Cracks along the wood the gutters attach to

[DesertMonkey]

First post, thanks for having me. Sorry, not sure what to call the beam or piece of wood trim that runs along the top of the house, just below the roof, that the gutters are attached to.

Any way, I've got a 1990 Mobile Home that I purchased in May. What I've found is that some of the nails holding that piece of wood on have popped out an inch or two in places, and also the wood itself has developed come small crackc that runs horizontal to the the ground above the gutters. (The gutters themselves are fine) Based on where the cracks are I don't think its been caused by the gutters overflowing, I think instead when it is windy water coming off the roof instead of falling off the lip down into the gutter gets blown onto the wood, where over the last 25 years it has taken its toll. The wood itself is still solid.

What's the best way to seal those cracks up and get the nails to stay in place? My current plan was to use either Quad or Lexel caulking to fill the cracks, and also squirt some on the nails before pounding them back in. If possible, I'd like to avoid having to repaint at this time.

(This is my first home, and I've been having to fix up all sorts of stuff due to lack of maintenance by the prior owners and a horrible job done by the guys hired to fix the place up).

[Greg]

I think I would use screws rather than nails, It may take a little longer but they stay put. Caulk sure won't hurt any.

Traditionally the boards that hold the gutters is called Fascia board, But with most Mobiles it's really whatever you want to call it.

Greg

[ponch37300]

Welcome to the forum. How far down from the roof are your gutters? Some pictures of your gutters and the cracks would really help. But based off what you said I would say some caulk in the cracks and then nail or screw the boards back tight.

[DesertMonkey]

Thanks everyone! So when I got up there today, I found that the wood wasn't cracked, but whatever latex/mastic type coating they put on the wood was splitting and pealing off. It was only at the far side of the SW corner of the house. Was fine everywhere else. I Lexeld over all of the cracks, and also put a bead down where the gutters meet the wood. The fascia board was still snug to the side of the house, just some of the original nails wiggled out a bit. I banged those back in with some Lexel to help hold them in. If they come out again next year I'll replace with screws. I live in a canyon where one side is the desert and the other side is coastal, so I get all sorts of temperature extremes and really powerful sustained winds so there's plenty of flex and abuse on the outside of my place.

Next spring I probably need to reapply whatever paint/coating was on the Fascia board. What should I be buying? It seemed more stretchy/rubbery than normal outdoor latex paint. I'll probably be asking plenty of dumb basic questions as I get to other things. My dad wasn't a do it yourself kind of guy, and I've spent most of my adult life in apartments, so I've got a lot to learn. Hope I don't get too annoying.

(For those not familiar, Lexel is a type of outdoor waterproof caulk that's super stretchy, and sticks to anything. I've heard good things from a friend and wanted to try it out.)