Overhang and drip edge
A rake needs a proper shingle overhang with drip edge under it. Virginia code calls for drip edge at the rake as well as the eave, and many older roofs never got it.
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Virginia / Roofline
Rake Board Replacement in Northern Virginia
The rake board is the trim that runs up the sloped edge of a gable, just under the edge of the roof. It takes wind driven rain in every storm, and when it rots, water gets into the gable wall and the roof deck. We replace it, put drip edge over it and close the gaps.
Gable trim replaced
Drip edge along the rake
Cornice returns rebuilt
Wood or cellular PVC
2
Offices, Springfield and Fredericksburg
Free
Inspections, no pressure
270 lb
CertainTeed Landmark Pro standard
Overview
Rake boards fail differently from fascia. There is no gutter on a gable edge, so the board relies entirely on the roof overhang and the drip edge to shed water, and when the shingles are cut flush or the drip edge was skipped, rain runs straight down the face and into the joint at the bottom. That bottom corner, where the rake meets the eave and the cornice return, is where we find the worst rot.
This page covers the sloped gable trim. For the level board at the eave behind your gutters, see fascia board replacement, and for new boards that will not rot at all, see PVC trim installation.
Returns rebuilt and capped
Cornice returns have flat tops that hold water. We rebuild rotted returns and cap them with metal so they shed water instead of soaking it up.
Safe access at height
Gable peaks on two story homes are high. We set up properly so the work is done carefully, not rushed off the top of a ladder.
Detail
How we replace a rake board
Most rake rot starts at the roof edge above it, so the roof edge is part of the job.
- Roof edge opened carefullyThe edge shingles along the gable are lifted and saved where possible, so the board and drip edge can be replaced without reroofing.
- Rotted rake and molding replacedThe sloped rake board and the molding beneath it are replaced wherever they are soft, along with any sheathing behind them that has taken water.
- Drip edge along the rakeType D drip edge goes on along the rake so water drips clear of the board, then the shingles are set back with a proper overhang and sealed down.
- Cornice returns rebuiltRotted returns are rebuilt to the original shape and capped with metal flashing on top, the detail that keeps them from rotting again.
- Primed, painted or PVCNew wood is primed on all sides and painted, or the boards are made from cellular PVC that will not rot. Either way, the joints are tight and sealed.
Related work
Related roofline work
Fascia, rake boards, trim, gutters and drip edge work as one system at the roof edge. These pages cover the rest of it.
Fascia Board Replacement
The eave board behind the gutter, replaced in wood or PVC with drip edge lapped over it.
Fascia board replacementPVC Trim Installation
Cellular PVC boards that do not rot, for fascia, rakes, corners and casings.
PVC trim installationFascia and Soffit
The whole eave as a system, including soffit venting and animal damage.
Fascia and soffitExterior Trim Wrapping
Color matched aluminum bent on site to cover sound wood trim.
Exterior trim wrappingSeamless Gutter Installation
Seamless aluminum formed on site, sized for Virginia downpours.
Seamless guttersDrip Edge
Type D drip edge at the eave and rake, the piece that keeps water off your trim.
Drip edge
Diagnostic
Not sure what you are looking at?
Four questions. You get a straight read on whether this is a repair, a replacement, a gutter job or an insurance claim, and where to go next.
Roof and gutter diagnostic
Step 1 of 4
NO EMAIL REQUIRED
Coverage
Where we work
We cover Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg area out of two offices. Search for your town, or pick it off the list to see the map and the local page.
No match in our service area. Call (703) 347-6482 anyway, we travel for larger jobs.
Showing
Our full service area
Service areas
Why us
The part other crews skip
Inspected first
We get on the roof and photograph what we find before we quote. You see the same evidence we do.
Roofing and gutters together
One crew for the roof, the siding and the gutters, so nobody is blaming the other trade.
Licensed and insured
Virginia license 2705155080, CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified, fully insured on every job.
Every job documented
Photos and video through the whole install on CompanyCam, stored indefinitely, with a link that is yours to keep.
Reviews
What Virginia homeowners say
Questions
Rake Board Replacement questions we get asked
What is a rake board?
It is the trim board that runs up the sloped edges of a gable, just under the edge of the roof. Some people call it gable trim or rake fascia. It closes off the roof edge the way fascia does at the eave, but without a gutter in front of it.
Why is the bottom of my rake board rotting?
Water runs down the slope and collects at the lowest point, where the rake meets the eave and the cornice return. Flat topped returns with no metal cap hold water, and that corner usually rots first.
Can you replace the rake board without a new roof?
Usually, yes. We lift the edge shingles along the gable, replace the board and install drip edge, then set the shingles back with a proper overhang and seal them down. If the edge shingles are brittle, we replace that strip.
Does a rake need drip edge?
Yes. Virginia code calls for drip edge at both the eave and the rake. On a gable it keeps wind driven rain from running down the face of the board and into the wall.
Can you match the trim on an older home?
In most cases. We match the board size and molding profile closely in wood or cellular PVC, so the repaired gable looks original from the street.
By town
Siding Installation Near You
Every town we cover has its own page with local detail. Pick yours.
By town
Rake Board Replacement Near You
Local pages for the towns we cover.
Stop the rot at the source
Clogged gutters are what rot fascia in the first place.
When a gutter backs up, water spills over the back edge and sits against the fascia, soffit and trim until the wood goes soft. New boards last when the gutter in front of them stays clear. Every cleaning visit includes a look at the roof edge, with photos.
Peeling paint or soft wood on a gable?
Book a free inspection and we will photograph the rake board, the returns and the roof edge above them, then tell you exactly what needs replacing and why.
- Free inspection, no pressure
- Photos of everything we find, yours to keep
- Licensed and insured, VA 2705155080
- CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified
Request your free inspection
Tell us what you are seeing and we will get back to you to set a time.