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Replacing rotted gutter facia, wet rafters. Can Still do this?

Replacing rotted gutter facia, wet rafters. Can Still do this?


  #1  
Old 12-12-18, 11:52 AM
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Exclamation Replacing rotted gutter facia, wet rafters. Can Still do this?

Hi. I need to replace my gutter facia. My gutter is leaning forward and not drainin. I currently have a little bit of snow on my roof as well right above the gutter. The rotted facia is wet because of he and the ends of some of the rafters are also wet. I am replacing with PT board. Can I still put up the facia board and fasten into the wet ends of the rafters?

Ive been trying to get this job done for the last 2 months but it has been raining every time I have a day off. I am planning on doing this tomorrow if possible because water is spilling in places where people need to walk and it is turning into ice at night.

Thoughts? And if so should I use screws or nails? Should I also use longer fasteners To have a better bite into the dry part of the rafters?

Thanks
 

Last edited by MrPC1; 12-12-18 at 11:56 AM. Reason: Spelling
  #2  
Old 12-12-18, 12:01 PM
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Something is wrong if your rafter ends are wet. Some water can dam up from snow and wick or seep behind to the fascia and rafter ends but you need to make sure there isn't a bigger problem.

Are the rafter ends solid? If yes then you can screw your new fascia board right to the rafters. If the ends are rotten you should sister on new ends so you have something solid for anchoring your fascia.

I would use screws to attach the fascia since they provide better grip than nails. I would only use screws long enough for the job. I would not go to really long screws to get past rotten rafter ends as that will only be temporary until the wood totally rots out and the screws rust. It's better to put in new, rafter ends.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 12:10 PM
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Yeah. You can do that but you are hiding a serious problem. Once the rafter end grain starts to rot repairs will get expensive. Do you have ice damming? You may have to cure that first. Also. the edge course of shingles should have flashing underneath that directs the water beyond the fascia. Is it installed correctly? Pics would help.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 12:16 PM
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Everything is pulling away from the house. And I think the ends are wet because they have been exposed to the weather. I believe the facia is the original from 1969. I will take some pics and report back.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 12:34 PM
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They have definitely been exposed to weather. The question is why, and what's the fix. Screwing the fascia boards back up is a band-aid.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 12:36 PM
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Honestly. It is probably because I need a new roof which is going to happen after taxes late winter/early spring. I did not see any flashing on this either.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 12:40 PM
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Last edited by PJmax; 12-14-18 at 09:26 PM. Reason: removed dead links
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Old 12-12-18, 12:45 PM
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Old 12-12-18, 12:58 PM
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ehhh. If this had flashing I probably wouldn't be in this boat. Upon further investigation I don't think this is the original fascia as I can tell the gutter has been re-hung at some point. Also incorrectly. Those clips do not look right.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 05:33 PM
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Can't tell from the pic, but does the porch gutter ends (wrap around) slope up to meet the main roof gutter? This would leave the front piece of the porch gutter always filled with water and overflowing against the fascia until the wrap around gutters drained to a level below the top of the porch front gutter.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 05:49 PM
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Sorry, but what fascia? All I see is exposed rafters and wall sheathing.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by beelzebob
Can't tell from the pic, but does the porch gutter ends (wrap around) slope up to meet the main roof gutter? This would leave the front piece of the porch gutter always filled with water and overflowing against the fascia until the wrap around gutters drained to a level below the top of the porch front gutter.
Yes. It did until it started separating from the deteriorating fascia. Now it leans forward and down.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by mossman
Sorry, but what fascia? All I see is exposed rafters and wall sheathing.
Right! It is rotted away right there in that spot where I took the picture of the rafter. The builder, or person that put that fascia in did a crap job not putting any flashing up, hence the problem at hand. Tough to get a real good look at what is going on with the rafters. All in all they seem solid but when they dry and i remove the gutter I will be able to assess the scope of what is going on. They look like they might have the very beginning stages of rot on the ends of a couple but I'm not 100% sure. It's raining this weekend. I'm not sure If I want to take everything down right now knowing that I won't be able to finish before the rain comes back. blahh.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 06:09 PM
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Oh I see. It is so badly rotted that a lot of it is missing. I think your rafters are probably okay. I'd replace the fascia board and reinstall the gutter with the proper slope and new fasteners. You could also install a drip edge to ensure no water gets behind the gutter again. How's the insulation in your attic?
 
