Drip edge and fascia board

16 years ago

The roof on my 1930's house was replaced in 2003 with new drip edge and some new sections of fir fascia. Because they installed the lower edge of the drip edge flush against the wood fascia, water flows down the drip edge onto the fascia. I just recently replaced one section of the recently replaced fascia board, where it appeared to have flowed through a joint in the fascia (I know, lousy caulking job). A carpenter replaced the fascia board and recommended that I clad the fascia with vinyl. Not keen on this idea - due to appearance and cost (over $1000).

What can I do to the drip edge to divert water away from the fascia? Bend it? I read in a recent post about slipping a 1x2 between the drip edge and fascia so the water will "skirt" away from the fascia. Will this work in my situation?

Additionally, I would like to add gutters to help prevent water damage to the siding and windows. Would the inner edge of the gutter slip under the drip edge? If not, would the gutters increase the potential for rotted fascia down the road? I am sensitive to the home's architectural character, so the least obtrusive the better.

Thanks in advance for your advice and comments.

Featured Answer

brickeyee

16 years ago

"unless the fascia board had a 1x2 installed, water is supposed to flow on the fascia."

He is wrong. Water should NEVER be flowing on the fascia.

"He said that the only reason for a drip edge is to keep water from seeping under the shingles - not to direct water from the fascia."

Wrong again. The reason for a drip edge is that if asphalt shingles hang over they can easily be damaged and can sag.
A drip edge helps support the shingles and ensures water does drip off the edge and does not run back up under the shingle to damage the fascia OR the edge of the roof deck.

Cheap drip edge is just a bent up piece of flashing. It provides minimal shingle support.
Better drip edges are stiffer and shaped to both support and protect.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

sdello
16 years ago
sounds like they installed a closure piece of metal and not a "drip edge" All the drip edges I've seen are bent outward at the bottom so the "drip" is away from the fascia.

definition from one website:

"For clarification, a drip edge is a modified L-shaped flashing used along the eaves and rakes of a roof. The drip edge directs runoff water into the gutters and away from the fascia."
green-zeus
16 years ago
You can also replace the fascia board with pressure treated. When you install gutters, you can screw or nail the back of the gutter tight to the board--I had to do this on my barn and it really did the trick to keep the water from running down the board.
Related Discussions
How can i prevent fascia board from getting dirty and rotting?
Q
Comments (13)
Ok, I finally looked at almost the entire video---instead of the first 30 seconds or so. From about 1:15, the damage gets much worse. There are soffits---the horizontal sections under the area from the fascia to the wall of the house----but, are there vents in the soffit areas and are those vents clear into the attic----and is there sufficient exhaust area(roof vents/turbines/etc) for the air in the attic to escape? The best advice I can give---it is very difficult to determine the exact problem(s) over the Internet---is to find a competent roofer/company to inspect the roof and determine the best repairs. How to find a competent roofer/company? The longer a company has been in business, the more satisfied customers they have. Competent, experienced roofers will have a list of satisfied customers and addresses---go look at their work. Ask folks, there are competent roofers who work for less money and still do a good job---their customers will also be happy. The gotcha is anyone can say they are roofers---I've put shingles on houses using volunteers. Took us three Saturdays to do a house pro's would get done in a day and a half max---and I had 10-12 folks working. But, those were now houses(Habitat), not reroof jobs.
...See More
why does the fascia board rot even with drip edge?
Q
Comments (17)
millworkman: Proper installation is a necessity for a great many things. Poorly installed PVC trim can indeed mask other problems, but I have a hard time seeing that as a reason for not using it. Poorly installed wood trim can also mask problems as it rots in places hard to see from the outside. tlbean2004: Do not put PVC or anything else over wood. All that does is create a place for water to collect between two different materials. PVC is designed to be used alone as a replacement for wood. Will you ever have to replace it? Never is a very long time, but given correct installation, PVC trim will last much longer than wood. If your rot problems, however, were the result of improperly installed drip edge, etc., you may get good long life with wood once the problems are corrected. Rot resistant wood such as cedar or pressure treated is a good idea, but proper priming of all surfaces before installation is also very important.
...See More
Water Drip Stain on Roof Fascia?
Q
Comments (2)
We currently do have installed a 2' piece of flat metal flashing about 1.5 inches wide (deep) to extend out underneath the shingles in those 2 areas but the stains are still appearing the fascia. What's odd is that one side is 'cleaner' than the other. A roofer I had come out, thinks it's just the way the wind pushes the rain against the fascia. Thus he was reluctant to add an even deeper piece of flashing because he thought the wind would just push & roll the water back underneath the extension & smack it on the fascia again. Thoughts?
...See More
Valley flashing and drip edge for a low pitch asphalt shingle re-roof
Q
Comments (9)
Ichabod, we're in the desert southwest, but I probably should have expanded on that comment! Our annual average rainfall here is under 10". Snow does happen but is not common. Ice dams are not a problem here, for example, so local code does not require ice and water shield at the eaves, either. We recently had a wet 6" snow but that is fairly remarkable for us, down here in the southern part of New Mexico. Also to you and tlbean2004, thanks for your thoughts on the metal flashing. We may request metal valley flashings, with ice and water underneath. Metal flashings got the roof through 17 years with no problems, so I'm not sure why to abandon them now...unless the technology of modern underlayments has rendered metal valley flashings obsolete. I thought that was what the roofer was implying, and we weren't sure if that was correct. I'll admit I am also a bit more worried about this roof than I would be if it was not such a low pitch. So you folks are a big help. klem1, thanks for your explanation. Nope, no interest here in removing the 2x2 trim to try to treat the rafter tail end grain (DH would leave me if I suggested that) so it looks like the consensus is to keep a very wide metal flashing. I guess it will be less distracting when painted to match the wood. Our house was built in 1965 and I sure don't want to make uninformed decisions that lead to damage...all for the sake of looks. (As much as I dislike the look of the big drip edge.) I guess a smaller drip edge and rotted wood would not be very pretty, either. I need to figure out which ice and water shield product will work in our hot temperatures, if we want it under the metal valley flashing. One bid specifies GAF Weatherwatch (but the contractor isn't local.) I don't know how heat resistant that product is. I know Grace Ice and Water has the best reputation, but I was surprised to see the Grace website says that only their most expensive product, Grace Ultra, should be used in the desert southwest: Grace IWS Contractor's Guide So if the esteemed Grace Ice & Water Shield (regular product) will not stand up to desert southwest heat, I wonder how any of the (much less expensive) GAF ice and shield products would work. There are a few scary stories in some roofing forums about "bitumen bleed" when ice and shield products are used in higher temps than recommended. (Roofing is not for sissies, have you noticed?)
...See More
rosesr4me
Original Author
16 years ago
sdello and green-zeus - thanks for your responses.

