Fascia is trim?

Hi, I'm replacing the siding on my gable ends. It's currently cedar lap without sheathing behind it and I want to install sheathing for impact resistance (hurricane zone) with new lap siding over it. This will push out the gable siding about 5/8" inch or so from the framing. There's enough room for this under the roof deck overlap.

I haven't taken anything apart yet, but the fascia seems to currently be 1-1/2" x 6-1/2" cedar boards. There's a smaller piece of trim a the top of the fascia, apparently to support the aluminum drip edge and put it out slightly from the fascia. I have two questions:

1) Plan A is to remove the fascia and drip edge piece and either (a) replace the fascia with 1x boards after installing the sheathing and new siding, then replacing the drip edge thing or (b) using a 2x board for the fascia and skipping the drip edge trim thing. My questions here are whether the fascia has any structural purpose or if it's just trim for aesthetics, since it would be off the building for a week or two and also (for the first option) be replaced with a narrower board? Also would having the drip edge right on top of the fascia be a problem?

2) Another simpler option would be to try to get the existing lap siding out from under the fascia board without removing the fascia, then installing the sheathing under the lap and installing the new lap flush with the lower edge of the fascia and caulking the edges. This would avoid having to get the drip edge trim out from under the drip edge. Does this plan make any sense at all?

Thanks,

Steve

 

First, are you sure your lap siding runs behind the fascia? It wouldn't surprise me if it did, but it makes your questions irrelevant if it doesn't. Then again you wouldn't be asking the questions if you hadn't already determined it does! Just wondered.

If it does run behind the fascia, and you will be removing the siding, you will be replacing that thickness (where the siding was) with your new sheathing, so the fascia should be going back in roughly the same place. Your new siding could then butt up against the bottom edge of the fascia. If your new siding is thicker than the fascia is, install a drip cap behind the fascia first and butt the siding to the bottom of the drip cap.

I don't think you will be able to get the existing siding out from under the fascia without removing the existing 6" fascia and 1x2 trim first, but you could try. If you have any hair left when you are done let us know. If you destroy the old fascia when you take it off, I'd suggest replacing it with the exact same dimension material that you currently have. Gable fascia is never structural.

 

Yes it runs behind the fascia.

Yes it would probably be a nightmare without taking the fascia off.

You're right the top trim piece is 1x2.

Is it better for the siding to be under or butted against the fascia? I would think under. But your plan (butted) would make everything the same, thicknesswise.

One question: I'm wondering how hard it's going to be to get the 1x2 out from under the drip edge without bending or destroying the metal. I imagine it's nailed under there.

And BTW, what is the fascia nailed to? Just the gable studs and trusses?


Thanks for your help,

Steve

 

If you have trusses and no soffits, your fascia is likely nailed directly to the trusses. When siding is run behind the fascia and/or corner boards, it's more a of a time-saving shortcut than anything. (length of siding isn't as critical, don't have to caulk) I don't like the looks of it when it runs behind and IMO, I think that it's shoddy construction. It's only on newer homes where cost cutting and time saving has become the norm that you'd see that sort of thing done. The resulting gaps can't be caulked and it makes a nice place for bugs to enter. IMO it is much better when lap siding butts into trim, where it can be neatly caulked.

As for getting the 1x2 off, you can likely carefully pry it loose- just enough to get a reciprocating saw behind it to cut the nails, without doing damage to the drip edge. That's probably a can of worms you'd like to try to avoid.

 

Oh ya on the can of worms.

Thanks for your help!


Steve