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Old 12-12-18, 06:13 PM
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If you tap on the ends with a hammer and they feel solid, then I'd say you're good. If you have a couple that are questionable, you can nail a block to the side of those rafters and nail the fascia to the block instead.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 07:04 PM
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Thanks. My insulation is good in the attic. Now if some of the rafter ends are questionable, should i actually cut the ends off and sister them? I'd say the rafters are probably ok as well (although I am a complete noob). I dealt with some real rot not too long ago and this is nothing like that, however I don't want it to get to such a stage either. Thanks again for your input.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 07:20 PM
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Where the heck is the flashing? i.e. gutter apron and/or d style drip edge?
 
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Old 12-12-18, 08:28 PM
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I would not cut any of the ends. Not only is it not necessary (and would be a PITA) you'll also be decreasing the bearing. I would just sister them up with some short blocks if necessary. If they are all solid and nails will hold, then you don't need to bother.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by XSleeper
Where the heck is the flashing? i.e. gutter apron and/or d style drip edge?
Apparently it didn't come with the home when I bought it. Seems likely the route of the problem? I'll take a look at this tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll put the fascia up and rehang the gutter. Put in flashing on my next day off.
 
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Old 12-12-18, 08:31 PM
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Originally Posted by mossman
I would not cut any of the ends. Not only is it not necessary (and would be a PITA) you'll also be decreasing the bearing. I would just sister them up with some short blocks if necessary. If they are all solid and nails will hold, then you don't need to bother.
Music to my ears! Thanks.
 
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Old 12-13-18, 06:32 AM
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Please show a picture of the downspouts connected to the porch gutter.I still think the porch gutter is not properly sloped to drain into the downspouts.
 
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Old 12-13-18, 07:15 AM
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I'm surprised this wasn't picked up in the home inspection when you bought the house. Who installs a roof without flashing?? Definitely not to code. Your low pitch adds to the problem. I don't know where you live, but when you re-roof I recommend you lay an ice shield around the perimeter before you nail the shingles, and flashing down.

You are getting good advice here on the rafter tails. Remember it's not a fix though. Good luck!
 
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Old 12-13-18, 08:22 AM
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Originally Posted by beelzebob
Please show a picture of the downspouts connected to the porch gutter.I still think the porch gutter is not properly sloped to drain into the downspouts.
The downspout is on the left side behind the post next to the garage in the picture of the front of my house. It used to slope correctly. The rot could not be seen until it was bad enough to start pulling away from the house and dipping down. This happened a few months ago. Prior to this the slope was correct and the gutter functioned.
 
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Old 12-13-18, 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Viriliter_Agite
I'm surprised this wasn't picked up in the home inspection when you bought the house. Who installs a roof without flashing?? Definitely not to code. Your low pitch adds to the problem. I don't know where you live, but when you re-roof I recommend you lay an ice shield around the perimeter before you nail the shingles, and flashing down.

You are getting good advice here on the rafter tails. Remember it's not a fix though. Good luck!
Thanks. What would a fix be? I am very interested in getting this all done the right way so I can sleep at night. I would hate to have the roofer add all of this to his bill, but it is what it is if it is something beyond my noob expertise.

I took another look at things. Some of the rafter ends are not as solid as i would like them to be so they will need to be sistered. The edges of the sheathing don't look that pretty either. Bad news - none of the gutters have any flashing in the front of the house. The good news - the gutters on the back of the house do have correct flashing!
 
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Old 12-13-18, 08:37 AM
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I just had a garage addition built, and I don't believe they used any flashing, so it doesn't seem uncommon. I'll have to check again when I get home.
 
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Old 12-14-18, 06:29 PM
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Thanks to all of you guys for chiming in. Looks like I am going to wait for things to dry a bit, rip off gutter and facia, sister whatever ends I need to sister, install drip guard, and put a new facia up and rehang the gutter with the correct slope.

Question- since it was suggested that I do not cut off any rafter ends when I sister. Should I scrape away anything loose and fill with epoxy? I’m probably going to be living here for a while so I don’t want to do anything half way and revisit in a few years. V.A. Said this is not a fix. What can I do to make this a fix? Thanks.
 
