Lessons Learned From an Historic House Restoration

I remember several years ago watching a presentation by Ted Bosley at the annual Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference, where he was illustrating the extensive restoration then taking place at the historic Gamble House built in 1908 in Pasadena.

One item in particular which caught my attention was the deterioration the house had experienced in what are called ‘exposed rafter tails.’ I lived in a 1920s bungalow at the time and knew I could someday be facing the same problem the Gamble House faced.

In case you are not familiar with the term, the rafter tails are the protruding ends of the 2”x8” boards that support the overhang of the roof. In some houses the rafter tails are ‘boxed,’ meaning they are completely encased in wood. In other cases, the rafter tails are exposed, but the ends are covered with a long board called the ‘fascia’ (pictured). And in some instances the rafter tails are neither boxed nor covered with a fascia board. These are exposed rafter tails and they, like those at the Gamble House, are the most prone to decay.

The problem with rafter tails is that the most exposed area is the end grain of the board. Imagine a board being composed of hundreds of soda straws glued together. The portion that is most apt to soak in moisture is the end of the soda straws. That’s what the end of a rafter tail looks and acts like.

Left unprotected and unchecked, the decay caused by moisture entering the end grain can extend several inches up the board. Thus weakened, the rafter tails can no longer support the weight of the fascia board, the rain gutters, the roof sheathing and the shingles. Repairs can require tearing off shingles and sheathing, then splicing in new rafter tails. All very expensive!

Instead of waiting for your gutters to fall off your house, do an inspection to make sure your rafter tails are in sound condition and well-protected. Danger signs include:

• blistered paint;

• cracks extending back from the end of the rafter;

• loose fascia nails;

• loose gutter brackets;

• soft or crumbly wood (probe with a screwdriver).

To prevent water damage to the rafter tails on your house or garage, take the following steps:

• make sure the roof material or metal drip edge is directing rainwater beyond the rafter tails;

• keep exposed rafter tails covered with paint or a clear exterior urethane varnish;

• keep your gutters unclogged;

• keep your fascia board secured tight against the rafter tails (wood screws work better than nails);

• caulk between the back of the fascia board and the end of each rafter tail.

It’s a simple case of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.

-bj