BavilaCustom Homes · Bergen County (201) 421-0080 Call
Home/Exteriors/Rot & Trim Repair

Rot & trim repair

Rotted fascia, soffit, corner boards and window casing — rebuilt in cellular PVC so it doesn't come back. And because we're framing carpenters, when the water reached the sheathing or the framing, we fix that too.

Assembly

Water doesn't stop at the trim board

Once water gets behind fascia, soffit or window casing, it keeps going — into the sheathing, the rim joist, the rafter tails, and sometimes the studs and sill plate.

Trim installers and siding crews have to stop when they find that. They call somebody else, or they close it back up and hope. We open it, show you how far it went, and put the structure back properly.

Drag the slider to open the wall →

RAFTER TAIL SHEATHING SILL PLATE
What you seeWhat's behind it

Drag to open the wall

Condition

How to tell it's rot

Surface signs lag the actual damage by years. If you can see it from the ground, it's usually further along than it looks.

  • Paint bubbling, peeling or flaking on trim boards
  • Wood that feels soft or spongy, or takes a screwdriver with no resistance
  • Dark staining or streaking below gutters and rooflines
  • Gaps opening at corner boards or window casing
  • Soffit panels sagging, separating or dropping
  • Trim you've caulked and repainted more than once

If you've painted the same board twice, the wood under it is usually already gone.

Scope

What we repair

Anything on the exterior that's trim, and everything behind it that the water reached.

FasciaSoffitCorner boardsWindow & door casingRake boardsFrieze boardsWater tablePorch ceilingsColumn wrapsPost basesSheathing repairRafter tailsStructural framing

The highlighted items are the ones a trim company would have to stop and refer out. We can price and plan them with the rest of the work.

Material

Rebuilt in PVC, so it's done

Cellular PVC doesn't absorb water, so it can't rot, and it doesn't need paint in order to survive. You paint it for the colour, not for protection.

Rot & insectsImmune. No moisture uptake, nothing for fungus or carpenter bees to feed on.
PaintOptional. Holds paint well when you want a colour, but a failed paint job doesn't put the board at risk.
MovementExpands and contracts more than wood with temperature, so it has to be fastened and gapped correctly. Done wrong you get buckling and open joints.
CostModerately more than clear cedar up front. Cheaper across any realistic lifespan once you stop repainting.
When we use woodHistoric profiles, custom milled trim, and anywhere a match matters more than maintenance. We'll tell you when that's the right call.

Process

The free exterior assessment

You get a written condition report with photos whether or not you hire us. It costs us an hour and it's the most useful thing we can give you.

Condition Report
Example · Bavila Homes
Property
Center-hall colonial, mid-century · painted cedar trim
Front
Fascia — north runNow12 ft soft through. Sheathing behind is wet; two rafter tails affected.
East
Window casing, 2nd floorNowOpen seam at head casing. Active water path into the wall.
Rear
Corner boardSoonBase is wicking. Not structural yet — worth doing with the front.
West
Soffit & rakeSoundReplaced within the last decade. No action needed.
Note
Gutters are undersized for the roof area and are feeding the front fascia. Worth correcting alongside the repair.

Related work

Where this usually leads

Rotted trim? Let's take a look.

Get an estimate Call (201) 421-0080