How to remove metal soffit


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Old 06-02-18, 02:10 PM
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How to remove metal soffit

Hello,

I need to remove a few pieces of metal soffit and i can't figure out how to get it off. Anyone have any tips or videos by chance that might explain it? I have looked on youtube and done a little reading via google but it hasn't helped. My home was built in 2007 so newer if that is needed.

My questions are:
1. how do i remove this without damaging it as I need to put it back?
2. the little nails used are i think what are really causing me issue and I can't figure out a way to get anything under them to have them removed. How do i do this and not damage it?
3. does it interlock somehow as I can see the seems but i can't get it to spread as I thought that might help.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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Old 06-02-18, 02:51 PM
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Post a photo of what you have so we can give better advice,
 
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Old 06-02-18, 03:11 PM
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Here are a few pictures. Does this help?
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Old 06-02-18, 04:40 PM
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Well, sad to say, you will have to use a large nail set (the red one) and punch those nails right through the aluminum. Then the front edge of the fascia cover needs to be pulled back or removed altogether. Because it is likely stapled along the front edge. Once you punch the 3 nails in the middle, and remove the staples in front, and have the fascia cover removed, the soffit will slide out the front with a little effort. You might have to grab it with a couple pairs of pliers or two small vise grips if you can't do it by hand.
 
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Old 06-02-18, 05:50 PM
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Thank you for the reply. Sounds like a lot of effort. I had no idea

What we are thinking on doing is putting up some faux posts. They will support nothing and purely there for looks. I have a few leftover 6x6 posts from the project that have been sitting in my garage for years and I think this might be a good use for them.

My thought was to put up a slight support mechanism above and below to do this. Maybe I can simply cut out the square in the soffit and slid the post in vs taking off the soffit then cutting it.

Below is a picture of where we were looking to put the post. I was going to run some 2x6's or 2x8s sandwiched together in the deck and set the post on that and put the decking back around the post. I was also going to use a bracket to help hold the post on the sandwich structure.

Would this work or do you have a different idea that might work?

Thanks for the help.

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Old 06-02-18, 06:52 PM
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There is likely not much structure above the soffit, so cutting a small square hole would not likely work.

If these are just for looks, maybe you should just get a piece of 2x8, cut it square like your post is, predrill a few pilot holes in them and screw the block to the soffit. (But when you remove them someday, there will be holes)

You will them be able to fasten the post to the block... it will be secure enough for a "faux" column. But if anyone pushes on the column really hard, it might cause the soffit to buckle.

I would do something similar on bottom. Put a square piece 2x8 down on top of the decking... screw it down, then cut the 6x6 column to length. Be sure it's a hair long, not a hair short.
 
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Old 06-02-18, 07:50 PM
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Yes they interlock.
Soffit that long is going to be likely be nailed in the middle somehow.
To get them out the gutter needs to come down, trim nails need to be punched in (any small nail punch will work) fascia removed, then if your really luck it will pull out.
Most likely it was at least nailed in close to the house.
If so time for plan B.
Going to have to remove the trim coil on the ends and start removing it one piece at a time.
There needs to be something added between the rafters to attach the new post to.
Once the post are in 1/2" J molding needs to installed around the post and the old soffit cut to fit around it leaving room for expaintion and contraction.
 
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Old 06-03-18, 06:41 AM
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Thanks again for the ideas.

What about combining both. I have access to the rafters and could put some additional support in if needed and bolt the post to the support at the top. The bottom I could build a small box around the post for added support. Could this work and be sturdy enough if we wanted to add a decorative railing even?

Another thought at the top was to take a1/2 or 3/4 diameter steel pipe and sink and epoxy it in to the post and extend it in to the rafters and secure it. Not sure if this would give any additional support or not?

Are holes in the soffit of let's say 1/2 inch patched or do you replace the whole piece? If patched how do you do it?
 
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Old 06-03-18, 07:36 AM
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If you want it to look like new, you just pull the piece of soffit and replace it. Anything else will look like crap.
 
 

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