Aluminum Fascia Wrap in Columbus: Stopping Rot Behind the Gutters

Fascia is the board at the edge of your roof that your gutters mount to, and when water gets behind the gutters, it's the part of the house that takes the damage. Wrapping fascia in aluminum covers the wood with trim that has a 30+ year lifespan and never needs painting. Where the wood has already rotted, it's replaced first. Either way, the goal is a solid board that holds your gutters and protects the rafter ends behind it.

Here's how fascia problems develop on Columbus homes, what wrapping and replacement involve, and how Zipco handles the work.

What fascia does

Fascia is the vertical board at the edge of your roof, the surface gutters mount to, and it protects the rafter ends from rot. Soffit is the horizontal underside of the eave, and it ventilates the attic. The two meet right behind your gutters, and both should be inspected whenever gutters come off.

How rot starts behind the gutters

Most fascia rot starts with water in the wrong place:

• Overflow. Clogged gutters spill water over the back edge as well as the front, soaking the board behind them.
• Leaks. Leaking seams, corners and end caps drip onto the fascia below.
• Gaps. A gutter that has pulled away from the fascia lets water run down the board instead of into the trough.

Over time, painted wood fascia peels, takes on water and softens. Once it's soft, it can no longer hold gutter screws, which is one of the main reasons gutters sag or pull away from the house.

Signs your fascia needs attention

The signs that fascia or soffit needs replacing include:

• Peeling paint on the fascia or soffit.
• Soft or spongy wood.
• Visible water stains.
• Animal entry holes.
• Sagging soffit panels.

Our post on fascia and soffit warning signs covers these in more detail.

Wrap or replace?

Aluminum fascia wrap

When the wood underneath is sound, we typically wrap existing fascia with aluminum, which is cheaper than replacing it and keeps the original board in place. The board is covered with .024 aluminum trim, which has a 30+ year lifespan with no painting ever again. Wrapping also finishes the look of new gutters, with clean lines along the roof edge.

Fascia replacement

Where the wood is rotted, wrapping over it isn't the answer. We remove the rotted fascia and replace it with treated lumber before wrapping. If the damage reaches further, the underlying rafters or sheathing are repaired as needed during the same job.

Repairs around the gutters

When rot is limited to a short stretch behind a gutter, our Columbus gutter repair crews replace that section of fascia and re-mount the gutter properly.

Why aluminum instead of paint

Painted wood fascia needs repainting as the paint peels, and every gap in the paint is a place for water to soak in. Aluminum fascia wrap covers the wood with .024 aluminum trim, so the board is protected by metal rather than paint. The result has a 30+ year lifespan with no painting ever again, and it comes in 30+ colors to match your gutters, trim or roof.

Fascia and gutters work together

Your gutters are only as secure as what they're fastened to. On Zipco installations, heavy-duty hidden hangers are screwed into the rafters every 24 inches, and the gutter runs along the face of the fascia. When the fascia is solid and wrapped, the gutters sit tight against it, and water goes into the trough instead of down the board. When the fascia is soft, gutter screws can't hold, and the gutter starts to sag or pull away, which lets even more water behind it.

That's why we inspect the fascia during every gutter quote, and why fascia and soffit work is so often done alongside new gutters.

How Zipco handles fascia work

1. On-site assessment. We probe for rot, photograph problem areas, and quote with line items. The photos show you exactly where the problem areas are, so you can see what the quote covers.
2. Material and color match. We bring samples on-site to match your existing exterior. Fascia trim comes in 30+ colors, matched to your gutters, trim or roof for a clean finish.
3. Removal and repair. Damaged material is stripped, and underlying rafters or sheathing are repaired as needed.
4. Install and seal. The fascia is wrapped, vented soffit is installed where it's part of the job, and all terminations are sealed.

Properly sealed terminations also keep birds, bats and squirrels out of the attic. Fascia and soffit work can be done on its own or as part of a complete gutter project.

Columbus homes and fascia

Fascia problems show up across Columbus-area housing. Older homes in neighborhoods like Bexley, Upper Arlington, Worthington and Grandview Heights may still have painted wood fascia, and many sit under mature trees whose leaves fill gutters and cause overflow. Our post on gutters for Columbus historic homes looks at older houses in more detail.

In newer subdivisions in places like Dublin, Powell and Lewis Center, the wood is younger, but it still depends on the gutters to keep water off it. A leaking corner or a gutter that has started to pull away can damage newer fascia too.

If you're not sure what condition your fascia is in, the on-site assessment answers that question: we probe the wood, photograph any problem areas, and tell you whether wrapping, replacement or a localized repair is the right fit. Our post on what happens at a free gutter quote explains the visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you wrap the fascia on my Bexley home without replacing it?

If the wood is sound, yes. Existing fascia is wrapped with .024 aluminum trim. If the wood is rotted, it's replaced with treated lumber first and then wrapped.

How long does aluminum fascia wrap last on a Columbus home?

Aluminum fascia wrap has a 30+ year lifespan, with no painting ever again.

Can fascia be done at the same time as new gutters in Worthington?

Yes. We install fascia and soffit either standalone or as part of a complete gutter project. New gutters are a natural time to do it, since both should be inspected whenever gutters come off.

Protect the board behind your gutters

The Zipco Gutters team repairs, replaces and wraps fascia across Greater Columbus, from Bexley and Upper Arlington to Dublin, Westerville and Pickerington. See our Columbus fascia and soffit page or reach out for a free estimate. No pressure.