Fascia is the vertical board your eavestrough hangs on; soffit is the underside panel where the roof overhangs the wall. Together they close the roof edge against weather and squirrels while letting the attic breathe through soffit vents. When they fail (rot, peeling, gaps) you get pest entry, attic condensation, and eavestrough with nothing solid to hold onto. New aluminum here is the cheapest facelift a house can get, and one of the most structural-adjacent.
Why the paint is peeling up there
Nine times out of ten it's moisture from inside: a bathroom or dryer vent exhausting into the attic instead of through the roof or wall, or blocked soffit vents suffocating airflow. Warm wet air hits the cold aluminum or wood, condenses, and pushes paint off. Replace the soffit without fixing the venting and the new stuff peels too. We check where every fan terminates before quoting; it's a two-minute look that saves the whole job.
Aluminum vs vinyl siding, without the sales pitch
Aluminum takes heat, holds crisp lines on rooflines and trim, dents but doesn't crack, and takes paint later if you rebrand the house. Vinyl is cheaper per square, never needs paint, but goes brittle in deep cold and can crack on impact; colour is the colour forever. Roofline trim (soffit/fascia): aluminum, almost always. Large wall fields on a budget: vinyl earns its keep. Mixed systems are normal and smart.
What a re-clad actually involves
Old material comes off (surprises live here: we find rot, wasp condos, and 1970s wiring stapled where it shouldn't be), wood gets repaired, then new aluminum is bent on-site on a brake to wrap every board cleanly. Vented soffit panels go where the attic needs intake. A typical roofline refresh is 1–3 days. Colour-matching to your windows and eavestrough is free; ask for the swatch ring, not a guess off a screen.
Your once-a-season walk-around
Tick what checks out. Anything you can’t tick is worth a closer look.
Things people get told (that aren’t quite true)
“Siding is just cosmetic”
It's the raincoat and the windbreak. Failed cladding lets water reach sheathing, and sheathing rot is quiet, structural money. The paint job is the least of what it does.
“You can't paint aluminum”
You can, and it takes paint well after proper prep. It's one of aluminum's quiet advantages over vinyl, which you're married to in whatever colour it left the factory.
“More attic vents are always better”
Balance beats volume. Exhaust without soffit intake can pull air from the house instead, dragging warm moist air into the attic. It's a system, not a hole-punching contest.
Does your roofline need attention?
1. The soffit paint/panels look…
2. Your bathroom fan vents…
3. The fascia behind the eavestrough…
Questions we hear every week
What do new soffit and fascia cost?
Typically $8–$16 per linear foot installed — $3,000–$9,000 for most homes in 2026. It’s the cheapest facelift a house can get.
Why is paint peeling on my soffits?
Usually trapped attic moisture. Make sure bathroom fans vent outside — not into the attic — before repainting or replacing.
Aluminum or vinyl?
Aluminum takes heat and stays crisp on rooflines; vinyl suits large wall areas on a budget.
Does new fascia help my eavestrough?
Yes — solid fascia is what your eavestrough anchors to. Rotten fascia is why gutters sag.
Samm's Corner: Aluminum vs vinyl siding, without the sales pitch
Hi everyone, I’m Samm Simon, the friendly face of the Toronto renovation community, and I’m excited to dive into a discussion about the pros and cons of aluminum versus vinyl siding for our homes. As we head into the warmer summer months, I think it’s a great
Hi everyone, I’m Samm Simon, the friendly face of the Toronto renovation community, and I’m excited to dive into a discussion about the pros and cons of aluminum versus vinyl siding for our homes. As we head into the warmer summer months, I think it’s a great …
