The soffit can refer to:
- the horizontal underside (interior or exterior) of a construction element.
- any structure used to fill the space between a ceiling and the top of wall-mounted cabinets.
- material that connects an outside wall to a roof’s edge underneath the eaves.
What is a soffit, and what does it do?
The soffit is part of the overhang where your roof meets your siding. When rain or snow hits your roof, it runs down, and the overhang allows the water to flow away from your house. The soffit is underneath the overhang, between the roof’s edge and side of your home—the bottom of the triangle, if you will.
What type of soffit do new homes come with?
Vinyl soffit material is the typical one used in new home construction in many areas of the country. This is because vinyl soffits are more flexible and can come in various styles and looks.
What is the installation cost for soffit?
For a simple one-story home with roughly 200'-300' linear feet of soffits and fascias, the installed cost could be $600-$2,000 for wood or vinyl, and $800-$6,000 or more for aluminum.
What is the cost to replace soffit and fascia?
- Wood: $5-$10 per linear foot
- Vinyl: $6-$12 per linear foot
- Aluminum: $8-$15 per linear foot
What is a interior soffit?
A soffit is an exterior or interior architectural feature, generally the horizontal, aloft underside of any construction element. Its archetypal form, sometimes incorporating or implying the projection of beams, is the underside of eaves (to connect a retaining wall to projecting edge(s) of the roof).
What is the purpose of soffits in a house?
Soffits protect your roof's underlying structure from the elements. Without them, rain and snow would cause your roof to mold and rot. Soffits also protect your roof from other natural elements, namely insects, birds, and other pests that might be looking for a warm, dry place during cooler months.
What is the purpose of a soffit in a kitchen?
What's a Soffit? A kitchen soffit is usually a boxy structure built to hide wiring, pipes, or other mechanicals, or to fill the space between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling. Depending on the age of your home they may be very large and perhaps even extend out past the cabinets.
Is a ceiling a soffit?
What Is a Soffit Ceiling? The term "soffit" refers to the visible underside of any architectural piece, whereas a ceiling is officially the highest surface.
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.
Can you hang things from soffit?
An easy, quick solution to hanging decorative items from your home's vinyl soffit, simply roll into any seam of your vinyl soffit. You no longer have to damage your vinyl soffit by drilling holes, hanging anchors, nor using adhesives, so you won't void your vinyl's warranty.
Should you remove kitchen soffits?
Knowing what is inside will allow you to know the amount of work required for the renovation. If the soffit is simply for appearance, it can be easily removed. However, if the soffit conceals important electrical and plumbing lines, you will need to relocate them into the ceiling or walls.
What is the space between cabinets and ceiling called?
SoffitThe space between kitchen cabinets and the ceiling is called “Soffit”. A kitchen soffit is specifically a boxy shape designed to cover up pipes, wiring, and other mechanical or to fill the gap between the top cabinets and the ceiling.
Are soffits in kitchens outdated?
Kitchen soffits are out of style, with fewer people retaining these fixtures in their homes and fewer still having them installed at all. Their outdated look often makes a room look smaller, and when building new kitchens, it's better to free up that space for a bigger and brighter feel.
Why is it called a soffit?
The word “soffit” is derived from the French language, and literally means “something fixed underneath.” It's most commonly used around a building's main roof, but soffit can also be used under porches, under arches or columns, under a flight of stairs… pretty much anything that has a visible ceiling.
What is a soffit vs 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.
What can I use for soffit?
Soffit Material OptionsWood. Wood is one of the oldest materials used for soffits, and like wood siding is still around today. ... Vinyl. Vinyl soffits are another option that emerged along with vinyl siding in the 1950s. ... Aluminum. ... Fiber Cement.
Do soffits have 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.
What is the difference between soffit 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 connected to attic?
A soffit vent is simply a vent installed into the underside of your home's eaves (called the soffit) that permits fresh outside air to be drawn up into the attic.
How do I know if my soffit vents are working?
A smoke test is the best way to check if your soffit vents are clear and unobstructed. To do this, you will need a smoke bomb or incense stick. Go into the attic, light the smoke bomb or incense stick, and hold it near the soffit vent. If the smoke gets drawn out of the attic, the vent is clear and working properly.
What Is a Soffit?
This overhang can go by a few names, such as the house eaves or the rafters of your roof. The underside of this overhang, when given a finished appearance, is known as the soffit, which means “something fixed underneath”.
What is fiber cement soffit?
Using a fiber cement soffit can help you keep the aesthetics of your home without the maintenance or other issues. Fiber cement soffits come in both smooth and wood grain finishes, vented and unvented, so you can choose which option works best for your home.
Why is soffit important?
Soffits are integral to the rafters of your roof and serve several important functions ranging from aesthetics to helping keep your utility bills in check.
