What is the difference between a soffit and a fascia?

An exterior soffit is located on the span beneath the rafter tails, while the fascia is the exposed horizontal band you see at the end of the rafters. These architectural elements found along the eave area do more than just add visual interest and give a finished look to your home.

What's the difference in a fascia & A soffit?

Purpose. Typically a soffit is used in the area beneath the eaves on the exterior of a house to close the space beneath the eave. The soffit extends from the side of the structure to the edge of the eave. Fascia is used to create a barrier between the edge of the roof and the outside.

Do you need soffit and fascia?

While a fascia isn't always necessary for a home or roof, soffits generally are. Without a soffit, not only would the home not have a finished appearance, but the rafters and eaves would be exposed to the elements, and at risk for problems like wood rot, interior leaks, mold growth, and roof deck failure.

What goes on first fascia or soffit?

Since the soffits are installed under the fascia boards, they should come first. It makes work more manageable for the constructor because they can see where to nail or adjust. Once the roofer has installed the soffits, they can install the fascia.

What is the difference between fascia and eaves?

Eaves—The lower edge of a roof (often overhanging beyond the edge of the house). Fascia—A decorative board extending down from the roof edge either at the eave or at the rake. Felt—The bituminous paper used by roofers, usually made of a combination of asphalt and either paper or rags.

Fascia vs. Soffit (What's the Difference?)

What is the trim under the roof called?

Fascia: Vertical roof trim located along the perimeter of a building, usually below the roof level, to cover the rafter tails at the eaves and to seal off the top of the siding along the rake; also called gutter boards.

What is the area under the gutters called?

Specifically, used to describe the horizontal "fascia board" which caps the end of rafters outside a building, which can be used to hold the rain gutter. The finished surface below the fascia and rafters is called the soffit or eave.

Can you fit soffit after fascia?

Soffit boards are fitted underneath the fascia boards, to fill the gap between the fascia and the wall. Additionally, soffit boards help to create a clean finish on the building, hiding unsightly rafter ends, and blocking the gap between the roof and wall.

Do you install soffit before fascia?

The installation of soffit will determine the positioning of the inside and outside corner posts. It also is necessary to complete the soffit before the final course of siding is installed on the wall. Vinyl soffit is designed to be easily installed lengthwise from wall to fascia.

Do soffits lead to attic?

Soffit vents are roof ventilation devices installed underneath the eaves of a roof that extend past the warm wall line. When properly combined with other roof ventilation devices, soffit vents allow fresh air to enter into an attic creating air flow.

Should I use vented or solid soffit?

Non-vented or continuous soffit works best when your roof has narrow eaves or if you need to ventilate a large amount of attic space. Vented soffit panels are good with a wider eave and a smaller amount of attic space because they have smaller vents between solid panels.

Is there wood under soffit?

The underside of this overhang, when given a finished appearance, is known as the soffit, which means “something fixed underneath”. The soffit is basically, any finishing material, such as wood or fiber cement, that is installed to cover the underside of your roof overhang.

What is the purpose of soffit?

Like many parts of a home's exterior, soffit serves both an aesthetic and a functional purpose. Functionally, the basic mission of soffit is to protect rafters from the elements. Keeping moisture away from the rafters reduces the chance of mold, and helps preserve the life of the materials.

What is the board under the eaves called?

The vertical board that hangs down from the edges is called the “fascia board”. The Fascia, which derives from the same word in Latin (meaning doorframe), serves as a finishing edge that serves both as a decoration and protector for your roof.

Does a house need soffits?

Soffits have an important job on the outside of a house. They protect the underside of the eaves from moisture and rot. Moisture can cause big problems, not only to the eaves, but also to the attic. In fact, soffits can be essential to a properly vented attic.

How are soffits attached?

On narrow eaves the rafter ends serve to fasten the soffit and fascia. A ledger plate is fastened to the wall to attach the soffit at that location. Wide eaves require additional nailing supports running from the rafter-ends/fascia board and back to the house wall. These are called lookouts.

Do roof tiles rest on fascia board?

The tiles shouldn't be just rested on the fascia board as that is not what it is for, it's bad practice, and makes replacement fascia work harder.

Does fascia go on before roof?

Fascia and soffit are installed after the roof installation is finished. It is ideal that soffit and fascia materials be installed before you place tiles or any other type of roofing material on the roof. There are different types of finished and variations that can be used for the soffit.

Can you replace fascia board without removing gutters?

There is no way to replace the fascia board without removing the gutters, as the gutters are mounted to the board. So, your roofers will carefully remove the gutters. Typically, the same gutters can be re-installed on the new fascia board, if they are in good condition.

Should soffits be sealed?

Soffit allows air to circulate in and out of the attic through the rafters and is available in both aluminum or vinyl. One important aspect of any home is making sure it is sealed and secure. After soffit is installed, it is important to properly seal it from the many outdoor elements it can come across.

How wide should fascia be?

Fascias are typically made from 1-inch material, with the width being enough to cover the rafter width. Typically rafters will range from 2×6 to 2×8, although some are larger depending on the roof construction. Therefore, the more common fascia board sizes are 1×6 or 1×8.

Are eaves the same as soffits?

Soffits can be manufactured from aluminium, wood or vinyl, and it's important to select a material that's suitable for the climate in which you reside. To summarise, an eave is part of a roof system and a soffit is part of the eave. In simple terms, eaves and soffits are two different parts of the same structure.

Which soffit material is best?

While there are a lot of materials on the market for soffits, only fiber cement resists moisture, insect activity, cracking, chipping, and fading. This makes it a better material overall for your home's exterior.

What are the peaks on a house called?

Gable: The A-shaped side wall of the home that forms the peak of the roof is called the Gable. The home above has two gables, one on each end of the home.