Timber Bargeboard/Fascia hanging off gable end

[Adam78]

I have a bargeboard/fascia hanging off gable end of house. Every roofer i've called automatically says its rotted without getting a ladder and climbing up to check. From the pictures - see images:

It doesnt look like its rotted but more like its come loose from the fixings to the rafter ends. From the images above does this look like a rotted bargeboard requiring a full replacement or can it be repaired? Also if new bargeboard is required is a timber or upvc one better. Reading the following article : http://www.fixmyroof.co.uk/trusted-fascia-company/ it seems timber would be more stronger. Any roofers here who can provide some advice on how the above can be fixed? or does it requires a full replacement?

What should I be looking for I call in a roofer?

 

[ree]

You have capping boards pinned to your barge boards.

Moisture has most probably rusted the fixings, and rotted the barge boards, and whatever roof timbers they are fixed to.

You should get this attended to immediately - esp if there is a public path or highway below - they are hanging dangerously and a gust of wind could bring them down.

Some slates seem to be missing and some have been disturbed.

You mention a "fascia" perhaps you mean the capping boards? However, why not post some clearer pics of the gutter and fascias?
There are nearby trees and the gutters might need clearing out?

Is there a capped off gable chimney breast in the pics above?

To answer your last Q's - first get the barge boards on the ground for examination.

 

[Adam78]

What are capping boards. Are they the strips of wood on the top of the roof?

I'll try and get some clearer pictures tomorrow when its light. It was dark when I took the previous ones. Yes there is a capped off chimney breast - see pics below taken last year (ignore annotations in second image as they are for a different problem)

 

[Adam78]

You have capping boards pinned to your barge boards.

Moisture has most probably rusted the fixings, and rotted the barge boards, and whatever roof timbers they are fixed to.

You should get this attended to immediately - esp if there is a public path or highway below - they are hanging dangerously and a gust of wind could bring them down.

Some slates seem to be missing and some have been disturbed.

You mention a "fascia" perhaps you mean the capping boards? However, why not post some clearer pics of the gutter and fascias?
There are nearby trees and the gutters might need clearing out?

Is there a capped off gable chimney breast in the pics above?

To answer your last Q's - first get the barge boards on the ground for examination.

What would be the best way to repair or replace this? Should I use capping boards? should I use timber or UPVc?

 

[ree]

With respect, i've just said to get them down for inspection before anything else.

The fixing timbers projecting from the wall that the barge boards are fixed to need examining as well.

The dropped stack should be taken below the barge board, and a single piece barge board used to replace it.

Where you have a shoulder on the chimney breast (its the second flue) someone has used a coping stone. The coping stone is pushing water towards the wall, and holding it there. This too must be rectified.

In pic no. 1 there appears to be foliage growing on the c/breast?

You should leave this work to roofers or builders with towers or ladders.

 

[^woody^]

That barge will be fixed to timber noggins coming out of the gable, and you might find that they have rotted or softened from water getting to them from a gap in that top cover piece which should cover the edge of the slates. This dampness has caused the barge to come away even more.

You will need to refix the barge if you want to fit a cover piece of plastic.

But it's a poor design prone to just this sort of defect. So if you need to work on it, you really should consider altering it to a proper mortar verge, or a dry fix verge system.

 

[Adam78]

Where you have a shoulder on the chimney breast (its the second flue) someone has used a coping stone. The coping stone is pushing water towards the wall, and holding it there. This too must be rectified.

What would you use to replace the coping stone with or how do you suggest it be rectified?

 

[Adam78]

That barge will be fixed to timber noggins coming out of the gable, and you might find that they have rotted or softened from water getting to them from a gap in that top cover piece which should cover the edge of the slates. This dampness has caused the barge to come away even more.

You will need to refix the barge if you want to fit a cover piece of plastic.

But it's a poor design prone to just this sort of defect. So if you need to work on it, you really should consider altering it to a proper mortar verge, or a dry fix verge system.

The barge board is fixed to a timber batten and the batten is fixed to the purlins. It seems the batten has come loose from the purlins so either the purlin ends have rotted or the timber batten has rotted.

 

[Adam78]

Update. So I've had a few roofers called in today some 3 said doesn't look rotted but would have to get up with a ladder to properly check. One said its rotted at the spar (what on earth is a spar?) but didn't bother to go up with a ladder to inspect. He advised it's best to replace entire fascia with a plastic one and trying to salvage the existing one would be futile because when you try separating the fasciaboard from the bargeboard it will start to come apart.

All these roofers using different terminology so I'm getting a bit confused. Can someone explain to me what the following are in relation to the pics I've posted please:

Barge Board (is this the piece on the outside)
Fascia (is there a fascia in the above pics or is the fascia the batten board to which the barge board is attached to)
Spar

 

[ree]

The coping stone shoulder should be packed up with brick bats and mortar to give a sloping flaunching effect, and then flashed in sheet lead.

The sub-rafter/nailer ("batten") behind the barge board is irrelevant at the moment - its not called a fascia: google pics of fascias.

As above, for safety's sake use at least one tied-in tower to remove the boards, and to do all other associated works.

As mentioned above, a wet verge might be the way forward - an undercloak would be needed altho the wet verge in the lean-to below doesn't have an undercloak. But you would need one at the gable verges.

The advantages of dark PVC barge boards are obvious, so are the cons.

FWIW: i'd suspect that the chimney breast besides needing a pointing ref. the foliage, might need the flues sweeping? I cant tell what the venting arrangements are?

AAMOI: if you could post the 3 priced quotes on here it would help other DIY'ers who might be interested?

 

[catlad]

The barge board looks like a few 5" galvanised nails would cure that problem.