How to Build Soffit Faces

Measure your roof to determine the size of materials you need to purchase. Measure the length of the exposed rafter at the end of your roof, which are usually cut perpendicular to the ground and sit where the shingles stop. Measure the distance underneath the roof’s overhang from the wall to the edge of the roof; add the width of fascia board to this measurement to determine the width of soffit board to use.

Place a carpenter’s level against the rafters or roof beams, touching the house’s wall. When you find a level, mark the point on the wall. Continue this process every 36 inches to provide guidelines to attach J-channel brackets that hold soffit board.

Attach J-channel brackets on the home’s exterior wall in points you measured in the previous step. Use roofing nails and a hammer to affix the bracket to the house.

Cut soffit board to fit the width measurement calculated in Step 1. Insert one end of the sized soffit into the J-channel bracket on the home, and, using a hammer and roofing nails, nail the other end to the bottom of the beam. Repeat this process for the length of the roof.

Cut fascia board to length, and attach it to the edge of the rafter. Starting at a corner, nail fascia board along the edge of the rafter, tucking its upper edge beneath the shingles. Continue placing fascia board around the rafters, cutting pieces to size.

Miter the ends of fascia board at the corners with a 45-degree cut to allow for installation with a seamless, frame joint. Tack corner fascia onto the roof beam normally after fitting it with its mitered counterpart.

Create corner caps for fascia by cutting 5-inch sections of fascia board. Measure 2 1/2 inches to find its center, and mark the point on the lower lip. Using a carpentry square as a guide, mark off a 90-degree portion on the lip, with the angle’s vertex at the piece’s midpoint, resulting in two cuts at 45-degree angles from the edge of the lip. Use a saw to cut this portion out. Fold the fascia along the midline so that the cut in the lip meets to form a single, 90-degree lip. Tack corner caps onto the fascia using roofing nails.