Patching soffit board

[DiyNutJob]

I am looking to patch a water damaged soffit board, and wondering if anyone can tell me how this particular board is structured? I can see it is inserted into the wall on one side (rather it sits atop the wall) and fits into a groove at the back of the fascia board. It is not clear to me how the board is secured.

To fix it, I can cover it up with a new board of some kind and attach the new board by screwing it into the old board. The old board is water damaged and soft, and so the screws might not work. The other way of doing it is to cut out a section of the damaged board and put in place a new section. It's not clear how I can secure the new section. Help appreciated.

 

[DiyNutJob]

OK, I have worked out how to screw a new board on: by putting in some good wood behind the bad board. Still, I am interested in how the existing board is structured and secured. Anyone can explain?

 

[foxhole]

OK, I have worked out how to screw a new board on: by putting in some good wood behind the bad board. Still, I am interested in how the existing board is structured and secured. Anyone can explain?

Just overclad with uvpc

 

[DiyNutJob]

Just overclad with uvpc

Yes, I can get a small piece from ebay.

 

[Alastairreid]

The soffit looks like 9mm plywood, it is nailed onto the ends of the rafters bit fiddly to replace working off ladders but doable.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

UPVC and just over clad it entirely, fixed with stainless pins.

 

[DiyNutJob]

The soffit looks like 9mm plywood, it is nailed onto the ends of the rafters bit fiddly to replace working off ladders but doable.

Would it be ordinary plywood or water proof one? I wasn't planning to replace the entire piece. I thought I would cut out a bit and insert a bit. I don't remember seeing nails on the board though. Did the house builder simply let it hung loose? I can see quite a bit of it inside the wall end.

I am curious to know in any case. But I will go the easy route of covering it with upvc.

I am working off alum scaff. I pretend I know how to do scaffer speak.

 

[datarebal]

pinned down tight onto the brick work from above with batten spiked to side of rafters .
Put your phone through the hole and take a picture.

 

[DiyNutJob]

pinned down tight onto the brick work from above with batten spiked to side of rafters .
Put your phone through the hole and take a picture.

Ahhh, Mr Pro Roofer, just the man I need. I definitely have no polytop pins, or I would have noticed them. I have seen various sections of the soffit board and never saw any impressions of nails, even at the joints of adjacent boards. If they are there, then they are extremely well hidden. I can see the board extending quite far into the wall. I was guessing there must be some anchoring inside. I must try harder to look for the pins, just for curiosity. I am out of day light today and never made it to the roof level. Will see tomorrow.

The damage to the board was caused by a leak between roof tiles. I am thinking of sealing the leak with the following hybrid polymer sealant. It will be a thick bead, and I need it to last forever. What do you reckon?

Wickes Hybrid Black Sealant - 290ml | Wickes.co.uk

Wickes Hybrid Black Sealant - 290ml

www.wickes.co.uk

 

[datarebal]

You won't have poly pins .. ignore that bit , it shows how battens pin the soffit to brick work

 

[DiyNutJob]

Ok, pinning by battens and not pinning by pins. I guess the roof tiles were off when the pinning was done.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Side view from the hole. We have a loose brick sitting on the 8mm plywood to hold it down.

Towards the roof apex. Maybe looking at the pinning batten attached to the end rafter.

The batten again.

 

[datarebal]

What a surprise

 

[DiyNutJob]

The soffit damage was partially caused by a roof leak through a damaged end tile. Rather than replacing the tile, I sealed the tile instead. Looking at the debris on the cured sealant, I realized the sealant could be further improved by putting sand on top of it before in cured. The sand layer would block out the sun and give a permanent UV protection. As it is, I think the seal should be good for a life time. The bead is 15-20mm thick, and not all of it can be destroyed by the sun.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Patched. 2.5mm uPVC sheet inserted in wall on one side, and a riveted-on tongue inserted into the groove of the fascia board