Don't paint! Cover fascia trim instead

You have a contractor lined up to install new siding on your home, but you feel like you're forgetting something important. Could it be that someone once mentioned the ideal time to cover your house's fascia trim is during a siding installation? Many older homes have wood fascia that requires regular repainting to prevent moisture damage, but there's one slight problem--in many areas the trim is almost impossible to reach because the gutters are in the way. Covering your fascia during your siding installation can put an end to the problem once and for all.

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Covering your fascia trim can make good financial sense

How often do you have to paint your home's fascia boards? Depending on where the house is located and the paint used, it could be as often as every five years and almost certainly at least once every ten years--after all, the trim is a big part of your home's exterior appearance. According to the R.S. Means Repair & Remodeling Cost Data guide, a painting contractor might charge about 80 cents a linear foot to put one coat of paint on your fascia and that doesn't include removing and replacing the gutters--even on a very simple house with just 320 feet of fascia your total costs could easily be about $500 every five to ten years.

The same guide estimates that it could cost about $4.30 a linear foot to have your fascia covered with aluminum and it might even be less if it's done at the same time as a siding installation--that 320 feet of fascia could cost about $1,400 or less than having your trim painted three times. A few other reasons for having your fascia covered with low maintenance aluminum:

1. Repairs--the above costs don't include replacing fascia boards rotted by water damage--sometimes paint isn't enough
2. Gutter damage--every time your gutters are removed and reinstalled is one more opportunity for them to be damaged or potential leak points created
3. Safety--if you do your own painting, your days working on a tall ladder may be over

Ask your siding contractor for a bid to cover the fascia boards on your home--it may be less than you think.

 

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