I wonder if you could help with a question regarding woodpecker damage to the fascia boards on our house. The birds have done a real job on our south- and east-facing fascias, and we need to replace or cover them.

Our choices seem to be 1) composition board; 2) aluminum siding (just for the fascias); 3) vinyl siding; 4) covering the existing fascias with aluminum; or 5) covering them with vinyl. Which of those would you recommend in terms of minimizing the chances of continued woodpecker attacks, as well as other factors?

I gather that the birds like to drum on aluminum (although without actually making holes in it) so that might be a disadvantage. Composition board would seem the best choice based on what I know so far in terms of appearance, but are there any drawbacks to it and does it really prove immune to woodpeckers?

Many thanks in advance for your help and for all your excellent columns.

When I lived in Virginia, I had a gas grill on my deck. Periodically, a woodpecker would land on the grill cover (which was aluminum) and bang away. Sounded like a jackhammer. Woodpeckers will attack wood for several reasons. They want to let other birds know that they are nearby. Or, perhaps there are insects behind (or in) the wood that they are trying to get at. Or, in some cases, they are trying to hollow out a nest in a tree trunk or limb.

In your case, it could be any of these reasons, but I suspect it's either the bird or birds simply making noise or looking for something behind the fascias. The woodpeckers seem to especially like cedar siding and trim, probably because it is relatively soft wood.

You can first try to keep the woodpeckers from attacking the wood. Small shiny objects like bits of mirror or aluminum foil that are hung near the trim may dissuade the birds. Loose netting draped from the roof also might help. There are a number of colorful "eyes" and "faces" available that are meant to scare the birds away as are life-like hawks that can be placed nearby. Sprays and electronic bird repelling devises are also available. I suggest and Internet search for "keeping woodpeckers away" or "bird control products" for further listings of these items. Some of these may work to your advantage, some may not. I'd try to the less expensive options first.

As far as the fascias are concerned, I'd remove the damaged boards and install cement-board trim in its place. Before installing new material, I'd call a pest control firm for an inspection of the damaged areas plus the rest of the house's exterior. If there are insects present in or behind the damaged wood, it makes sense to treat these areas rather than simply cover them up.

I think cement board is the sturdiest option. Cement board has a very good warranty and will blend in with the existing wood materials. I usually recommend using a smooth surface board rather than the embossed style, since it tends to look more like real wood. It is available pre-painted or you can paint it to match whatever color is on the rest of the trim.

Woodpeckers will not only attack fascia boards and rake boards, but they will also go after vertical corner boards and siding as well. Therefore, I would not rule out some of the anti-bird devices mentioned above, since you don't want the birds simply to move to another area of the house to do their thing.