The soffit and fascia are some of the most integral yet underrated parts of roofing systems. This is because they don’t give the impression to be the components of a home that would play a key role in your roofing system’s performance. To clear that up, it’s important that you know what exactly about the roles of soffit and fascia.

Fascia:

The fascia is the portion of the roof that is used to make a barrier between the outside and the edge of the roof. Classically installed behind the gutters and underneath the roof line, the importance of the fascia to a well-constructed roof is undeniable. The fascia will frequently cover the entire structure and be connected either to the top of the exterior walls or to the rafter’s uncovered ends. It usually comprises from fibre-cement board, cedar, or aluminium.

Soffit:

Outspreading from the side of the structure to the edges of the eave, the soffit is the structure beneath the eave on the house’s exterior in order to seal the space underneath. Its design warrants that it is installed from the exterior walls to the fascia boards. It comprises of wood, sheet metal, or fibre-cement board. Since one of the many functions of a soffit is to aid in ventilating the attic, it usually features small holes which permit the air to cycle to the vents thereby drawing moisture and heat away.

Importance of Fascia and Soffit:

One of the reasons why your soffit and fascia are so significant is because they can give your home’s external an appeasing look, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. However, their importance goes outside this as they also avert your home from sustaining structural damage. They can achieve this by keeping pests from attacking your home and they can avoid moisture build-up that can consequence in mould growth and rotted rafters.

• Offers air intake to naturally vent the attic and keep roof’s surface cool
• Helps diminish energy consumption and costs, particularly in the summer
• Also aids in extending the lifespan and dependability of shingles/roof materials
• Covers gaps between the rafters/joists to avoid entry by rodents and insects
• Guards against impairment to roof deck/frame and to the attic insulation

To fully make the most of the purpose of fascia and soffit in your roof, proper care and fitting is highly encouraged. This is specifically so if you have an old home that comprises of wooden fascia and soffit since wood and water do not go hand in hand. The good news, though, is that there are minimal maintenance fascia that are created either from aluminium or PVC with the former being popular and common. Contrarywise, most soffits are designed using vinyl which is highly effective in enduring the degradation caused by heat and moisture.

However, over a period of time, this aluminium type will also certainly necessitate recoating or a retouch. This is where quality coatings come in as they not only offer the essential shield, but sustain the colour trend of your fascia and soffit as well. Therefore, always reach out for expert and experienced professionals that can satisfactorily handle such a project for you.

A very common misconception among homeowners is that they think their roofing system is a semi-permanent feature and will last for very long. This cannot be more wrong, since the roof is probably the only part of the house that faces the most of nature’s wrath and therefore, is prone to damage. We do not mean to say that you should replace your roofing every two to three years, it is definitely sturdier than that, however, and it is a good idea to check up on the soffits and fascia boards from time to time to look for damages. Sometimes, these are ignored by homeowners until it becomes absolutely unbearable.

Here are some signs to look out for which may indicate that your roofing systems needs to be looked at.

1. The paint is cracking and peeling off.

The soffit and fascia boards definitely add to the curb appeal of your home, and in case they are peeling off paint, it can result in a number of problems such as mold, water damage, and bug infestation and so on. If this happens, you should get the roofing checked by a professional and take immediate steps to prevent further damage.

2. Leaking gutters.

If the gutters of your home start leaking or dipping even when the weather is dry, it might be due to build-up of leaves, twig and numerous kind of debris in the gutters. This can lead to a number of problems, since water accumulation will lead to mold, act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and spread diseases, and damage the structural integrity of your home. You should definitely get your roofing checked in this case so that you later do not have to spend heavily on repairs.

3. Roof rafters are damaged.

Water build-up can do significant damage to your house, especially to the roofing since parts of it are made using timber, which can be damaged or even be rotted away with excessive moisture absorption. In case your roof rafters are damaged, this is a clear indication that your soffit and fascia boards are faulty and are allowing water to leak inside. If this is not handled properly on time, this can damage your roofing completely and call for a complete replacement.

4. Issues with ventilation.

Soffits and fascia boards help with maintaining the ventilation system in your home to allow clean air to come in and to keep the temperature inside your home favourable. If you notice any unusual symptoms with your ventilation, this might be a sign that your soffit and fascia boards are damaged, and cannot allow air circulation.

5. An unusually high AC bill.

In the warmer months, if you get an unusually high AC bill, high enough to be concerning, it is a good idea to check the roofing. This is because your roof may hold excess heat which in turn makes your AC consume more energy and take longer to cool the interiors. This can be a sign of damaged soffit and fascia boards.

