Dean paints timber fascias, soffits, gutters and downpipes on houses in Westone, NN3, about 2.6 miles north-east of Northampton town centre. A typical bay-fronted semi here has three separate rooflines to deal with: the main eaves, the bay roof and the garage.
Three rooflines on one semi
A standard Westone semi, of the kind found on Ashley Way, Oaklands Drive and Firtree Walk, rarely has just one fascia. There is the main eaves line, the small roof over the front bay with its own short boards and soffit, and usually a garage alongside with a fascia of its own. A rear extension often adds a fourth. Each of these is at a different height and catches a different amount of weather, so they rarely wear out at the same pace. When we survey a Westone house we look at each roofline in turn and tell you which ones need full preparation and which only need a clean and a fresh coat.
We cover Westone from Northampton, 2.6 miles away. For the step-by-step process on timber boards, see the main fascia and soffit painting page.
The fiddly part: bay roof soffits
The bay roof is the hardest roofline on these houses. Its soffit sits just above the window head, at an awkward angle, and it often follows the shape of the bay. Rainwater runs off the little roof onto the board ends, so bottom corners and joints are where paint fails and timber softens first. These boards are scraped back, the joints checked with a bradawl, soft wood cut out and filled or noted for repair, and bare patches primed before undercoat. The window frames are directly below, so they are masked and sheeted, and any drips are wiped straight away.
Trees, leaves and overflowing gutters
Westone has plenty of mature trees in its large gardens, particularly around the former Westone Manor grounds, and leaves end up in gutters every autumn. A blocked gutter overflows down the face of the fascia and soaks the soffit behind it. Painting over a board that is being wetted every time it rains is wasted effort, so we clear the gutters on the runs being painted and check the joints and outlets. Fascias in permanent shade also grow a green film that has to be killed and washed off before sanding. If a leaking joint is beyond simple resealing, we tell you rather than paint round it.
Towers on the drive, ladders in the passage
Roofline work in Westone is helped by the drives and garages that many semis have. An access tower can stand on level ground at the gable end and be moved along, which is steadier than leaning a ladder against a gutter. Things change in a few places:
- Flats and terraces on Conifer Rise may have higher or continuous eaves shared between several owners, so we need to know who is responsible before quoting.
- Houses facing the Wellingborough Road have less room to set up on the street side, and a busy A road below.
- The taller 1920s detached houses on Westone Avenue have higher eaves, which may call for a bigger tower.
Timber, uPVC and what to do with each
Some Westone houses still have their original painted timber boards, while others have had uPVC fitted at some point. Timber gets the full scrape, prime, undercoat and gloss treatment. Sound uPVC can be painted with a suitable primer system if you want a colour change, but there is no point coating uPVC that is just dirty, as a wash may be all it needs. If the walls are being done at the same time, our Westone area page links to the other outside work we cover there.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
