Aluminum Soffit and Fascia Installation and Preparation

Soffit and fascia. It may have a unique name, but it is the cornerstone for finishing the exterior of a home. Soffit is the underneath of a roofs overhang. It prevents water and creatures from entering into your attic. It also is vented to allow proper airflow for your attics heat to escape from a ridge vent.

Fascia is the exterior edge of a roof’s overhang. It covers up the sub fascia or sub band around the edge of a roof. It prevents water and moisture from entering through the soffit. Soffit and fascia combined form a watertight seal around the lower part of the roof and allows proper venting.

Wood, aluminum, and vinyl are the most common types of soffit and fascia. Aluminum and vinyl are some of the cheaper types of soffit and fascia and require the least amount of maintenance, while wood is the most aesthetically pleasing. In this article, I’ll explain how to hang aluminum soffit and fascia.

You need a level, a tape measure, a ladder, galvanized nails or staples, a chalk line, and a pair of tin snips. Start on one corner of the house and level across from the sub band to the house walls. Do this on each corner of one wall. Use the chalk box and preferably a helper to snap a line across the wall. For long walls hold the line in the middle and snap each side.

Once the lines are snapped, you will need to attach j-channel. First, use the tin snips to cut the j-channel along the edge every two feet. This allows the edge of the j-channel to be peeled back so you can attach a nail or staple. Attach the j-channel along the chalk line. When you get to a corner, make a cut with the tin snips and bend the j-channel 45 degrees to the outside corner of the sub band. Repeat these steps all the way around the house.

Now cut the soffit with the tin snips to the length of the wall to the sub band. Typically, soffit is about two feet but some soffit is anywhere from 16 inches to 4 feet. Leave about a ¼ inch off the overall measurement for expansion and contraction. Start on one corner and slide the soffit into the j-channel. Attach one nail or staple into the groove side of the soffit. This groove is covered by the next piece and therefore covers each nail as you work your way down the wall. When you get to a corner, mark each piece with a pencil and trim to fit.

After one side of the soffit is in place its time to add the fascia. Slide the piece into the backside edge of your roofs drip-edge and press it into place snugly. Nail it about every 3 feet with an aluminum nail underneath the fascia. Don’t over nail it; it will wrinkle if you do! Never nail into the face of the fascia, always nail the bottom. Corners get bent around the wood and should never be butted together. You should now have soffit and fascia that will last a lifetime.