Trim, Fascia and Soffit Painting in Fort Worth, TX

Fascia boards sit right under the roof edge, where gutters overflow, morning dew collects and afternoon sun bakes the face. When gutters back up during a heavy spring storm, water runs behind the gutter and soaks the top of the fascia. Paint peels there first, then the wood grays, checks and eventually softens. Window sills and the bottom ends of casings fail next, since water sits on their flat surfaces. Soffits usually hold paint longer, but they show water stains and mildew where roof leaks or condensation reach them.

On a brick home, these painted surfaces are also the only visual frame for the house. Fresh trim makes brick look cleaner and the roofline crisp, which is why a trim-only repaint gives a lot of curb appeal for the money. It's also a shorter job than a full exterior. Most single-story trim repaints wrap up in two to four working days, and you can stay home the whole time, since we never need to come inside. Because the brick isn't being painted, you also avoid the long-term upkeep that painted masonry brings.

We probe fascia, sills, casings and corner boards with an awl during the walkthrough. Wood that lets the tip sink in easily is rotted and won't hold paint. Small areas can be dug out, treated with a wood consolidant and filled with a two-part epoxy filler that's shaped and sanded to match. Longer runs of rotted fascia are cut out and replaced with primed pine, cedar or a PVC or fiber-cement board, depending on what's there and how wet that spot gets.

Replacement boards get primed on all faces before they go up, including the back and cut ends, so they don't drink water from behind. We also check the gutter fasteners and drip edge while we're on the ladder, and note any spots where water is clearly getting behind the gutter so you can have it adjusted. Epoxy repairs need a few hours to harden before sanding, so we schedule them first thing and paint the patched areas later in the job.

• Awl probe on every sill, casing and fascia run
• Epoxy repair for small, localized rot
• Board replacement for long or structural sections
• Back-priming and end-sealing every new board

The joint between brick veneer and wood trim is where Fort Worth's shifting clay soil shows up most. As the foundation settles and swells, brick and wood move slightly differently, and old caulk splits or pulls loose. Those gaps let rain and insects in behind the trim. We cut out failed caulk with a utility knife or multi-tool rather than smearing new caulk on top, because new bead over cracked bead fails at the same line.

Deep gaps get closed-cell backer rod so the new sealant can flex in an hourglass shape instead of tearing. We use a high-performance elastomeric or polyurethane-modified sealant rated for masonry-to-wood joints, tool it smooth, and let it skin over before painting. Window perimeters, door frames and frieze boards all get the same treatment. Most sealants of this type want temperatures above 40F during application and a dry joint, so we hold caulking on foggy mornings until the wood dries out. The result is a joint that flexes through a wet spring and a dry August.

Trim takes more abuse than siding, so we use a premium 100% acrylic exterior paint in satin or semi-gloss. The higher sheen sheds water, resists dirt and wipes clean, which suits window sills and door casings. Soffits usually get a flat or low-sheen finish to hide minor surface flaws when you look up at them. Bare wood is spot-primed with an exterior primer, and knots on pine fascia get a stain-blocking primer so sap doesn't bleed through a white finish in the heat.

Color makes a big difference on brick homes. Bright white trim can look harsh next to warm red brick, while a soft cream, greige or a darker bronze can tie brick and roof together. We'll bring large painted samples and hold them against your brick and shingles before you pick. If your roof was recently replaced, the new shingle color may shift which trim tones work best, so we bring a few options rather than one.

Fascia and soffit work happens on ladders and sometimes on the roof edge on two-story homes. We use ladder stabilizers that rest against the wall rather than the gutter, so gutters aren't crushed, and we place pads under ladder feet on patios and walkways. Drop cloths cover beds and hardscape, since scraping old paint sends chips everywhere. At the end of each day, debris is swept and bagged, and we run a magnet over the lawn when any nails have been pulled from replaced boards.