How to Fix Hanging Exterior Soffits

Set up a ladder in a secure location under the end of the roof eave closest to the hanging soffit. You must remove the trim from the end of the roof all the way to the location of the hanging soffit.

Climb the ladder and locate the shingle molding, which resides at the top of the wooden faceboard where the shingles hang off the roof. Gently insert a pry bar under the shingle molding and pry it back to detach the nails. Work your way down the edge of the roof to detach the molding completely.

Position the ladder back at the starting location, and examine the end of the flat board that runs vertically along the eaves, called the fascia. Identify where it attaches and insert the pry bar under the edge of the fascia to pry it up completely just as you did with the shingle molding.

Slide the ladder down to the location of the hanging soffit. Grasp the edge of the soffit and pull it down to detach it from the remaining soffits. Peer up into the hole and clear out any bird nests or other debris animals may have left there.

Examine the new soffit, and apply a waterproofing sealer to it if it is wood. Prime and paint the soffit the desired color, if it is not already the proper color. Wait until the soffit dries before proceeding.

Hold the soffit up to the location where the previous soffit was, and secure the replacement soffit. If the soffit is wooden, secure it using finishing nails inserted into the roof eaves using a nail gun. If it is vinyl, slip the edges into the j-channel track that holds the other soffits.

Reinstall the fascia board along the front of the eaves using finishing nails spaced at 12-inch intervals.

Reinstall the shingle molding at the top of the fascia using finishing nails spaced every 12 inches.