Is it Possible to Repaint Your Fascia and Soffit?

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to achieving something is simply knowing what it is and if it’s possible.

Case in point, repainting fascia and soffit boards on your home. For those not in the know, these are boards attached to the outside of your home near your roof, with the soffit board located beneath the fascia and both typically running parallel to guttering.

All of this can make it seem as though this would be a hard region to repaint. However, with a little knowhow, you can repaint your fascia and soffit boards to breathe new life into your home décor from top to bottom.

Why it’s Difficult

There are several challenges to painting fascia and soffit boards, not the least of which being the height at which they sit in your home. You will need to be on a ladder almost the entire time, which can make it feel as if it is a perilous highwire act. It can also be a costly endeavor, though as we’ll see, the cost can be well worth it.

On the one hand, professional painters can handle the complexity and danger involved, but on the other hand, that will jack up the cost all the more.

Necessary Materials

In order to paint your fascia and soffit boards, you’ll first want to make sure that you have some critical materials, including:

• Ladder
• Paint and a bucket
• Brushes
• Sand Paper
• Caulk that you can paint over
• Rags to clean away drips

Scrape Off Old Paint

If the soffits and facia have paint that is chipping and peeling, you’ll want to scrape off the flaking paint and if necessary, sand it smooth. If you don’t, it could cause your new paint to chip and peel as well. 

Fascia and Soffit Tips

Ideally, you should not wait until your fascia or soffit are a mess before you repaint them. Exposed wood can rot, so keeping them painted will make them last. Soffits also often have metal vents that provide the area with ventilation. You do not want to clog these up with paint, so be careful with them and make sure that the bristles and paint of your brush don’t enter the vent itself. Apply at least two coats of paint.

Caulk or fill holes in the wood as you go. To make this easier, use a fast-drying caulk or wood filler. Make sure that you put primer over the spot that you wish to paint first for best results. 

Finally, make sure that you are using a ladder that you feel confident in, since you’ll need to stay perched on it without looking down for an extended period of time. 

Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to paint your fascia and soffit with ease.