Why Soffit Is Important to a House? – Family Roofing

Posted on by David Reid

CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004   FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM

 

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.

 

Why Soffit Is Important to a House?

There’s a good chance your home has soffit installed.  Just walk outside your door and look up at the roof.  The material connecting the roof overhang and the side of your building? That’s soffit.

The word “soffit” is derived from the French language, and literally means “something fixed underneath.”   It is most commonly used around a building’s main roof, but soffit can also be used under porches.  It is commonly made in aluminum and vinyl, as well as fiber cement, wood, and steel.

 

Soffit serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose for a building’s roofing system.  It’s the skin that covers your eaves — without it, you would see your rafter beams fully exposed. Cover it up with soffit, in the style and color that you like, and you add some instant and easy character to your building.

Functionally speaking, soffit protects your rafters from the weather elements.  If your rafters are exposed in any areas, you’ll likely have mold buildup and rotting beams to replace.  Additionally, mold in a home is never healthy.

Soffit helps your building breathe.  With vented soffit, air can flow through the vents to provide regular air circulation to your attic.   Air flow is tremendously important for your entire home.  If you have lanced style vents, you can achieve proper air flow while limiting the moisture that can enter through the vents.

If solid soffit is more of your style, make sure you have vents installed to enable proper air circulation through the attic.  For every few soffits you install, you could install a vented panel to assure air flow.

Imagine if your eaves were sealed tight instead.  In the hot summer months, your attic would draw in (and hold) heat.  In the winter months, snow and rain would ultimately lead to moisture buildup, and you would eventually have rotting and/or mold in your rafters and sheathing.

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.

Which Type of Soffit Should I Buy?

Based on sales volume of homes and buildings across the US, aluminum and vinyl soffit are the runaway winners.  They are the most cost effective to manufacture, the easiest to install, and they weigh less than the alternatives.

Pros of Aluminum Soffit

  • A malleable material, good for fitting into varied spaces.

  • Highly durable. Will not rot, chip or crack.

  • Non-combustible, in case of fire.

  • Easy to keep clean, does not attract dirt.

  • Water-resistant. Ideal for wet regions.

Cons of Aluminum

  • Tends to be more expensive than vinyl.  If you’re covering a large area, the aluminum cost will add up.

  • Can dent if enough force is applied.

  • Does not insulate as well as vinyl.

Pros of Vinyl Soffit

 

  • Often available in different textures and grains.  More customization over the look you want.

  • Will not rot.  Pretty resilient against cracking and chipping.

  • Water resistant.  Excellent for high moisture areas.

  • Easy to clean.

Cons of Vinyl

  • More easily affected by heat.  Can discolor more quickly over time.

  • Can become brittle if exposed to regular sunlight.

  • Can develop mold in damp climates.

  • Not as malleable as aluminum; more difficult to cut, bend and install into varied spaces.

  • Some feel vinyl is a cheaper looking product.

And what about the other materials?

People who opt for soffit in materials other than aluminum or vinyl typically make their decision based on aesthetics.  Why?

Wood is more expensive and will ultimately rot over time.  Wood looks natural and timeless.  It adds tremendous warmth.  If you choose to install wood soffit, just be prepared for the time and money to replace the panels over time.  It is important to install vents for air circulation!

Steel will be much more durable than any of the alternatives, including aluminum.  Some suppliers also carry steel soffit in a variety of colors.  Steel will just run about 25-40% higher in cost than aluminum – but overall, steel could be a great option for your soffit.

Fiber cement is less common and among the pricier options in soffit, but there are suppliers that carry panels in varied wood grain textures, vents and colors.