We paint fascias, soffits, bargeboards and dormer trim on homes in St Crispin, the NN5 estate on the former St Crispin's Hospital grounds. Dean covers it from our Northampton base about 2.6 miles away and plans tower access for the tall rooflines.
Rooflines that start at second-floor height
The newer streets of St Crispin, such as St Crispin Crescent, are built around three-storey townhouses, terraces and apartment blocks. On a three-storey house the fascia board sits well above where a standard ladder is comfortable, and the soffit underneath it is even harder to reach properly. Painting it from the top of a long ladder means rushed preparation at an awkward angle. For most townhouses here we plan a scaffold tower or a ladder with a stand-off and stay bracket, so the board can be sanded, primed and coated properly along its whole length.
The dormer problem
Sales listings describe some St Crispin townhouses with large second-floor dormers. A dormer has its own small roofline: a fascia, cheeks on each side and trim where it meets the main roof, in timber or uPVC cladding. It is also the most exposed part of the building. The neighbourhood stands on an elevated site looking south and west over the Nene valley, and dormers facing those directions take wind and rain from three sides. Paint on a dormer cheek often fails before anything else on the house, starting at the bottom corners where water runs off.
We treat the dormer as a separate item on the quote. That way you can see what it needs on its own, whether that is a touch-up and full recoat or a rub back to bare timber on the worst faces.
Timber, uPVC and the older buildings
| What is up there | Where you find it in St Crispin | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Painted timber fascias and dormer cheeks | Townhouses on the post-1995 estate with timber boards | Scrape, sand, spot-prime bare wood, two coats of exterior gloss or satin |
| uPVC boards gone dull or discoloured | Newer homes fitted with plastic boards | Clean, degrease, specialist primer, then a coating made for uPVC |
| Eaves under hipped slate roofs | Converted Victorian hospital blocks | Managing agent decision; like-for-like finish in the conservation area |
On the converted Victorian buildings, the eaves sit beneath hipped slate roofs and belong to the historic shell. The St Crispin’s Conservation Area covers the whole former hospital complex, so any work there should match the existing finish and colour, and the freeholder or managing agent will normally commission it.
Leaves, gutters and the trees to the north
Berry Wood lies just north of the neighbourhood and the old hospital parkland is full of mature trees. In autumn, gutters on nearby rooflines fill with leaves and overflow. Water spilling over the front of a gutter soaks the fascia behind it, which is why boards here often blister along the top edge. While the tower is up we look along the gutter run and let you know if it needs clearing or a joint resealed before we paint, because a fresh coat on a wet board will not last. Shaded soffits can also carry black mould spots, which get a fungicidal clean before priming.
Setting up in a shared court
Many townhouses here use communal or allocated parking rather than a private drive, so the tower may have to stand in a court other residents use. We agree the position with you, ask that neighbours are told which day we are coming, sheet the ground and keep the area tidy at the end of each day. Paint near cars goes on by brush, never spray.
The full process, from surveying the boards to the final coat, is on our fascia and soffit painting service page. For the wider list of outside jobs we cover here, see the St Crispin area page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
