satisfaction we get from completing a DIY task and then standing back to admire our handiwork, the feeling is akin to completing a 5k run. Perhaps the problem isn’t in the job itself but rather, where on earth to start? For the inexperienced, the under-confident and the downright clueless, here’s the novice’s guide on how to install UPVC soffit and fascia boards:

Step 1 - The first step is to get on the ladder and remove old tiles which have seen better days, also remove the guttering and try to dispose of any excess felt. Once you’ve done this you will find it easy to remove the old fascia and soffit.

Step 2 - You may need to add extra timber supports to the front and back of the rafters, but before you do this, make sure you give the timber a good coating of rot preservative to keep it from ageing.

Step 3 - Give yourself a quick break to admire the view and sip an ice-cold beverage…Now it’s time to conquer that soffit board! UPVC soffits come in a number of varieties, and which one you choose is completely up to you. Looking for advice? Bear in mind that new building regulations advise ventilation systems which help your house to let that all important air-flow pass in and out.

Step 4 - Install your UPVC soffit board by securing it using stainless steel poly pins, if you are having trouble joining your soffit board to the rafters, you can use a joint trim to make sure the soffit slots easily between the two boards.

Step 5 - Next, install the wood grain or UPVC fascia board using screw fixings and nails.

Step 6 - To prevent dripping, pooling or streaking, install a ridged tray which can be positioned under the existing felt and will direct the water into the guttering system.

Step 7 - The final step is to introduce some new guttering and replace any tiles that are looking old and haggard - and that’s it!

That’s the instructions covered, now all you need is to purchase the equipment and hide these instructions somewhere safe to make it look like you knew what you were doing all along…We have a large selection of soffits and fascia boards here at Speedy Plastics and Resins; take a look to see what’s on offer.