What is soffit for exterior?
Aesthetics are secondary, but important as well. Soffits provide a finished appearance for your exterior; without them, you would be looking at the rafters making up the underside of your roof’s overhang. Soffits come in a range of colors and materials, as well as a few styles, including smooth and wood-grain finishes. It’s common to invest in a soffit that matches or coordinates with the rest of your exterior appearance, to help give your home a cohesive and polished look.
What causes a roof to become superheated?
Your soffit covers the underside of your roof, and therefore a portion of your attic space. Heat builds up inside of attics over time, both from the sun beating down on the house, and from the energy rising within . If this heat isn’t given proper ventilation or air flow, it can cause your roof to become superheated.
Why is it important to keep your attic cool?
In the winter months, keeping your attic cool helps prevent condensation that can result in mold growth, and helps prevent the snow on your roof from melting, running to the edge, and collecting where it can form an ice dam. Ice dams are one of the biggest causes of roof leaks, which in turn cause even more damage, ...
Why is it important to ventilate the attic?
Ventilation is also important for helping to keep humidity levels in your attic down. Without proper ventilation through your soffit, humidity could build, causing problems such as mold, mildew, and wood rot. Aesthetics are secondary, but important as well.
What is the Difference Between Fascia and Soffit?
If you have been looking into soffits, then you have probably also heard the term fascia. They might seem like the same thing to many people, but they are actually very different.
Should You Install a Soffit for Your Home?
If you wondering if this is something that will be a good option for your home, you want to look at a few things before making your decision. First, you need to consider the pricing for adding this addition to your home.
Why do you need a soffit on the outside of a house?
When thinking about the main purpose of the soffit that will be a part of the outside of the house, it is mainly to keep the moisture and humidity from affecting the rafters that keep the roof strong. If you don’t have a soffit, especially for homes in moist and humid areas, the rafters can begin to grow mold ...
What is the purpose of soffit?
Although the most common use of the word tends to be the exterior soffit that is used to protect the rafters , the interior soffit use is also pretty popular. An interior soffit is typically used to hide the inner workings of the home’s plumbing or cooling systems so they are not in view of your guests. However, interior soffits can also be seen in ...
What is the exterior soffit made of?
The exterior soffit is fitted underneath the eave of the house and closes off that space and is made from wood. However, a fascia is usually made of aluminum and vinyl and is mainly used to make a barrier between the roof and the outside of the home. A fascia is often positioned behind the gutters and attached to the top of the walls.
Why do you need a soffit?
If you want to keep your home in the best shape for the entire time that you live in it, then you will need a soffit to protect the rafters and keep mold from forming and spreading into other areas of the home.
What is a soffit?
A soffit is an architectural feature that’s typically added to the exterior of the house between the eaves and the house, but it can be in the interior for concealing ducts or pipes. A soffit’s main use is to protect the rafters from weather conditions that could potentially damage it. Are you thinking that you would like to know more about ...
What Is Soffit Made Out Of?
Soffit is made out of a wide range of materials . Most homeowners install soffit at the same time the house is sided but some install it all on it’s own. Soffit doesn’t necessarily have to match the siding trim or need to be white. These are the two most common choices but as you can see from the many examples we’ve shown here you can do a lot with your soffit.
Why are soffits important?
Soffits are considered a part of the siding and give your home a nice finished look. Without them you’d be looking up at the bare wood roof framing. Generally when you reside a house you change the soffits too. They come is a range of colors, styles and materials. We even custom make them from time to time if the architect designs something special. Sure the average house has standard white vented soffits but if you want that little something extra designing a beautiful soffit can have a big impact.
What is soffit on a house?
That little overhang is a part of the roof framing called the rafter. It’s sometimes called the eave of the roof. The bottom of this overhang, which is what you see when you look up from the ground, is called the soffit, which means “something fixed underneath”. Soffit is a general term that describes any finishing material, such as wood, fiber cement or vinyl, that’s installed to cover the underside of your roof overhang with. Soffit is considered a part of the siding of the house and is usually done when the house is sided. There’s a bunch of different products we’ll go over in this article that are all considered soffit.
Why do we need soffits?
Soffits help protect your home from the elements and pests. A good, strong soffit helps keep moisture and insects out of the house. This helps prevent wood rot, mold, and other issues down the road. Without soffit wind can easily blow rain, snow or sleet up and into the attic or behind the walls. And insects will be sure to come inside without the soffits to stop them. Even small animals can potentially get in like squirrels, birds, mice or even raccoons.
What is the difference between bead board and regular vinyl?
The main difference between bead board and regular vinyl is the look . Bead board soffit is very thin. Each individual slat is only 2″ which gives the soffit a beautiful look. Standard vinyl soffit is around 4″ per slat.
