Fascia and Soffit Repair

Just under the gutter, you can see the black rotted areas of the fascia.  The vertical staining on the siding is due to carpenter bees.

From the roofline, it is easy to see how much the gutter has sloped away towards the end of the house.  The brown drip edge is no longer sitting over the gutter edge, so the fascia is exposed to water.

The large dot to the left of center is just one of the many bees that angrily flew out to tell us we weren't welcome.

More damage was exposed as we removed the gutter.

Bees poured out of tunnels they had chewed in the soffits.

The tunnels went all the way through the soffit and all along the inside.

A glimpse into one of their tunnels.

Opening walls gives us the chance to correct hidden problems.  This ceiling was stuffed full of insulation, but had no ventilation to help warm air escape.  To address this, we installed "proper vents" (basically bent pieces of styrofoam) above the insulation.

Soffit vents complete the venting process.  The old vents had no bug screens, so we didn't reuse them.

Reportedly, carpenter bees don't like chewing through painted wood, so the fascia and soffit were primed on all sides before installation.  (We always do this anyway; it helps keep water damage at bay.)

Now that the damage is repaired, the house will be painted and new gutters installed.