# how to repair sagging/loose soffits?



## nick1933 (Aug 9, 2012)

I've never tried this before, but we have a number of issues with the soffits that need to be remedied. We only recently bought this house, and heard from the neighbors that a lot of the damage was done during the 2004 hurricane season in Florida. All the really loose and missing pieces you can see in one particular picture were caused by the roofing contractor who replaced the shingles when we purchased the house. 

Is this a job a DIY'er can deal with, or should I consider getting in a pro? Someone told me that the way to at least deal with the sagging soffits was to put in tek-screws to prop them up - anyone ever heard of that?

And how do I get into the tight spot under the sharp roof angle to fix the loose soffit there?

Note- I think most of the actual pieces that have come off are available - I found them on the ground. The house dates from the 70's, so whether the actual material used is still available or not I don't know. 

Thanks.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Highly unlikly the roofer had anything to do with that mess.
Sure looks like it was just installed wrong in the first place.
Looks like there was no blocking to nail the soffit to in the middle and not enough nails used to hold up the J at the top of the siding, or it was nailed into rotten wood.
When I install soffit I nail every piece, sometimes they skip that step by installing several pieces before nailing in place.
I also would suggest having someone add an aluminum fashia with an 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 bend to support the end where the fashia is. It will also cover the wood so there's no more painting.
Screws will work but I find they get in the way and if over tightened will tend to close up the J molding. I use 1-1/2 roofing nails then drive them home with a 1/2 round punch so I do not damage the J.

What did they use againt the house to nail the soffit to?


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## stephenbishop (Feb 15, 2012)

I probably should have been clearer.

The very last picture you see, with all the loose soffit hanging down or missing, was from a section of roof where the underlying wood had rotted due to leaks, and which the roofing contractor tore up and replaced while completely renewing the shingles for the entire roof - if you look closely, you can see where he used new wood for the facia. I just assumed, given that we paid $500 - $600 extra for the repair, that the soffits their work affected would have been taken care of. 

Th other pictures are from areas of the house where the soffits definitely have issues that are entirely separate to the roofing contractor's work. 

I went and had another look today, and I just think it's something I need to hand to a contractor, especially the section that's been affected by the roofing people.


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