Is vinyl siding good for the outdoors?
As with any vinyl product it holds up great in the outdoors with more or less no maintenance. Pests aren’t an issue and premium vinyl is thick enough to resist animals from getting in. Warping isn’t really an issue like it is with vinyl siding since soffit stays out of direct sunlight.
Is vinyl soffit cheap?
Solid or vented. There is a big difference between the cheaper stuff you find at Home Depot and the premium products on both quality and appearance. There’s a common misconception that vinyl soffit looks cheap but that’s not really the case. A simple white soffit looks great on just about any home but the premium stuff does look better.
What is the purpose of a soffit?
The purpose of a soffit is to provide both an aesthetic as well as functionality to your roofing design and system. It’s the area that covers your eaves in order for rafter beams not to be exposed. With a vented soffit you’ll be able to have proper air circulation in your attic.
What is fascia and soffit?
The fascia of a home structure is used to create a barrier between the edge of the roof from weather damage. It creates a smooth appearance to the edge of the roof and provides a point for where drainpipes and gutters can attach to. The soffit will usually be underneath the fascia and will be seen the most at the street level. It extends from the side of the structure to the edges of the eaves.
What is the difference between an eave and a soffit?
The difference between a soffit and eave is that a soffit is part of the eave as it provides a cover to it. The eave is the lowest part of a roof plane and projects beyond or overhands the walls of a building. Commonly a soffit can be the underside wall of the eave yet it can also be considered as the wall siding of different areas of a roof.
How many soffit vents should a house have?
A soffit vent as a general rule should have at least one square foot of space for every 150 square feet of an attic area.
How much does it cost to replace a soffit?
The cost to replace a soffit will generally cost $20-$30 per linear foot. Prices may vary depending on the materials used and the size of the house.
Are vented soffits necessary?
A vented soffit is only necessary if you need intake venting that’s not already there from a different roofing design. Hot roof designs, for example, have rater bays that are insulated and sealed up so they would not require a soffit.
What is soffit on a roof?
The soffit is one part of a roofing system that will work to block out the weather from exposed beams of a home. Not only is a soffit there to provide protection, but it’s also there to provide an aesthetic appeal to the home. They can incorporate venting to help with the air circulation of your roof and also come without it if they’re not needed. If you feel that you may need an update on your roofing system or would like to know more about soffits be sure to get in touch with a professional roofing company for more information. In order to assist you, here is some general information regarding soffits for your convenience.
What is a Soffit?
What exactly is a kitchen soffit? Soffits themselves are often described as big, bulky, and box-shaped structures that are built to hide all of the wiring and mechanical components between your cabinets and your ceiling. They are most often seen in a kitchen, although soffits may exist in other parts of the home as well. Some older kitchens may have soffits that extend past the cabinets, creating a largely visual bump that is often aesthetically unappealing.
How to make soffit blend with cabinets?
Paint. Painting your ceiling a different color from your cabinets will help the soffit to blend in with the cabinets. This is true if you paint the soffits and the cabinets the same colors as well; adding a splash of color in another part of the kitchen will make the other elements blend together as one. Most of the time, your guests and family ...
How far can a kitchen soffit be removed?
Some soffits can reach 4-5 feet, sitting as massive boxes that cover up the home’s mechanical and electronic parts.
What is a nook in a kitchen?
Nooks are creative ways to make the look and feel of your kitchen unique. You can extend the soffit as part of the sidewall to make a nook. This nook can be used for aesthetic purposes only, or you can add some cubbies or a small hall table to give it its own type of charm. LaRue Architects.
Why is a kitchen soffit called an interior soffit?
A kitchen soffit is often referred to as interior soffit because the mechanical and industrial components of the home are exposed to the indoors. Usually, those kinds of parts rest inside the walls, ...
What is crown molding?
Molding adds beauty to any corner of a room, and using crown molding as a border to line the soffits can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your kitchen. It can add dimension, transforming your kitchen into something that is bordered by a decoration that will never go out of style.
What to do if you can't get rid of soffit?
The best thing to do if you can’t get rid of your kitchen soffit is to invest in some creative options to make it your own. You can easily blend the soffit into other parts of the kitchen by adding paint, molding, or wall extensions.
What Is The Most Durable Type Of Soffit Out There?
This depends on what your home’s area is like. In most cases, the most durable type of soffit is steel. It’s able to withstand salty air, won’t rot away, and can also handle quite a bit of damage from bumps. This is why it usually has the longest lifespan. Other popular options include vinyl, prefinished soffit, and aluminum.
What is prefinished soffit?
Prefinished soffits are treated with upgraded finishes that help increase durability. These finishes make the soffit easier to clean, not to mention even more resistant to the elements.
What is solid soffit?