When living in Toronto, you never know what a cloudy day brings along. A simple rain prediction can quickly convert into an astounding storm, and at the end, it is your house left alone to battle the powerful winds, damaging hail, flooding lighting strikes, and more. Hence, special care is required during and post heavy rains to prevent home damage and loss.

Here are a few tips to take care of your home in the monsoon season –

1. Inspect the Roof

Your roofing is the first line of defence against inclement weather conditions, which is why it is usually in the most worn-out condition after storms. Excessive downpour often leaves behind cracks in the roof that can create a whole bunch of new problems.

There can be loose shingles, chimney damage, and broken vents causing moisture to seep in through the exterior walls gradually. Patches can also be seen as a result of water seepage.

So, to avoid these issues taking a bad turn, you must inspect your roof as the rain settles. Look out for signs of moisture and fix them at the earliest.

2. Clear the Gutters

The beautiful view of rain is priceless to watch but it is disastrous for the health of your home. Gutters and downspouts quickly fill up with debris, dirt, and leaves, and prevent the water from flowing freely. This can soon cause water pooling and cause harm to the exterior parts of the building.

Water accumulation can further lead to mold problems and in winter, cause ice dams to build up, deteriorating the condition of your gutters.

Thus, to make things easier, use a gutter protection and carry out a thorough cleaning with professional help. If malfunctioned, invest in a new eavestrough system as soon as possible.

3. Make Way for Air Ventilation

By shutting windows and doors during rains, there can be high moisture levels in your home, causing your indoors to smell musty and bad. That is because there hasn’t been enough sunlight inside your house and the flow of fresh breeze in the rooms.

The dark and damp conditions can make way for mold contamination, and you can soon develop skin allergies and breathing issues.

And while this can take a while to come to the surface, it is best to be proactive and cut down the humidity trapped in the home. Open windows and doors once a day and for the rest, use dehumidifiers.

4. Trim and Clear the Branches

Tree branches and shrubs tend to grow quickly. If they aren’t manicured properly, they can be a huge nuisance to sidings, exterior walls, screens and windows in monsoon. They can be an open invitation to pest and insect problems and cause physical harm to you and your family.

Besides, there can be damaged leaves, and branches fall off, causing drain blockages and taking a severe toll on the health of your lawn.

That is why you must trim away the bushes from the sidings and attic and remove the dead branches whenever possible.

If you have a beautiful backyard or a garden, maintaining it requires efforts. If you want to see your garden flourish with lush green grass and blooming flowers, you need to provide them with all the resources including fertile soil, exposure to the right number of natural elements, and water. However, some of the resources require money. You can expect a higher water bill when you have an entire garden to water every day. It is then when people think about rainwater harvesting.

Rainwater harvesting can help you cut cost on your water bills, and simultaneously, it is an excellent way of moving towards a sustainable environment. You might have read online or in several books regarding how people are indulged in installing rain barrels, recycling water and using it for various purposes. The thrifty idea of recycling water from precipitation has solved problems associated with the limit access to groundwater.

Coming back to rainwater harvesting, here are some easy steps to follow with most of the things present in your house required for the process.

Step1: Select a section of your roof- If you are looking for a catchment area for water to roll into your collection tub directly, you must consider the roof of your house. Choosing your roof will make you collect water immediately without setting up any other catchment area. All you need to do is, find the steeper side of your roof and designate the downspout for the accumulation of water that is installed on the steeper edge.

Step2: Look for a steep area where water collects naturally- Mostly people choose the site of their gutters for rainwater harvesting since the water from downspouts falls a few feet away from them. That place could be used to install rain barrels for collection of water. Besides, you are not limited to the gutters as you can go for choosing any natural shallow area around the foundation of your house.

Step3: Purchase a rain barrel- Rain barrels make the perfect choice for harvesting rainwater, especially for your garden. Make sure to install the rain barrel just below the downspout so that the rainwater directly pours into the rain barrel passing through the downspout. Remember to keep the opening narrow so that the critters like birds and small wild animals don’t litter the water inside.

Step4: Water storage must be closer to your garden- Since the barrels upon filling will become quite heavy to move, make sure they are near to the area where you wish to use the harvested water. It will be easy for you to drive water from the barrel to your garden if it is placed near to it.

Step5: Filter the harvested rainwater if you want- Filtered and stored rainwater can be used for drinking purposes too. If you wish to filter the rainwater, you can use a mesh to screen the water or other filtration methods. Doing so will filter the germs, bacteria and other sorts of microorganisms in the rainwater. So, harvest rainwater to make the most of natural resources and cut down your energy bills.

