kenannwalters wrote:
"theedudenator" wrote in message
...
I have a garage that was built in the late 1940's
It has the original wood soffit and fascia.
There is a few spots of rot on the soffit (soft spots)
But otherwise the wood is good.

I was planning on installing the vinyl directly over the wood.
Then installing gutters (there were never any gutters on the garage.

Anyone see any issues with this?

Rotted wood will continue to rot everything around it so it needs to be
removed. If the overhang is not too long, 'less than two feet', attach the
soffit to the bottom of the fascia and bridge back to a J channel or F
channel attached to the wall, this the soffit below the wood leaving an air
space. I like to attach the J or F channel a little higher so the soffit is
actually pitched a little away from the wall. Like this if the roof leaks
and water gets on the soffit it will run away from the house. Use some
vented soffit if needed for ventulation into the attic. If there is no attic
vents there is enough air leakage past the soffit to prevent condensation.
Covering the fascia should be with aluminum formed to fit. It should turn
under the soffit at least an inch with a hem, I always hem everything I can
to make it straighter and neater. The top should turn back under the
shingles to prevent water from getting behind the aluminum. If there is an
existing drip edge and the fascia cover runs straight up behind the drip
edge, the fascia cover will be wavey. There needs to be some breaks (bends)
in the aluminum to cause it to run straight and not wavey.
Make sure there is enough shingle hanging over past the fascia. It is
surprising how far water will run uphill under the bottom of a shingle. If
it touches the fascia it will run even further, wetting the decking. Make
sure the shingles are not turned up on the ends by decking not properly
nailed, fascia or fascia cover mounted too high or some other cause. Turned
up shingles will cause water to run backward onto the decking.


My fascia was skinned as you described, and still rotted out. The 'wrap
around the bottom' keeps the wood wet all the time. Water doesn't just
come from rain, it comes from condensation, snow/ice cornices, a damp
day, etc. If you wrap wood, it needs weep holes.

I'll never be a fan of wrapping wood. If you don't want to paint, make
the fascia out of trex, or aluminum c-channel, or something. Same thing
for the 'coil stock wrapped' brickmold and sills on windows and doors,
that the siding companies push so much. The seal ALWAYS fails
eventually, and the wood gets soaked.

--
aem sends...