One Sunday morning, you wake up and realize that you have a damaged vinyl soffit to take care of. And we know that it’s not such a great feeling to receive an extra headache on your off day. Now don’t worry about hiring a professional because with just a bit of help you can fix the soffit right away. If you remove the vinyl soffit now, you might have the house to yourself rather than sharing it with any wild animals in the future.
So, how to remove vinyl soffit?
You’ll need to start off by positioning your ladder and then moving the soffit towards the retaining channel. Get rid of any unwanted nails (if you have any). Then, bend the channel lip and pull the soffit away from the wall channel. Lastly, you’ll be able to pull the soffit out without much of an effort.
However, we’ll start right off and let you have the easy and hassle less removing experience of the vinyl soffit.
Essentials You Need FOR Remove Vinyl Soffit
This process doesn’t take that many tools or materials for you. Because most of the things that you’ll deal with are quite portable.
However, to get the whole removal process done, there are some basic things that are quite essential for you to grab. So, we’re gonna go over all of that stuff one by one for you-
Ladder
The ladder will let you reach high places like your roof. There are different types of ladder-like the step ladder, extension ladder, platform ladder, etc.
You can grab whichever one you like but just make sure that it’s suited to the surface when you’re doing your work.
- We Recommended: Little Giant Aluminum Ft, Multi-Position Ladder (On Amazon)
Utility Knife
Utility knives are the most common thing used when it comes to getting into narrow places that your hands can’t reach. You’ll find it in any nearby local hardware store.
- We Recommended: Fiskars 770020-1001 Pro Utility Knife (On Amazon)
Nail Puller
Rusted and aged nails might be a bit hard to deal with. If you want something that’ll pull those nails off in a matter of seconds, then we would suggest the nail puller.
You can use a nail puller to pull out unwanted nails on any surface. It’s a versatile and easy to use tool that will surely amaze you.
- We Recommended: Bates Nail Puller (On Amazon)
How To Remove Vinyl Soffit?
So, if you have a cool roof in your house, you already know the reason behind is the vinyl soffit that you have. It helps the air to move up through the attic and takes it out of the ridge vent.
Even though you might already know about the soffit a lot, we’ll let you know a bit more about its existence.
You see, a soffit basically refers to the board on the underside of a roof eave. It bridges the gap between a home’s siding and the outer edge of the roof.
If you wish to install the soffit, the installation will be determined by the positioning of the inside and outside corner posts.
It’s also important that you complete it before the final course of siding is installed on the wall.
However, vinyl soffit is constructed in a way so that you can easily install lengthwise from the wall to the fascia.
The panels of the soffit are similar to vertical siding. Moreover, the manufacturers produce both solid and vented panels and also combinations of both.
So, let’s see how you’ll remove the damaged vinyl without any trouble today.
Materials
- Vinyl Soffit Remover
Tools
- Ladder
- Utility Knife
- Nail Puller
Instructions
- Position The Ladder: Soffits are basically situated at the outside of the house. And as it’s near to the roof of your house, you already know how high you’ll need to reach to remove the vinyl soffit.
So, you’ll definitely need a ladder to reach the roof. Grab and position the ladder against the house. Make sure that you’ve positioned it under the soffit and on a leveled ground.
A leveled ground is important because your ladder will not sit properly and will definitely shake if you place it on uneven ground.
However, you should manage a helper and ask him to help you hold the bottom of the ladder when you climb up to the soffit. You won’t have to worry about falling off if you do so.
- Move the Soffit Toward The Retaining Channel: Now you need to find the retaining channel first. Those are used to create lift shaft and service riser lining that can be constructed from one side and provide structural protection.
If you’ve found the retaining channel, you need to move the soffit toward the retaining channel under the roof edge.
Moving the soffit toward the retaining channel will bring the opposite edge of the soffit closer to the edge of the channel that you have near the house wall.
- Remove Any Nails: If you have the vinyl soffit for a long time, there’s a chance that you have nails holding the soffit to the wall or the channels.
If you find any nails or anything supporting the vinyl soffit, make sure that you take it away first.
You can use a nail puller to easily remove the nails so that you don’t break anything in the process.
Also, make sure that you don’t cause any injury because of the nails. Even if you get a small cut, the rust and unwanted germs might make it deadly for you.
- Bend The Channel Lip: This part is pretty crucial because if you make any kind of mistake or use too much force, you might break the corner channel and the soffit.
So, you need to start off by grabbing a utility knife or some tool that is hard enough to bend the channel lip. Now insert it in between the wall corner channel and the soffit.
Make sure that the utility knife is inserted without any hassle. After it’s in place, you need to bend the channel lip down slightly until you can see the edge of the soffit panel.
- Pull The Soffit Away from The Wall Channel: Now it’s going to be easy for you to grasp the edge of the soffit with your free hand as you’ve bent the channel lip.
Therefore, you need to grasp the edge of the soffit and pull it away from the wall channel. Thus, the center of the soffit will bend which will allow you to pull it free.
- Pull The Soffit Out: You need to release the channel and continue pulling the soffit out until it’s free from both channels.
Look out for any broken pieces of the soffit. If you’re dealing with broken soffit pieces, there will be several pieces to slide off for you. Free all the pieces from the channels on the wall.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you fix sagging vinyl soffits?
You need to remove the area much like you would remove the vinyl siding. You need to reach between the joints of each section and disconnect one from the next. For that, there’s a tool with a little hook on one end that can reach between the joints. Once you remove it, you’ll notice the start channel that appears to have come loose.
Can you overlap vinyl soffit?
Yes, you can overlap vinyl soffit. However, when you’re overlapping aluminum/vinyl fascia covers, make sure to overlap 3/4” (19mm).
Why is my soffit rotting?
Rotted soffit is generally caused by leaks that drip down and collect in the gutters and on the soffit boards. Bad weather and pesky animals might be another reason for it too.
What is the best soffit material?
Soffits are traditionally constructed from materials like aluminum and wood. However, you’ll find a great number of homeowners who are choosing the ones made from synthetic and composite materials like PVC and vinyl. The crucial reason behind this is that they offer easy maintenance and durability.
Can you have too many soffit vents?
It’s not very ideal to have too much soffit venting. But it’s worth noting the minimum requirements. The soffit vents that are rated for 26 sq, in general, are the 4-inches by 16-inches.
Is aluminum or vinyl soffit better?
You see, aluminum soffits help you to conceal any imperfections better than vinyl. And the reason behind that is the soft nature of aluminum. This nature makes it so much easier to work with and fit into the earmarked space.
Wrapping Up
So, now you know how to remove vinyl soffit easily. However, it doesn’t matter if you have a wood or an aluminum soffit, you should take precautions before removing it.
You see, sharp edges of the soffit might cause injuries that can be avoided if you just wear a pair of gloves. So, you must wear proper safety kits to avoid unwanted cuts.
Nevertheless, best of luck with taking care of the vinyl soffit of your house. If you do it right, you’ll be serving justice to yourself at the end of the day.
Hi, guys! I’m Lucía Fornes. I’ve graduated from Queens College, City University of New York. I’m currently living in New York City! Everything from interior decorations for living smartly to tips for living a free and stylish life, I share my thoughts on GroundInsider.Com. Besides, you can also catch me sharing tips regarding gardens here from time to time!