How to restore a damaged timber fascia?

[Suzza]

Hi Folks,

Thanks in advance for your assistance.  I have just started painting the exterior of my house and when I sanded back the paint on my carport fascia I found some severely damaged wood.  I was wanting advice on the best way to restore it before painting.  I have included photos for a clearer idea of what I am facing.  Have a great day

Cheers

Suzza

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Suzza. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about restoring damaged timber.

Do you know if this is purely an aesthetical fascia or potentially a structural member? How thick is it? Either way, I can't confidently advise you to fill this area and paint without further investigation. 

Now, I believe this damage potentially looks worse than it might be. I believe these are two separate pieces of timber, one above the gap and one below it. Water has seeped between the two and started the decay process on the top edge of the larger lower piece of timber. If this is the case and the timber is non-structural, then you could fill the damage and re-paint. However, if this is a structural member (typically 35-45mm thick) or it was a singular piece of timber that has cracked along its length, you need to have it professionally examined. That's a big chunk of timber, and I'd hate to see it come down on someone. 

At this stage and without knowing more about the structure, I'd advise you to seek professional assistance just to be on the safe side. Hopefully, a builder/structural engineer will be able to confirm that it's non-structural and fine to repair with timber filler before painting.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Suzza]

Hi Mitchell,

Thanks so much for that reply.  Your advice makes really good sense and I will definitely be proceeding as you suggested.  Can’t really determine whether it’s a structural piece but have a feeling it is, either way I will get it checked out before doing anything further.
Thanks again for the reply, I really appreciate it.

Cheers

Suzza