What's the difference between soffits and fascia?

The soffit helps regulate your home's temperature, allowing your roof to “breathe.” Cool, dry air is drawn into the soffit vent, and hot moist air is forced out of roof exhaust vents. The fascia is the attractive board along the side of the overhang and the roof that helps your roof appear finished.

Is soffit the same as 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.

Do you need soffit and fascia?

Are Soffits and Fascia Necessary? They are definitely necessary. Since heat rises, your attic or crawl space collects warm, humid air and soffit vents provide the air circulation needed to get rid of excess heat and humidity.

Do you put soffit on 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.

Can you replace fascia and soffit?

It is easy to add instant kerb appeal to a tired-looking home by replacing the roofline fascia and soffit boards. Fascia and soffit boards are typically replaced due to rotting (wooden boards), discolouring, or as part of a bigger project such as a new roof or even replacing the guttering.

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

How often should you replace soffits and fascias?

There is no definite timetable for replacing a soffit or fascia, but there are some signs that roof repair contractors look for when evaluating your roof's overall health.

Can you put new soffit over old?

If you happen to be working on an older home, most contractors and homeowners find that they will need to install their vinyl soffit over top of old wood. This can definitely be done, but you will need to take several precautions to prevent the wood from rotting beneath this new layer.

Do soffits need to be vented?

Soffit can be non-vented or vented to allow for maximum roof ventilation. 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.

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.

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.

Why do houses have soffits?

Bottom line — you need to let your attic cycle the heat and moisture away from your house. Soffit is the most common and easy way to protect your roof frame and achieve air circulation to keep your building healthy.

What are the boards under the roof called?

Soffit. The boards that enclose the underside of that portion of the roof which extends out beyond the sidewalls of the house.

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.

What is behind the fascia board?

The soffit board is tucked away under the fascia board. It is usually the board that you see most of from street level. The soffit can be ventilated to allow the flow of air into the roof area.

Why does soffit have holes?

Ventilated soffits are perforated with tiny holes that help air pass in and out of your attic space. Combined with a fan, ventilated soffits keep air flowing in the area you need it most. And they do it quietly and unobtrusively so you don't have to hear or see the venting happening.

What type of soffit is best?

Aluminum soffits are popular for many reasons. They are highly durable, lightweight, and easy to handle. If your overhangs feature irregular shapes, aluminum soffits are a great option because they are highly malleable.

What happens when soffit vents are blocked?

If your soffit vents are blocked, this can cause many problems. The first problem is that the temperature in your attic will increase. It can cause the shingles on your roof to deteriorate and can also lead to ice dams in the winter. Another problem is that the moisture in the air will increase.

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.

How thick should soffits be?

Standard soffit material is 3/8- or 1/2-inch-thick exterior plywood in pine (or similar softwoods) or cedar. Common, but much less durable, is Masonite or similar fiberboard soffit, as well as much more weather-resistant fiber-cement.

Is vinyl soffit better than wood?

While there are short-term costs to replacing wood soffits with vinyl, in the long-term, you'll see reduced upkeep and repair expenses. While painted wood peels over time, the color on vinyl soffit is embedded in the material, so you will not need to repaint the soffit.

Which is better vinyl or aluminum fascia?

Aluminum Soffits for Long Term Value

It is very easy to clean and maintain. You can buy it painted and vented for optimum air flow. Aside from cost, the main disadvantage of aluminum is its ability to dent under force. Also, it is not a good insulator like vinyl.

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.