Trying to cool off here because I just got off the phone with the roofing company that installed the drip edge. He is refusing to do anything because he said that unless the fascia board had a 1x2 installed, water is supposed to flow on the fascia. He said that the only reason for a drip edge is to keep water from seeping under the shingles - not to direct water from the fascia. I told him that the previous drip edge did direct runoff off the fascia board and he told me I was wrong (!). Wow. I guess he would know better than me the homeowner.

The drip edge that he installed has a crease imprint near the lower edge, but there isn't much of an angle on it. Is it standard practice to bend this drip edge at the time of installation to provide sufficient clearance from the fascia board? He is saying that there is only one kind of drip edge on the market and that they do not alter it.

Since he obviously is not claiming any responsibility, I will be filing whatever I can in the form of complaints, grievances (BBB, local building officials, etc.) Any further suggestions?

Can I slip a 1x2 under the drip edge to keep water from flowing across the fascia?

Thanks again for all your insight.
green-zeus
16 years ago
I understand what he's saying there. I guess that is correct---a drip edge is to protect the roof and not really to protect the fascia board. But the roof is supposed to overhang the gutter in order to direct water into the gutter. So for him to say his only job was to protect the roof, well, I disagree. I don't think it's standard to bend the drip edge, at least, for a pro. He's just going to put it on there because of the warranty issues involved for him if he makes any modifications. If you were doing it, well, you'd do whatever it took to satisfy your needs. This is just my opinion and means nothing--but it seems that today's gutters are thinner than what they used to be. So you get gaps in the back of them against the fascia board. That's why I screwed down the back of mine, because there was a lot of gapping.

Since WHEN is it normal for water to run down a fascia board???? Seems like another "french wave" statement to me. If that were the case, everyone's siding would be streaked in black stains. And before the days of pressure treated or aluminum fascias, everyone would be replacing gutter board every few years. That is such a crazy statement.

It seems before you hire ANYONE to do ANYTHING you now have to sit down with them and tell them exactly what you want and expect in every little,tiny area. In my opinion roofers are not very good at seeing small problem areas and finding good solutions to them. I was just on a newer roof last year after a friend had water coming in over a couple dormers. That cavity between the roof of the house and the roof of the dormer was exposed. Only because the roofer took no care in that little problem area. ACK--it's no wonder some of us try to do most work ourselves!!!!
rosesr4me
Original Author
16 years ago
Brickeyee....thanks for responding. Yep, this roofer is a deadbeat - refusing to do anything & with a very nasty attitude to boot. Even if he did agree to do something, I don't trust him replacing the drip edge. Heck, I don't even trust him coming to my house.

Will gutters alleviate this problem? Will the inside gutter edge fit under the drip edge? I have an appointment for an estimate on Monday.

If gutters won't fix the problem, will inserting 1x2 or lathe under the drip edge keep water off the fascia?

I have to correct this soon - I get plenty of rain here in Florida and I can't afford (nor able to replace myself due to neck injury) to keep replacing fascia.

Thanks again for your responses.

Drip edge and fascia board

brickeyee

Comments (6)

sdello

green-zeus

Related Discussions

rosesr4me
Original Author

green-zeus

rosesr4me
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Drip edge and fascia board

brickeyee

Comments (6)

sdello

green-zeus

Related Discussions

rosesr4meOriginal Author

green-zeus

rosesr4meOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

rosesr4me
Original Author

rosesr4me
Original Author