0814d4a14Rotting soffits are a problem for many Twin Cities area homeowners.  Have you looked at your home's soffits lately?  Do you even know where the soffits are? The soffit is a board that bridges the gap between a home's siding and the roof line. It is just below the fascia board, that then holds the gutters on. Soffits - together with fascia boards - make up a trim package that finishes off and protects your roof's edge.  (The photo at right shows a typical soffit and fascia construction.  An element that's missing here is the gutters, which is the third part of this important protective structure.)

As you're doing your fall yard maintenance, take a good look at your soffits to see if you've got and damaged or rotting spots. These boards are what is at risk for water damage, because of the overflowing water from the gutters or dams caused by ice storms. If the gutters are broken and not working properly, chances are your soffit is not going to last long either. Any animals or insects that burrow into these areas can also cause damage to it.  When it comes to replacing your deteriorating  soffits, you have to know who you should call - the right professional will be able to help you with the problem that you're currently experiencing.

So who is able to fix this?

This is probably not a job for a general handyman, since the soffit has to work well with your roofing and rain handling system.  The best professional is one who is experienced in roof repairs, like a licensed MN roofing contractor.  Roofing companies generally handle other services related to your roof, like soffit and fascia as well as gutters.  While you're having your soffits looked it, it's also a good idea to have your gutters inspected, since often soffit damage is due to gutters that aren't working right.  And that can lead to a major problem - structural damage can be done to the rest of the home due to this water that is seeping into the roof and walls of the home.

By making sure that your gutters are maintained and cleaned out regularly, you can then decrease the chances of your soffit becoming ruined over time.  It's a good idea to check your soffits whenever you clean out your guttters, to make sure that both are in the best shape that they can be in.  And now that fall is here, this is the perfect time to get your soffits repaired before another Minnesota winter hits.

Quarve is able to install durable metal soffit and fascia products that will not rot. We also carry fiber cement accessories from James Hardie that can provide the durability that you need, without having to worry about the soffit rotting out. Check out some of the steel siding projects that we have done in the past on our Pinterest board.  We are a licensed MN roofing contractor, and we offer exterior home improvement services in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul MN area.  For a free consultation, call us at 763.785.1472.