DH Painter & Decorator paints and refreshes timber and uPVC fascias, soffits and bargeboards in New Duston, NN5, on the edge of town by the A428, roughly 2.8 miles from the centre. Dean plans the access first, because many of the area's detached houses stand only a short gap apart.
A whole estate’s roofline reaching the same age
The Duston Neighbourhood Plan records that almost 3,000 houses were built around Weggs Farm Road and Rochelle Way within 10 to 15 years, mostly two-storey brick houses topped with gable roofs. That means a great deal of roofline of the same age, all fitted within a few years. Whether a house has its original painted timber boards or early uPVC, the fascias, soffits and bargeboards on these closes tend to show their age together: flaking gloss and grey timber on one, chalky and yellowed plastic on another.
Gable roofs add a part that is easy to overlook. The sloping bargeboards on each gable end catch more weather than the eaves fascia beneath a gutter, and they are often the first board to split or lose its paint. When we price a house here we look at all three elements separately, so you know where the wear actually is.
Reaching the roofline between close-set houses
Many of the large detached houses in Loire Close, Bergerac Close, Reims Court and the neighbouring closes were built close to one another. Side gaps that are fine for a wheelie bin can be too narrow to foot a long ladder at a safe angle, and you cannot always stand a ladder on next door’s drive without asking. Before quoting, Dean checks:
- whether a ladder can be footed safely in the gap, or whether a narrow-base tower or ladder stand-off is the safer option
- whether the gable bargeboard can be reached from the front or rear garden instead of the side
- whether the neighbouring owner needs to be asked for access, which we would rather you arrange before the start date
- where the van can go, since high car ownership in Duston leaves little kerb space in a cul-de-sac
If two neighbours on a close book together, the access between their houses only has to be set up once, and both sides of the gap can be done in the same visit.
Timber, uPVC and what each needs
| Roofline material | Common signs in New Duston | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Painted softwood fascia | Flaking at joints, bare grey timber on the south side | Scrape, sand, fill, spot-prime bare wood, undercoat and gloss or satin |
| Timber bargeboard on a gable | Split ends, paint lifting at the apex | Repair or splice soft sections first, then a full paint system |
| uPVC fascia and soffit | Chalking, yellowing, algae on the underside | Deep clean, degrease, then a paint made for uPVC if a colour change is wanted |
| Soffit vents and boards on flats | Weathering on purpose-built blocks | Usually scaffold or powered access, arranged with the landlord or council |
Leaf fall from the woodland edge
New Duston sits on the north-west fringe of Northampton with Harlestone Firs and the Slatepit and Round Oak plantations close by. Leaves and debris from that woodland fill gutters on the houses nearest to it, and a blocked gutter overflows straight on to the fascia behind it. That is a common reason a board rots from the top edge. We check gutters on every roofline job and clear any debris before painting, since fresh paint behind an overflowing gutter will not last a winter.
Back at the original settlement, the stone cottages are terraced, so roofline access there is from the front and back, with a longer carry to the rear where gardens are long. For the full preparation system see our main fascia and soffit painting service, and for what affects the price of roofline work, the painter and decorator cost guide. Other services in the area are listed on the New Duston page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
