Capping or full replacement: which does your roofline need?
When fascias, soffits and gutters are tired, there are two ways to put them right. Capping covers the old boards with new UPVC; full replacement takes them off and starts again. Neither is always right. Here's how the choice is made.
The short answer
If the timber behind is dry and solid, capping is often the most cost-efficient option, and we'll recommend it. If the boards are rotten, soft or coming away, they need to come out, because covering them only hides a problem that keeps getting worse.
What capping means
Capping is fitting new UPVC boards over the existing timber fascias, a bit like a sleeve. The old boards stay where they are and carry the new ones, and the gutters are usually renewed at the same time.
It's quicker and less disruptive than a full replacement, and because there's less labour and waste, it usually costs less.
What full replacement means
Full replacement takes the old fascias and soffits off completely and fits new UPVC boards in their place, with new gutters and downpipes.
With the old boards off, the ends of the roof timbers are on show, so any rot can be dealt with and ventilation can be added to the roof space. It's more work, but you're starting from a clean, solid base.
How to tell which yours needs
Some of this you can see from the ground. The rest we check up close when we survey.
- Soft or crumbling timber when pressed: replace.
- Boards bowing, split or pulling away from the rafters: replace.
- Damp staining or mould in the loft at the eaves: replace, and look at ventilation.
- Sound, dry timber with tired paint: capping is often the better-value choice.
- Gutters leaking but boards solid: new gutters may be all you need.
How we decide on your house
We look at the boards before we quote, and we tell you what we'd do and why. Where capping is the most cost-efficient option for you, we'll say so; where it isn't, we won't suggest it to save time.
To confirm with Blue Shield: What Blue Shield checks at the survey to decide between capping and replacement, and roughly how the price of each compares for a typical house.
Questions we're asked
Is capping a bodge?
Not when it's done over sound timber. It's a recognised way of renewing a roofline. It becomes a problem when it's used to cover boards that are already rotten, because the rot carries on underneath where nobody can see it.
Do the gutters get replaced either way?
Usually, yes. The gutters are fixed to the fascias, so when the boards are capped or replaced, it makes sense to renew the gutters on the same visit.
Can you do part of the house and not the rest?
Yes. Some customers replace the whole roofline for a uniform finish; others deal with the worst sections only. We'll show you what we found and you choose.
Where we work
Based in Southampton, we cover Hampshire and the South Coast. Not on the list? Ask us: we cover the whole South Coast.
- Aldershot
- Andover
- Basingstoke
- Eastleigh
- Emsworth
- Fareham
- Farnborough
- Fleet
- Gosport
- Havant
- Hedge End
- Horndean
- Hythe
- Locks Heath, Warsash and Whiteley
- New Milton
- Portsmouth
- Southampton
- Stubbington
- Totton
- Winchester
Get a free roofline quote
Tell us about your property and we'll arrange a visit to survey it and give you an exact price. It costs nothing.