Eavestrough, Soffit, Fascia
Gutter Service
A gutter is a trough-like structure that is installed around the edge of a roof. Its primary purpose is to manage water flow from the roof through downspouts and to safely direct it away from a house or building.
Without gutters, rainwater or snow melt off will fall directly around the foundation of your home. Eventually the soil will erode and the foundation will begin to form small holes or cracks. That will simply let water into the basement or lower level of your home or building. Once you have flooding, you have a serious problem extracting it and then dealing with the mess left behind, including mold and mildew.
Gutter Services in Toronto
Gutters become clogged with leaves, debris, bird nests, and other items. Properly functioning gutters also move the water away from the side of the house. So if your gutters are clogged, the water will have nowhere to go except down the side of your house, damaging the siding and leaving ugly black streaks. The water will also back up under the eaves and find its way into your attic, causing its own form of moisture, damaging the insulation and anything you have stored. That water will then work its way down the walls and onto the ceilings of the interior of your home.
If leaves and other debris accumulate, during the winter, snow melt will refreeze weighing them down to the point that they will pull away from the structure. Then you will have the expense of replacing them as well as taking care of all the damage that the excess water will cause.
Fascia
Fascia is the long, straight board that is installed along the lower edge of the roof. It will give your home or building some visual interest and allow the roof to look finished.
It supports the lower edge or bottom row of tiles. Gutters are generally attached to the fascia. The fascia, gutters and soffits work in conjunction with each other to be sure water from rain or snow melt is moved away from the walls and foundation and conducted safely away from the property. It also acts as a barrier to pests like bats, birds, squirrels. The fascia and soffits contain the ventilation grids that move the warm, moist air from the attic to the outside.
Soffit Services
Most roofs are made with an extension past the edge of the house. These are known as eaves or rafters. The underside of this eave is called a soffit. Translated, it means “something underneath”. Architecturally it gives the overhang a finished look. Without them you would just see the bare rafters.
Other than giving your house a finished look, soffits serve a real purpose. It provides ventilation for the attic. The underside of the roof attaches to the attic. Heat will build up in attics both from the sun shining down and from interior heat rising. Without proper air flow, the roof will become overheated. In the winter this means ice dams are likely to form, which, in turn, cause water leaks. Too much heat will cause the shingles to break down more quickly. Ventilation also allows humidity to be dissipated into the atmosphere. Too much humidity will eventually lead to mold, mildew and wood rot.
Soffit Services in Toronto
Inadequate ventilation will also reveal itself as higher utility costs. The HVAC system will work harder in the summer keeping the interior cool and heat will be wasted in the winter.
Because of their location, soffits are vulnerable to weather damage especially from moisture. If gutters are improperly placed, leaking, full of debris, or missing, the accumulated water from rain or snow melt off will infiltrate the soffits. Soffits are also vulnerable to insect damage or from small animals. Squirrels or other small rodents will find an opening and let themselves enjoy the pleasure of your attic, especially during breeding periods.