Which Is the Best Vinyl Fascia Material?

Fascia

• The fascia of a building is the horizontal band that runs immediately beneath the edge of low-sloping roofs. The purpose of a fascia is twofold: it caps the ends of the rafters where they project out from the walls and it serves as the anchor point for guttering. The outer rim of a cornice is also called a fascia.

A Brief History

• Vinyl is a synthetic material, made from combining the chlorine in salt with the ethylene in crude oil. The proper name for the product is polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. First made in the 1920s, vinyl’s durability, low production costs and the many applications to which its moisture-resistance can be applied made it an instant hit.

Choice

• Installation costs can often be entirely recouped through the increase in the value of the building that typically comes with upgrading fascia with a maintenance-free product. Perhaps the most important choice is gauge, which is the thickness of the vinyl. The better the quality, the thicker the vinyl. With an increase in gauge comes an increase in price. The experts at Home Time note that “The siding sold in most home centers is .040 to .045 inches thick. Premium brands are available up to .055 inches thick.”

Color

• Modern production techniques can produce vinyl in any color; it can also be transparent. Vinyl holds its color without cracking and with minimal fading through its life cycle. Darker colors fade the most, but they can be painted after proper preparation.

Style

• Style is a major consideration when choosing vinyl fascia. Because fascia is so visible from the exterior, the vinyl has to have been molded or extruded in such a way that it complements the building. A plain, featureless white band that works well for a brick-built modern home would be entirely wrong for a classical building with considerable exterior ornamentation. For the latter, vinyl molded in a color reminiscent of other exposed wood and finished with a faux grain pattern could work, or vinyl molded to look like cedar shingles or narrow planks. Specialist suppliers offer extremely large ranges.