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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

What Are Soffit And Fascia?

Soffit and fascia are very important parts of almost every home.  Chances are you’ve got them both on your house and may not even realize it.  But what are soffit and fascia?  What do they do, how do they work, and do you really need them?

There’s more to a great looking home than just roofing and siding.  Soffit and fascia are both an important part of your homes exterior that also have a functional benefit.  Together, these two exterior components help prevent mold and mildew growth.  Fascia helps waterproof the home while soffits allow airflow into the rafters via soffit vents.  The terms soffit and fascia can be confusing.  However, they’re very different siding components with totally separate uses.

There are a lot of little finishing elements that all work together to complete the design, appearance, style and function of your siding.  Two of these items that are both installed along the roof line of your home are the fascia and the soffit.  Because they’re installed right next to one another by the same contractor, many people assume that they’re the same thing.  However, they both do a completely different job.

What Is Soffit?

Soffit is the siding material covering the underside of your roof’s overhang.  Depending on how high your home is the soffit may be visible from the street which makes it an important part of your curb appeal.  It comes in a variety of materials like metal, vinyl, fiber cement, wood and composites.  Most roofs will overhang the building a little which offers water protection to the home.  This roof overhang can be the ends of the roof rafters or framed separately.

The most common cause of damage to a wood framed home is water.  Having soffits helps prevent a lot of this.  Water runs off the roof a foot or two away from the wall, typically into a gutter.  This keeps water off and away from the home.  If this overhang was to be left open from the bottom, rain, snow, and moist air could get up inside.  This would eventually damage the wood frame of the house by causing rot and mold.  That’s why the overhang is covered and protected by a material called soffit.

Soffit looks great but it’s not all about good looks.  Soffit vents allow fresh airflow in and out of your rafter which helps keep the attic cool and mold free.  One of the most important parts of a well design attic ventilation system are the soffit vents.

All About Soffit

• Soffit gets more visible the close you walk toward the home since at a certain point you’ll be standing right under it.

• It can be made out of wood, metal, fiber cement, vinyl or composite.

• Your soffit material should be suitable for the climate you live in.

• Soffit vents allow fresh airflow in and out of the roof rafters which helps keep attics cool and prevent mold.

Your home’s soffits aren’t generally as noticeable as the fascia when you’re standing at the curb, unless the home is very high.  However, they are hard to miss when you are standing next to the house and look up.  Without a soffit, you would see the wood rafters and eaves of the roof.  Some homes are actually designed this way with open soffits and exposed wood. But most cover this area with soffits.

Soffits are an important part of most roof designs.  Without soffit, your home wouldn’t have a finished appearance and the rafters and eaves would be exposed to the elements. There would be significant risk of wood rot, leaks, mold growth, and roof failure.  Soffits also help keep insects, rodents, and other pests out of your walls and attic.  Without soffit, your attic and eaves are essentially left wide open which can lead to all sorts of problems.

What Is Fascia?

Fascia or fascia board is installed at the very edge of your roof.  Fascia Board is the thin flat piece of trim that gets nailed to the edge of the rafters.  They generally run vertically, perpendicular to the walls.  In your standard wood frame roof the fascia board is a piece of 1″ pine.  Fascia is the material that covers the fascia board.  This can be confusing because both elements are called fascia but they’re very different.

Fascia Board is normally made of wood on a wood framed home.  It’s typically installed at the same time as your roof by the framers.  Fascia is a form of siding and is installed by the siding contractor.  Fascia Board is structural while Fascia is a form of siding.

All About Fascia

Just like soffit, fascia can be made of metal, wood, fiber cement, vinyl or composite.  Both fascia and fascia board are designed to block the elements from getting into your home. Without them, water, snow, ice and moist air could blow right into your rafters and onto your wood frame. This leads to all sorts of damage which includes mold, mildew and rot.

Some homes may not use a fascia board. It largely depends on the type and style of your roof frame.  Gutter are nailed into the fascia board through the fascia.  If you want gutter on your house then you’ll need fascia board to nail them to.  However, you don’t necessarily need fascia.  Some homes simple paint the fascia board or use a wood that doesn’t need covering.  Fascia interacts with your home’s soffit because it’s the area of siding directly above the soffit.  Sometimes the fascia is bent at the bottom which helps hold the soffit in place.  It’s very visible and should be kept in good condition.

Why Soffit And Fascia Are Important

Both fascia and soffit help protect the home from water damage as well as provide ventilation into the attic.  But aside from their functional benefits, soffit and fascia look great. They’re both important parts of a home’s siding design.  Look at the example picture above.  This beautiful custom home features metal fascia with wood soffit and decorative elements.  While standing at the cub of this home you can see just how important that soffit and fascia design is to the overall look of the home.

Why Is Soffit Important?

Soffit is an important part of your home’s exterior siding design.  But looks aside, soffit’s most important job is protecting the home from water damage and providing ventilation. Every part of your home’s siding has a duel purpose.  Form and function.  While looking great is important, preventing rot, mold and mildew should be the primary goal of your siding.

If you’re living in an area with high winds, your soffit keeps moist are and water from blowing into your house.  Once a year, when you clean and inspect your gutters, you should also inspect your fascia and soffit for peeling paint and other problems.  Keep your home properly sealed to prevent big problems in the future.

What are the best soffit and fascia materials?

Together, soffit and fascia protect your home from pest and water damage so durable materials are the best option if they are within your budget.  Builders can choose from several materials and each have their pros and cons.

• Wood is convenient, inexpensive, and the most traditional choice.  Simply use the material from the roofing deck and cut the boards to the size you need.  The downside is that wood boards aren’t water resistant without special coats of paint, which require upkeep. Homeowners must check wood periodically for peeling paint, rot, mold, warping, and insects, and repair or replace as needed.

• Vinyl is an inexpensive yet durable option, and it can be installed right over wood fascia to make it longer lasting.  Vinyl soffits are extremely popular because vinyl is easy to maintain and resistant to damage like water, rot, rust, and insects.  But while vinyl doesn’t warp from water like wood, it can still expand and shrink due to temperature changes. And for vinyl to protect, it must stay tightly sealed.

• Aluminum can be installed alone or on top of wood. It is both durable and easy to bend to fit the shape of your roof.  But it’s also more expensive and usually requires an expert to install.

• Composite is composed of recycled wood chips, sawdust, and plastic bonded with epoxy resin.  It holds up well over time and maintains its color whereas materials like painted wood can fade.  It even comes in finishes that mimic wood grain without the upkeep that wood requires. But those color choices may be limited compared to other options, and composite can be pricey.