Siding is very essential and has a dedicated purpose to serve when it comes to your home. It acts as a shield and protects your home under all circumstances and harsh weather conditions. Moisture is one of the biggest concerns since it induces certain damages in your home. In case the insulation gets trapped in between the walls then it might cause mold and mildew to grow.

Siding plays an important role in keeping water and debris away from your home and it doesn’t allow insulation to build up thereby reducing the chances of moisture making its way into your house and causing damages. Basically siding protects the foundation and other exteriors of your home. Majorly during rain, snow, wind and other such weather conditions siding provides total protection and reduces the chances of damages.

In addition to all of that, siding adds to the beauty of your home. Since it is installed on the exteriors and covers the outside of your house, they play a very important role in enhancing the beauty of it. Different types of sidings are available in the market including vinyl, aluminum, etc and each of them have their own significance. Depending on your preferences, living and budget, you can select the material of siding accordingly.

Below are reasons as to why siding is important :

Stops water from entering your home :

• Siding acts as a shield against water and stops it from entering your home. No doubt roofs, gutters and foundations act as strong barriers against water but siding also plays a very important role in preventing water damages.
• If moisture leads its way into your home then it can completely damage or even destroy your home interiors. It can damage your doors, windows and affect the foundation of your home. In addition to that excessive moisture can also lead to growth of mold in your house. Siding stops moisture from making its way into your home and waterproofs it as well, thereby increasing the life of your home.

Ceases pest infestation :

• Along with keeping moisture and water away from your home, siding also ceases the entry of pests into your home. Nowadays siding materials are designed in a way to last long that too with minimum amount of effort and maintenance.
• Pests can’t make their way inside your home without cracks and warping. In addition to that if you want an effective treatment against pests then choose a good quality siding material. Poor quality siding can allow moisture to form a way in your house thereby making an easy pathway for pests as well.

Prevents all sorts of damages :

• Siding prevents all sorts of damages. It acts as a safety shield and protects your home under all weather conditions such as rains, strong winds and extreme heat. Siding is very essential for the health and well-being of our homes. Poor quality siding can worsen the effect and increase the possibility of damages. Whereas good quality siding will provide total protection and prevent damages.

Choosing to install a siding for your home is not something that should be taken lightly. Upgrading to new siding is a huge decision as you have to encounter significant expenses and a pretty long construction process. In short, there is just too much stress involved, and without the right kind of contractor on board, it is sure to increase.

Vinyl siding installation can get messy real quick and has to be executed perfectly in the very first time. So, to ensure that you get quality services that satisfy your needs and offer you worry-free experience, the following is a list of things to discuss with your potential contractor –

1. Experience and Expertise

Every work, whether or not it is related to home improvement, requires a sufficient amount of experience and skills. And fortunately, most of the siding installers you find in Toronto have a decent experience in the industry, making them fit and knowledgeable enough to handle the challenges faced in all kinds of siding jobs.

So, when you are going through a siding contractor’s details, ensure that they have adequate work experience and know clearly as to what they are doing.

2. Siding Brand and Material

It is vital to ask about various vinyl siding brands and other materials your contractor offers to the clients. That will give you a surety that the installer is using the best brand/product on the market, built to last for the longest time and resist all the extreme weather conditions.

So, discuss with your contractors about the vinyl siding brands they use and if they are properly trained and certified to install them.

3. Subcontractor Involvement

Many contractors outsource their projects to third parties to gain better efficiency and reduced costs. And while there is not much of an issue here, it may not be a good thing for homeowners who have contacted a company for its trustworthiness.

Hence, it is best to hire a contractor who has a full-time team to complete the work. That way, you know who you are dealing with and avoid total strangers to step into your property.

4. License and Insurance Coverage

Several state authorities require siding installers to hold a specific kind of license to operate within the community and take up big projects. These licenses are evidence of their familiarity with the building codes, which if they fail to comply, saves you from all sorts of legal troubles.

Similar is the case of workers compensation insurance where you are safeguarded against every liability that may arise as a result of an accident or mishap on your property. Thus, find the contractors that carry insurance and offer full liability insurance coverage.

5. Past Referrals

The most assuring way to know if you are dealing with a reliable siding contractor is to ask for references. Doing that can help you draw a clear picture of the contractor’s workmanship and his quality of customer service.

