If you want to have the best fascia boards for your home renovation, here are some guidelines to help you.

1. Find the best building materials.

Timber is a traditional material used for building fascias. In fact, timber is also used for shiplap cladding, which you may have seen in barns or kids playhouses. When painted or treated with varnish or wood coating, this can tie the look of your home’s exterior together. It also gives your house a nice clean and uniform finish.

On the other hand, a lot of people have steered away from wood because of its vulnerability to decomposition, UV rays and moisture. If you want a building material that is more durable, you can always opt for aluminium. Second most popular to wood as a building material for fascia boards, many people have invested in aluminium. Aluminium does not rust and can be easily fitted below the roof. Aluminium fascias are also cost-effective and easily replaced. Another reason why this is a popular building material for soffits and fascias, is that it does not require a lot of maintenance. You do not have to paint it or coat it in other substances it for it to remain protected.

Perhaps the most popular fascia building material today is UPVC. UPVC fascias have replaced timber shiplap cladding. UPVC fascias and soffits are popular because they are durable. They are naturally resistant to wear and tear. In fact, they can withstand fierce and strong winds. If you have UPVC for your fascias, you do not have to worry that it might get damaged during hurricanes. Also, this material can be easily maintained and managed. You can simply wash it with soap and water to restore the original colour or look of the fascia.

2. Consider the structure of the fascia.

Although UPVC is a great material to use, you still need to make sure that you buy a good quality product from a reputable retailer to ensure it lasts for a long time. You have to consider the structure before installing.

The three popular choices today are square edge, bullnose and ogee fascia styles. Square edge fascias are quite easy to install. You can connect the planks side by side below the roof. This might be most ideal for those who are installing fascias for the first time.

The ogee design is a tad more intricate. You can tell if a fascia has ogee style if there are grooves at the top and bottom of the planks or panels. Just like the square edge design, you can easily install the panels side by side.

The bullnose design might be a little difficult to install because of the rounded edges. But this is the most elegant style, and may be worth the extra effort.

3. Board thickness

Fascia panels have to be thick enough to provide support to the roof of the house. Even if you are installing this with a shiplap cladding, it still has to be thick enough to accommodate heavy loads. The roof might even get heavier during rainy seasons. If there is heavy downpour of rain, the fascia has to deliver in terms of roof support. The standard thickness is from 16 mm to 18 mm. This should be enough for standard homes.

4. Colour and style

If your home exterior is lacking in colour and style, you should consider getting a new style of fascia. A lot of people play it safe by just painting white on their wooden fascia. You can actually mix and match colours to achieve the colour combination you want. If you are using timber and you do not want the paint to hide the grain of the material, you can always have the timber treated with varnish or protective layer. This will keep the material shiny and will prevent it from getting damaged easily.

Just make sure you choose a design and colour that will look nice with the rest of your home exterior design elements. You do not want to opt for a traditional wooden design when everything else in your exterior screams modern.

Now that you know what to consider when choosing fascia boards, you should have an easier time of it finding a good one to match your needs. Combine this with shiplap cladding and you can really protect your home. UPVC fascias and soffits are also great options. They are affordable but they go a long way when it comes to durability.

Article originally published at Source by Chris Coxon