Aluminum sofit installation and removal
I am working on a house that has a aluminum sofit that is droping down. Also I want to get into the area to do some wiring. This was done about 20-30 years ago,
This on a roof overhaning a walkway about 3′ wide. It is off a room with a cathedral ceiling so there is no access from the atic.
The material is in 11″ sections and has a shiplap pattern. It is the same color and texture as the siding with has a lap siding pattern.
It appears to be mounted in U channels running the length of the walkway (about 30 ft). The channels and the sofit at the far end are droping.
How can I get the pannels out (and back in) to attach the channel and do some wiring.
At other end is a gabel end and it is covered with aluminum stock and attached with screws and nails. Other than removing that and taking out the pannels one by one (or at least taking out a couple and working the others down a few inches one by one) I don’t see any way to access then.
Replies
If I understand you correctly, the soffit is 11" wide pieces that run approx 3 ft each and is held in place at each end by aluminum "F" channel.
At one end of the run, the channel is coming loose and so is the soffit. Normally, the last piece of soffit on a run is simply pressure fitted in place; not nailed. Since one corner is loose, chances are you can pop this one out. Try and see if you can lift up on the corner panel and pop it free . Once one is out, you will be able to figure out how best to remove the rest.
Worst case scenerio, if having no luck trying to force one out , then cut the "F" channel with a pair of tin snips. Make just one cut, 12" from the corner. Take a handseamer, and bend this 12 inch section of channel down just far enough that you can slip the panel free. When re-installing, bend the channel back into place before sliding soffit back in... the channel bend will be noticeable, but perhaps not too noticeable.
Since this soffit appears to be a custom color that you cannot duplicate, your'e gonna have to start at one end, and remove them all until you get to your desired area for wiring...least that's how I see it...perhaps someone else will post with a better solution.
Davo
The "last end" is on the gable end and is covered with a large amount of bent metal stock. And that is the end where I want to add a light and connect it to one in the middle.
Unfortunately where it is dropping is at the far end.
"Worst case scenerio, if having no luck trying to force one out , then cut the "F" channel with a pair of tin snips. Make just one cut, 12" from the corner. Take a handseamer, and bend this 12 inch section of channel down just far enough that you can slip the panel free. When re-installing, bend the channel back into place before sliding soffit back in... the channel bend will be noticeable, but perhaps not too noticeable."
It is what you seen when you exit the front door, so it would be noticable. But I have come up with a couple of options. The farside (the one that is saging terminated into a wood beam. I could get rid of the channel all togethers and screw a cedar 1x1 to act as a ledger.
However, I don't think that I even need to do that. The groves in the pattern are deep enough that I can put a long screw driver bit in my drill/driver and run some screws into the channel.
Next week I can going to pull the far end cap off and see the construction details and see if I can fish the wires in from the center. If so I will just screw up the saging section and be done.
Edited 9/15/2002 11:36:32 PM ET by Bill Hartmann