Replace Rotted Fascia

Tools:

magnetic level
ratcheting screwdriver
workbench
clamp
hammer
screwdriver
carpenters square
pry bar
reciprocating saw
circular saw
caulking gun and caulk
safety glasses
dust mask
new fascia board lumber
nails

1. Remove the downspout, then get ready to take down the entire section of damaged fascia along with its attached gutter.

2. Put on a dust mask and safety goggles and use the reciprocating saw to cut through the rafter tails holding the fascia to the edge of the roof (figure A).

3. Have an assistant help you lower the fascia and gutter assembly (figure B).

4. Carry the assembly to a workbench and clamp it into place. Use the reciprocating saw to cut through the spikes holding the gutter to the fascia (figure C). There are a couple of reasons to take the fascia and gutter down together, rather than removing the gutter while it's still on the house. First, that would require a lot of overhead work, which is never a comfortable situation. Also, if you tried to pull the gutter spikes out with a hammer, like you would pull a nail from a wall, you would just crush the gutter.

5. Place the old fascia board on top of your replacement board and mark where it needs to be cut (figure D).

6. Now put everything back together, but this time attach fascia board to the house first, then the gutter. Have an assistant help hold the board in place and drive three or four nails through the board into each rafter tail (figure E).

7. Now attach the gutter. Remember to slant it slightly toward the downspout, otherwise water will collect in the gutter and you'll have to do this all over again. The rule of thumb is to allow for a quarter-inch of slope for every 10 feet of gutter.

8. Be sure to insert the galvanized gutter pins through ferrules so the gutter is not crushed when you hammer the pins in (figure F).

9. Reattach the downspout and seal any gutter seams with caulk to prevent water leaks.