DIY guideRoof and gutters
Check the soffits and fascia for rot and loose panels
From the ground, look along the eaves for soft or stained fascia, loose soffit panels, gaps and signs of animals getting in.
- 10 to 20 min
- 7 steps
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7 steps
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Walk round the house and look up along the eaves: the fascia board behind the gutter, and the soffit under it.
Look for soffit panels hanging down, gaps at the corners, or a line that sags.
Peeling paint, dark streaks or a soft-looking edge on the fascia mean water is getting in, often from the gutter.
Droppings, chewed holes, or birds and wasps flying in show where animals have found a gap.
Zoom in with your phone or binoculars and photograph each spot from the ground.
Gutters that overflow rot the fascia: keep them clear, or have them cleared above one storey.
Soft wood, a hanging panel or animals getting in: ask Handyman for a carpenter.
What you need
- Binoculars, or a phone with a zoom
Call a pro if
- Soft or rotted fascia
- A soffit panel hanging loose
- A hole where animals get in
- Gutters overflowing onto the fascia
Handyman says: Leave it. I'll find a carpenter.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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Rather have
a pro do it?