Age and type of house
A 1960s eaves has a cracked undercloak. Has the fascia behind that undercloak been called rotten, or only hidden?
The fascia has only been left hidden, not called rotten. A 1960s eaves with a cracked undercloak shows a cracked strip at the tile edge. The fascia behind that undercloak was not exposed, so the timber was not seen and was not described as decayed. A crack can let weather toward the board. It is not, by itself, rot in the timber. The survey records the crack and the hidden fascia. It has not decided the board has failed, and it has not sampled the undercloak material.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
An undercloak is the strip beneath the eaves tiles. On many 1960s eaves it is a cement sheet, and a crack in it is a common sight. The fascia board sits behind or above that line and stays covered until someone opens the detail. The survey did not strip the edge. Older cement sheets can contain asbestos in buildings of that age, and a home survey does not sample that by looking. The sheet was not called safe or unsafe. The timber comment is simply that the board stayed hidden.
Ask a roofer to inspect the eaves closely if you need the fascia known, and tell them not to break the undercloak if its material is uncertain. The survey has not instructed that opening and has not condemned the fascia. Tell a lender the undercloak is cracked and the fascia was not seen, so it was not called rotten. Do not write decay into a reply the report does not contain. A sample of the sheet, if anyone needs the material identified, is a specialist job, not a DIY break.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Has the fascia been called rotten, or only left hidden?
- Was the timber behind the undercloak exposed?
- Has the undercloak been sampled to identify its material?
What are the typical next steps?
- Call the fascia hidden, not rotten.
- Do not break the undercloak to peek at the board.
- Ask a roofer if the eaves timber must actually be seen.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a cracked undercloak by itself mean rain is entering the roof?
Not as a proved leak. A crack at the eaves edge can let weather toward the fascia, and that path was not traced inside. The survey did not see dripping, stained felt or wet timber linked to this crack. The fascia stays hidden rather than condemned. Rain entry remains possible and unproved. The finding is the cracked undercloak, not a measured leak.
Was the undercloak material identified by a sample?
No. The survey did not sample the sheet. Looking at a cracked edge does not identify the material and does not make it safe or unsafe. Buildings of this age can contain asbestos in cement sheets, and this visit did not test for that. Leave the undercloak intact. Identification, if you need it, is a specialist sample, not a piece broken off for a lender.