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Old 12-14-18, 07:10 PM
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No, just leave the old, soft rafter ends in place. When you get to the repair slide a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 in place next to the rafter. Hold the board up against the roof sheeting. Make sure it extends at least a foot or so past an rotten rafter. Mark where the old rafter angle meets the new board. Take the board out and cut the angle. Stick the new board back up in the roof and screw the new board to good wood of the old rafter. Then make a mark on the shingle with a grease pencil or cut a tiny notch so when you reinstall the fascia you know where to nail/screw.

Once you get the water problem resolved the old, rotten rafter will dry out and the rot will stop. Getting rid of the old wood doesn't hurt but it doesn't help much either. I normally remove what I can pick free by hand but I don't do any cutting.
 
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Old 12-14-18, 08:25 PM
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Thank you very much. I'm a noob so this really helps!
 
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Old 12-14-18, 08:46 PM
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From what I see in the pics, Your roof is the problem. I see a roof over (newer shingles over old shingles). The newer shingles don't look all that good either. The old shingles are staying wet along the lower edge and rotting the roof decking which then rots the rafter ends. The facia board as seen along the top edge of the gutter, looks good. Probably replaced when the second roof was installed. The gutter is screwed directly to the facia board to try to keep the water from getting behind it. Somebody else tried to fix a problem already.
You may have to pull all the gutters, at least where effected. For a fix, until you can get a new roof, purchase some 6 or 8" fasteners and screw the facia on. I wouldn't even re-install the gutters until you get that new roof.
The new roof would be a complete tear off. Replace the bad roof decking. Ice and water shield all the way around. Drip edge. Starter shingles. Shingles
 
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Old 12-15-18, 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by dan0661
From what I see in the pics, Your roof is the problem. I see a roof over (newer shingles over old shingles). The newer shingles don't look all that good either. The old shingles are staying wet along the lower edge and rotting the roof decking which then rots the rafter ends. The facia board as seen along the top edge of the gutter, looks good. Probably replaced when the second roof was installed. The gutter is screwed directly to the facia board to try to keep the water from getting behind it. Somebody else tried to fix a problem already.
You may have to pull all the gutters, at least where effected. For a fix, until you can get a new roof, purchase some 6 or 8" fasteners and screw the facia on. I wouldn't even re-install the gutters until you get that new roof.
The new roof would be a complete tear off. Replace the bad roof decking. Ice and water shield all the way around. Drip edge. Starter shingles. Shingles
Yes the roof is in bad shape. I’m pretty sure the lack of flashing is the cause of my facia rotting away. I’m probably not getting a roof until late winter/early spring. That being said, I do have to rehang the gutter as if I do not I will have ice in places people need to walk to enter and exit the house. Im going to try to do all I said, I think I can make it happen. If anything needs to be revisited when the roofers come I’ll stick the pros on it. Thanks.
 
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Old 12-22-18, 09:44 AM
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Hey folks. It finally decided not to rain on my day off so I took down the gutter and the fascia. What a PITA. Whoever hung this did not use the right hardware and screws were stripped and someone put adhesive over some of the screw heads. Anyways..... I am getting ready to sister a few of these rafters ends, but I have a few more questions. As I said earlier I am getting a new roof this spring. I was thinking about putting up drip guard flashing, but as expected, some of the edge of the sheathing is not solid. Should I put up the guard anyways, have the roofers replace that part of sheathing and put up the drip guard, or something else all together? Also I have more rot on the bottom of the eave (not sure if that is the right word, I'm a big noob). What should I do about that? Thanks folks.
 
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Old 12-22-18, 01:34 PM
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All is sistered, Putting up the new fascia tomorrow morning. I think I can do up a drip guard myself. The edge of the sheathing isn't as bad as i thought.
 
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Old 12-22-18, 01:59 PM
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If the drip edge isn't too expensive then it certainly won't hurt. Have a pair of tin snips handy. If you hit some nails before you can slide it in all the way you can cut the drip edge away in those areas so it slides in place. As a retrofit I don't nail them in place. I use caulk since all you have to do is keep them from sliding down.
 
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Old 12-22-18, 02:16 PM
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Thanks, Yes an aluminum drip edge is very in expensive so I will do it. I'm thinking of using a little spray foam to fill the little rotten hole along the bottom of the eave once I have the fascia up, and then put those vinyl pieces back over it . There is actually bottom flashing for the fascia, so that will go back up. Thank you and everyone else for all of the feedback on this. I had no idea what to do prior to talking to you guys and I've learned a lot. This is a big accomplishment for me. Cheers!
 
 

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