Asked on May 12, 2012

Can anyone recommend how to repair a sagging soffit?

Patricia H
by Patricia H
  8 answers
  • Are you talking about gable end soffits at each end of the house, or those that extend beyond the wall line that supports what should be a gutter system? Both are different type of repair and each one tells us what concerns you should have if any once we know that.
  • Patricia H Patricia H on May 13, 2012
    It's the soffit that's in the patio area.
  • Post us a pic! More than likely it's a rotted piece of plywood...is this on a ranch...front...rear...sides? Before you repair...you want to figure out the cause. We do a ton of these repairs in metro Atlanta
  • If its the overhang that extends out from the house that holds the gutter and it only extends out a foot or so then I would agree with HandyANDY on this. The plywood that covers the framing has most likely become warped from moisture and has sagged down. Fairly common condition if the gutters have not been properly doing their job. But if you can post a photo of it, that will go a long way to answer your question better.
  • Patricia H Patricia H on May 14, 2012
    Here are pictures. The cause is a wasp nest (and who knows what else) that has a little home up there. I'm in the process of killing them off, but will need to repair this area once I get rid of them...
  • Patricia H Patricia H on May 14, 2012
    Posted pictures to get a little more clarification. :-)
  • You have a vinyl soffit. What has happened is the nails that support the F channel along the edge appears to have pulled loose. The fix is to remove the area much like you would remove vinyl siding. There is a tool with a little hook on one end that reaches between the joints of each section and disconnects one from the next. Once removed you will see, or should see the Start channel that appears to have come loose. Re-nail it or screw it back into place. Just be careful not to hammer or screw to tight. You will see slots where the nails/screws would go. This is to allow expansion of the vinyl when it gets hot. You may need to remove several sections until you get to a point where the vinyl is secure and not sagging. Then simply work back to the end again. Its not a hard job, but sometimes its a bit tricky if you have not worked with vinyl before. This may be a job for a handy person or siding company to do. Just be sure that you do NOT nail through the surface as this will not allow for the siding to expand and the result will be all sorts of bowing when it gets hot.
  • Patricia H Patricia H on Jun 02, 2012
    Thanks everyone, I had a handy man come out and do the repairs. I didn't want to do more damage than what was already done. Thanks for all the input!!