Solid soffits are soffits that do not come with holes pre-drilled into them. Most homes will have at least some solid soffits—though vented soffits often will be present as well. If you choose to have an all-solid soffit setup, then you will need to make sure that you are going to have to figure out how to vent your roof.
What is soffit in a roof?
That’s where soffit comes in. Soffit is the material that’s installed in the roof overhang to help protect the roof against the elements. There are many types of soffit to choose from, so if you’re new to roofing, you might need a little help.
What is the best soffit for a house?
Steel is, by and large, the most durable option for soffit. It won’t rust, won’t rot, won’t dent, and won’t grow mold. It’s easy to clean and lasts longer than aluminum. This is why most professional builders want to have steel soffit for their homes. However, there are issues that make this a mismatch for a handful of homes.
How much does a soffit cost?
You should expect the soffit to cost anywhere from $10 to $25 per 12-foot section. This translates to $1 to $3.50 per linear foot in most situations. That makes it a relatively affordable building material.
How much does it cost to install soffit?
When you factor in labor costs, the price to install your soffit can be anywhere from $6 to a whopping $20 per square foot.
What is Fascia?
Fascia goes hand-in-hand with your home’s soffit. Fascia is the area of siding directly above the soffit. It’s the exposed board you see on the front of your roof’s overhang.
What is the best material for soffit?
As mentioned earlier, the main materials of soffit and fascia are wood, aluminum and vinyl. Wood soffit and fascia doesn’t make sense in the Midwest because it’s susceptible to warping and rotting when exposed to moisture. Aluminum soffit and fascia absorb heat and will make your roof and attic extremely hot which will decrease your home’s overall ...
Why is fascia important?
Fascia is also important because it’s visible to everyone. If you want to maximize your home’s curb appeal, your fascia needs to look great as well.
Why is my attic moldy?
Your attic needs to be well ventilated or else moisture can build up causing mold to form. The last thing you want in your home is mold.
Why is it important to keep up with soffit?
The fact is, it’s very important to stay up-to-date on your soffit and fascia if you want to keep a good looking and energy efficient home.
What are the main features of a home?
Most of the time, people usually only notice the big and prominent features of their home. Windows, siding and doors are the main attention-getters on any home, but it’s important you don’t overlook the small stuff. What is soffit? What is fascia? Why are they important features on your home?
Where is soffit located on a roof?
Soffit is the exposed siding underneath your roof’s overhang. Since your soffit is located on the underside of your roof, it’s often not visible in terms of curb appeal. However, soffit can still be seen when you’re close to the home and when you’re underneath it or at street level.
What is a soffit?
The building term "soffit" can refer to part of an interior or exterior house structure. An interior ceiling that is built lower than the surrounding ceiling area is referred to as a soffit. A structural portion on the outside of house, such as the underhang of a roof, is also called a soffit.
Can you protect soffits with aluminum?
You can protect exterior wood soffits with aluminum wraps to cover damage and prevent deterioration. av-override. ‒‒:‒‒. /.
Why drop the ceiling level a bit?
Dropping the ceiling level a bit allows for a cozier space. For instance, a lower ceiling at sitting areas creates a more appropriate scale for the space. A lower ceiling can also help enhance taller adjacent spaces. Material changes. Soffits provide an appropriate place for a material change. The change of ceiling plane made by a soffit creates an ...
Why do we need soffits?
Soffits can provide an aesthetically pleasing screen to conceal elements like structure , ducting , hatches, unattractive ceiling planes, etc. Acoustics. The right materials used in conjunction with one another at a soffit can greatly improve the acoustics of a space.
What is soffit material?
The soffit’s material or geometry can define a space or function within a room. For instance a soffit in a dining room can define the area of seating or the dining room table. It can create a room within a room. Making space intimate. Dropping the ceiling level a bit allows for a cozier space.
What is a soffit in a kitchen?
The slightly higher soffit at the kitchen provides a clean grid to define the kitchen area, it organize the systems (lighting, fire sprinklers, and speakers), and provides an opportunity for an additional color to the interior palette. The ¾” thick painted mdf panels have a rabbet joint at each side so that the seams disappear in the shadow line.
What is a soffit?
Soffits provide an appropriate place for a material change. The change of ceiling plane made by a soffit creates an opportunity to use a warmer, more special material in contrast to the more ordinary material used at the main ceiling (typically gypsum wall board). Designating systems.
What is the best way to conceal lights that reflect off the ceiling?
Uplights. Soffits can be a good place to conceal lights that reflect off the ceiling and provide a glowing affect in a room. Depending on the circumstance, it may also be an opportunity to provide a different color or quality of lighting.
What is the olive tree residence?
The Olive Tree Residence by Mark English Architects uses soffits to create a sensual and peaceful interior. The living room skillfully employs a soffit to frame the space and bring the scale down to a human level.
