Dean paints timber fascias, soffits and bargeboards, plus gutters and downpipes, on houses across Ecton Brook. The estate lies about 4.1 miles east of Northampton town centre, and many of its rooflines date from the first building phases, so we check the wood before we quote.
Rooflines from the first building phases
The first phase of Ecton Brook was being photographed for the RIBA image library in 1979, credited to the Northampton Development Corporation, and building carried on into the 1980s. That puts most of the estate’s rooflines at around 40 to 50 years old. Some may have had their boards replaced in uPVC since, but many may still carry the original painted timber fascias, soffits and bargeboards.
Timber of that age can be perfectly sound if it has been kept painted. Where it has been neglected, or where someone has painted straight over a failing coat, it is a different matter. Typical faults on boards of this age include:
- paint cracking along the grain and peeling at board joints
- soft wood along the bottom edge of the fascia, where water drips
- bargeboard ends on gables split or opening up
- thick overpainting hiding rot underneath
Checking the timber before we give a price
We would rather find a soft board before quoting than halfway through a job. So on any Ecton Brook roofline we probe the boards from a ladder, paying most attention to the lower edges, joints and the corners where gutters meet. We also look at the gutter joints and outlets, because a gutter that overflows will soak the fascia behind it and undo any new paint within a season or two.
Small areas of decay can often be cut out and filled with an exterior resin filler. Where a board has rotted through, it needs a joiner or roofer to replace it before decoration, and we tell you that plainly instead of painting over it. After that the work follows the sequence on our main fascia and soffit painting page: scrape, sand, knot and prime bare wood, undercoat and top coat, then paint the gutters and downpipes so the roofline matches.
Ladders on footpaths and shared greens
In the pedestrian squares, such as Snowbell Square, Foxwell Square or Chedworth Close, the front eaves often sit above a footpath or a shared green rather than a front drive. A roofline ladder may have to stand on that path. We set it up with a stand-off so it does not bear on the gutter, never leave it unattended while people are passing and move along the terrace in short sections so the path is never closed off.
Because terraces share a continuous roofline, it is often worth a conversation with neighbours. If two or three houses in a row want their fascias done, one set-up covers them, and the boards end up matching instead of showing three slightly different whites along the eaves.
Detached roads and garage rooflines
On Riverwell, Parkside, Raisins Field Close and Ecton Park Road, the houses are detached or link-detached with driveways and single garages. Access is easier because a ladder can stand on the drive, but there is more roofline to cover: the house, any porch canopy, and the fascia and bargeboard on the garage. Garage fascias are often overlooked and in worse condition than the house, so we include them in the inspection.
Homes facing the brook corridor get leaf drop and shade from the trees in Ecton Brook Linear Park, which means more gutter clearing and an algae wash before sanding. Roofline prices hinge mainly on board condition and how many set-ups the access needs; the cost guide explains the other factors. Everything else we cover locally is listed under painting and decorating in Ecton Brook.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
