Things You’ll Need
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Chalk line
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Tape measure
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Metal shears
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Carpenter’s level
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1/2-inch pan head Phillips screws
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Screw gun with Phillips head bit
Aluminum fascia trim protects the fascia board. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Freshly painted fascia board is attractive. Within a couple of years, however, the paint can start to peel and you’re looking at a weekend of climbing up and down a tall ladder to scrape, prime and repaint the fascia. Wrapping the fascia with aluminum will keep it looking fresh for years. Installing aluminum fascia trim is one of the simpler do-it-yourself home projects, but getting it right at the top of the gables requires some angle cutting.
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Step 1
Measure the width of the fascia board and subtract 1/2 inch.
Step 2
Mark a strip of aluminum fascia trim on both sides to match the measurement and snap a chalk line between the marks.
Step 3
Cut the aluminum fascia, lengthwise, along the chalk line with metal shears. Standard aluminum fascia comes in 10- to 12-foot lengths and 6- to 8-inch widths. When you cut the aluminum fascia, leave the L-shaped edge intact.
Step 4
Hold the aluminum trim along the fascia board on the gable, and make a pencil mark on the trim that matches the bottom edge of the fascia board.
Step 5
Cut the bottom angle of the aluminum fascia trim and put it back up, slipping the long edge of the trim beneath the metal flashing that covers the top of the gable fascia board. Align the bottom edge of the aluminum trim with the bottom edge of the fascia board.
Step 6
Insert pan-head Phillips screws in the bottom edge of the aluminum fascia trim, about every 24 inches. This is where the L-shape meets the bottom of the fascia board.
Step 7
Install the next piece of aluminum fascia trim, overlapping the first piece by 2 inches. Slip this piece under the metal flashing and install with screws as you did the first piece.
Step 8
Measure from the peak of the gable to end of the last piece of installed fascia trim, and add 4 inches. For example, if the distance from the edge of the last piece of trim to the highest point in the peak of the gable is 36 inches, add 4 inches and make a mark on a new piece of fascia trim 40 inches from the end of the trim. Do not cut the trim yet.
Step 9
Make a second mark 2 inches shorter than the first mark. In this example, you’d have a mark at 40 inches and another at 38 inches.
Step 10
Hold the aluminum trim along the fascia board and a carpenter’s level to make two vertical pencil marks, one at 40 inches and the other at 38 inches in this example. It’s important to make these marks while holding the trim on the fascia to get the angles right.
Step 11
Notch the tip of the fascia trim so the 38-inch mark fits at the peak of the gable and the excess 2 inches fits along the other side of the gable. It won’t fit completely, because the bottom edge isn’t wide enough, but it will extend past the center gable line.
Step 12
Install the top piece as you did the others.
Step 13
Repeat the fascia trim installation method on the other side of the gable until you reach the final piece. This time measure from the peak of the gable to the end of the last piece and add 2 inches.
Step 14
Hold the trim along the fascia board and use a carpenter’s level to make a vertical mark at the top edge.
Step 15
Cut along the vertical mark and install the final piece. The vertical line at the peak of the gable should be in the exact center of the gable. It will overlap the top piece of trim on the other side.
Tip
Wrap the horizontal fascia boards before installing the aluminum fascia on the gables. Look for pan-head screws with painted heads to match the color of the aluminum fascia.
Warning
Wear leather gloves. The cut edges of aluminum fascia trim are very sharp. Don’t “face nail” aluminum fascia. The screws along the bottom ridge and the flashing along the top will hold it in place.
