wooden soffit boads on new-build houses. Why?
- Thread starter Maz
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
was it in a conservation area?
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
Wood is a renewable product and can be recycled back into chippings for fuel, or back into the ground if it is clean.
No reason for it to rot if it has been fitted correctly and is protected.
Plastic is made from oil.
No reason for it to rot if it has been fitted correctly and is protected.
Plastic is made from oil.
Piemaster
Guru
- Location
- UK City of Culture
Dunno about 'rot soon'.
This house is 15 years old now, still with original painted wooden soffits. Though they are looking shabby and need stripping back and repainting, or more likely uPVC
This house is 15 years old now, still with original painted wooden soffits. Though they are looking shabby and need stripping back and repainting, or more likely uPVC
phil_hg_uk
I am not a member, I am a free man !!!!!!
Agree with this.
Replaced the soffit on the front of my house 15 years ago, last year I gave it a light sand and paint and there was no rot at all.
The reason is that before it was installed I treated it with wood preserver then undercoated it then gave it 2 top coats but not just the front ALL of it.
Too many people just nail up a piece of wood and slap some paint on the face side only and then expect it not to rot.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Wood doesn't need painting or preservative if it is protected from the weather as soffits are.
If detaled correctly any timber will last for hundreds of years if detailed correctly. Look at Norwegian Stave Churches and American lapboard houses.
If detaled correctly any timber will last for hundreds of years if detailed correctly. Look at Norwegian Stave Churches and American lapboard houses.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Also depends what wood it is. Some woods are actually more durable than PVC. (edit: cross-posted with Archie_tect)
d.
d.
Orange
Active Member
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I bought a new home in 2001. Despite a couple of re-paints my soffits, barge-boards, fascias etc were all rotting very badly at the front of the house especially, which gets most sun, rain and wind. Replaced them all with UPVC in 2010 and don't regret it at all - looks like new still and much smarter than the other tatty houses on the estate that have not replaced them yet. Actually, quite a high number have done the same as me.
phil_hg_uk
I am not a member, I am a free man !!!!!!
If it is wood and outside round ere it gets preserved and painted, so if you have any wooden appendages and are passing watch where you stand.
U
User482
Guest
To me, all upvc looks cheap and nasty. It can't be repaired and will discolour over time. Good wood, if maintained, will last far longer and looks much nicer.
OP
OP
Maz
Guru
Sorry to hear that, Orange. You pro-wood boys - what went wrong here? Was the soffit made of untreated wood you reckon?
phil_hg_uk
I am not a member, I am a free man !!!!!!
In that case I mean the bit the gutter is fixed to.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Fascia board... best if it's marine quality ply with a splayed chamfer on the bottom edge to encourage the water to drip off.... slightly rounded to allow the paint to coat it fully . ...Or better still use a water based micro-porous 'stain' [can get solid opaque colours]... or use upvc as you can now recycle old upvc, but don't overclad the existing timber fascias and soffits.
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
It would be in the detailing.
Correct design to shed water without it settling on the end grain, or capillary action drawing rain water up into closed crevasses, sufficient ventilation to allow the timber to air dry quickly, correct timber selection for longevity.
The wrong type of wood would rot quickly if it is badly designed in installation but the correct type of wood, even unprotected with any sort of preservative can last decades or centuries if installed and detailed correctly.