Ideally, you should ask for at least four to five referrals and contact any of them randomly to get an idea about the installer’s actual reputation.

Exterior window shutters have been a prominent and highly-functional feature of homes and provincial buildings since the early ages. With an ability to redefine the entire aesthetics of the property, window shutters are used by the people as a protection against bad weather and to maintain the privacy of their premises.

Shutters come in distinct designs and styles. Some of the most common ones you will come across are – louvered shutters, raised panel shutters, board-and-batten shutters plantation shutters, cafe style shutters, and cut-out shutters. These unique styles are available in vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass, composite, and faux wood with each having a different installation method and pros and cons. Hence, you need to do a proper evaluation before making your final call.

As a homeowner, you should always look out for smart ways to improve your home. And, window shutters are indeed an incredible choice to fulfill that purpose. Following are the key reasons to convince our readers to install high-quality exterior window shutters in their homes today:

To Enhance the Curb’s Appeal

People always want to improve the looks of their property but the decorative options available in the market are at times not in their price range. However, by using indoor or outdoor shutters, you can add an attractive element to your house without having to spend a lot.

You can easily find affordable shutter material options and transform your old and plain house exteriors into a gem.

To Ensure Privacy

Shutters are known to give a classic touch to every property. They have been around for long and are the perfect epitome of beauty and elegance. Besides, they are a viable solution for house areas facing a public space to ensure that there are no prying eyes.

The best part is that you can open these shutters at an angle to allow a good flow of sunlight and fresh air and don’t even have to compromise on your privacy.

To Improve Energy Efficiency

With increasing rate of global warming, there is an urgent need to create an eco-friendly planet. And the first step towards it is to embrace energy-efficient solutions. But since most of the energy-efficient technologies are on an expensive end, you can resort to window shutters as a cheaper alternative.

By fitting your windows with shutters, you can enjoy a sufficient amount of natural lighting in your home and save your light consumption and energy bills.

To Regulate Temperature

Window shutters act as an effective layer of insulation and manage the thermal temperature of your home pretty well. Whether it is about keeping the house cool during summers or trapping the warm air during the cold days, you can successfully regulate the indoor environment without any hassle.

You can even use these shutters as noise barriers if your neighbor decides to throw a party or there is too much traffic in your street.

When you are a homeowner, you cannot neglect regular maintenance and repairs that your home needs. Experts say that one should have 1% of the home’s purchase price available for repairs every year.

Replacing windows, repairing gutters, repairing bathroom and kitchen, replacing rugs and carpets are few of the things that you may need to do, in order to keep your home in good condition.

Additionally, one also needs to take care of the most crucial parts of the house that are soffits and fascia.

Soffits and fascia provide a more finished look to your home and help in protecting the roof by keeping out debris, water and rodents. Thus, it is important to keep them in good condition.

However, over time, due to harsh weather conditions and low maintenance, they may need replacement.

Now, you might be wondering how to determine that soffits and fascia of your home need replacement. Let us help you then! The following are the few signs that indicate it’s time to hire soffits and fascia replacement company.

1. Cracks and flaking paint – When you notice cracked and flaking paint on your soffits or fascia then it may be time for a replacement. Moreover, cracked paint harm the curb appeal of your home, and if you are planning to sell your home in the near future, then potential buyers may not buy it. This issue can even cause water to leak into your home. It can worsen the condition and can lead to the growth of mold in your home.

1. Presence of pests in the home – Nothing can be more annoying than having pests in the house. Especially in winters pests search for shelter in your home. Bugs and rodents can cause severe damage to the home, and it is only soffits and fascia that keep them out of your attic and roof. So, if you ever hear noise above your head or find signs of droppings and nests in your attic, then there might be some issue with your fascia and soffits. Get it checked at the earliest and if required then get the soffits and fascia replaced.

1. Lack of Ventilation – Soffits help in providing proper ventilation. Moreover, they help in preventing heat and moisture from entering your home. If you are not getting adequate ventilation, then your soffits may be damaged and need replacement.

1. Suspicion of Asbestos – Asbestos is a hazardous material and can cause health issues. Thus, if you ever suspect that asbestos is used in your soffits and fascia, prefer calling the professionals immediately. Experts will examine it thoroughly, and if found, they will devise a safe removal plan.

1. Leaky gutters – It is the fascia that provides structural support to your eaves. If it gets damaged, then gutters don’t get the needed support, and they may begin to leak. Leaky gutters can prove to be disastrous for your home. So, experts suggest getting the fascia examined and replaced if necessary.