Understanding Fascia Gutters
Fascia gutters are a functional home design feature that can be found on a lot of modern buildings. The gutters are installed directly in the fascia board alongside your home, making for a charmingly trimmed aesthetic that’s useful and practical.
Fascia-style gutters are usually larger than k-style and half round gutters, making them especially popular in Western states, including California and Oregon. In California, larger homes have a lot of roof area, so when it rains the accumulated runoff can easily overflow more traditional gutter styles. The larger fascia gutter is more capable to handle the sudden rush of water and effectively divert it away from your home with minimal or no overflow.
Understanding all the elements of the gutter when you’re looking to repair your roof or build a new house can help you save money in the long run and keep your home looking beautiful. The fascia, soffit, as well as the various materials used to make these features all play an important role when you begin making exterior home improvements.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is the siding panel that lives between your gutter and the exterior wall of your house. The fascia board runs alongside the building, hiding outdoor rafters and securing the gutters to your home.
What is a Soffit?
The soffit is the underside pane that supports the fascia. The soffit board commonly makes use of little holes that ventilate the attic space of a building. Along with the fascia, the soffit helps protect the home and the ventilation feature allows heat and moisture to dissipate.
What are the benefits of a fascia gutter?
Curb Appeal
- Many believe the fascia-style adds curb appeal to homes with a unique visual element that standard gutters don’t offer. Fascia gutters provide a sleek architectural design that gives a clean, finished look.
Secure
- Fascia boards are very secure and they can keep your gutters safe in extreme storms with high velocity winds. This can be especially helpful if you live in an area that experiences a lot of thunderstorms.
Protection
- The fascia and soffit boards also provide a bit of protection to the siding of your home. They shield an area that gets a lot of moisture (around the gutter), and this extra bit of defense can go a long way in preserving your home.
What are the disadvantages of a fascia gutter?
Difficult to Clean
- Like all gutter styles, fascia gutters can be difficult to clean. They’re generally very deep and they can collect a lot of leaves, pine needles, and other unwanted debris. There are options like the GutterFoam Pro FR gutter foam to avoid accumulating all the material from insects, animals, and nearby trees.
Installation and Maintenance
- Because there are several components, including the soffit, fascia board, and the gutter itself, installation and maintenance can be a bit more expensive and time consuming. Without proper maintenance fascia or soffits may begin to show signs of premature rotting and water damage. When you notice this, be sure to make repairs immediately to prevent further damage to your home.
Materials used to make fascia boards.
Wood
- Wood fascia is generally the cheapest and the most commonly used material. Many believe wood offers the most sophisticated look, but the downside is that it may require the most maintenance.
Aluminum
- Aluminum is one of the most durable, longest lasting materials available. It tends to require the least amount of maintenance because of its innate weather-proof functionality, but it’s also the most expensive option.
Composite
- Composite fascia is an environmentally friendly option as it’s made from recycled wood and polymers. This material is less likely to decompose than traditional wood, but it can be much more difficult to repair.
Vinyl
- Vinyl is one of the more versatile materials to work with. It’s available in a variety of colors to match your home, it’s relatively easy to install, and repairs are cheaper than its counterparts. The biggest disadvantage of vinyl is that it is the most susceptible to big storms as it may warp and slide.
If you need some help figuring out what style of gutter is on your house, check out our GutterFoam Buyer's Guide!