How to Repair Cupped Timber Fascias

Prime and paint the new fascia boards before removing the cupped boards so that they’re dry and ready for installation.

Pull out the metal spikes securing the gutter to the roof. Use a pry bar and remove the gutter. Avoid bending the gutter.

Remove the fascia boards along the eave. Use a hammer or nail puller to pry it away from the wall. Avoid damaging the drip edge.

Clean away debris behind the fascia boards. If any boards are rotting, moldy or mildewed, replace them along with the cupped boards.

Inspect the rafter ends once the fascia boards are removed. If they have signs of rot or feel spongy, cut a piece of 2-by-4-inch lumber and attach it along the original rafter end with nails or wood screws. This is called a sister board and is nailed to the side of the rafter so that the ends are flush. It provides additional support to rafter ends that are in poor condition without replacing the entire rafter.

Mark the location of the rafter tails along the eaves on the drip edge with a pencil. These are your nailing surfaces that are easy to see with the fascia boards removed, but once the boards are in place to begin nailing, the nailing surfaces are hidden.

Measure the opening left by the old fascia board and mark this length, minus one-eighth inch on the new boards if you’re replacing only a section or replacing a section that doesn’t require a full board. Do not cut the new fascia boards using the measurements of the old board. This measurement is not accurate due to the board’s weathering and cupping.

Place the primed and painted fascia boards under the drip edge and hammer a nail in the center tacking it in place. It may be easier to install the new boards if cut into smaller, more manageable pieces with a reciprocating saw.

Begin at one end and fasten the new fascia board in place at each rafter end mark, working your way along the board to the other end.

Slide a wooden shim under any fascia board’s bowed sections and hammer a nail through the board into the shim. This eliminates gaps between the fascia board and wall. Reinstall the rain gutters when all damaged fascia boards are replaced.