When roofing your house, there are many roofing materials that people do not know about but should. Two of these major roofing materials are soffit and fascia. Soffit and fascia can not only be used on the roofs of a house, but can also be used near the sides, gutters, and even interior of a house as well. But what exactly are soffit and fascia anyway? What are the similarities and differences between soffit and fascia?
Because we know the importance of understanding housing and architecture as a homeowner, we are going to tell you everything in detail about fascia and soffit.
Get ready to become a home improvement guru!
What Are Soffit and Fascia?
First things first, what is a soffit, you ask? A soffit is the horizontal aluminum or vinyl underside of a roof, arch, flight of stairs, etc. The soffit board on a roof is usually the one you can see from the street level.
Fascia boards are the ones that run along the ends of a roof or any other home structure. Fascia boards are also the ones that cover the space between the soffit and the roof. Because fascia boards cover the space from the roof to the outer wall, some people call them the roofline.
Most people call the fascia the main board though. Most people also know fascia boards as being the boards that gutters are attached to. Fascia boards can also run across the lower edge of a roof.
Soffit can be ventilated to provide air circulation in the roof area of a house. Ventilation is often given over the top of a fascia board. Without ventilation in a soffit and fascia, condensation, mold, and mildew will develop.
Having exterior soffit span beneath rafter tails along with exposed horizontal bands of fascia at the ends of these rafters, protects the exterior of a house from bats, birds, squirrels, and more.
Installation of Soffit
Usually, people use soffit beneath the eaves on the exterior of a house. In fact, soffit usually extends from the side of a structure to the edge of its eave and then hides under the eave behind the fascia. Soffit can also be installed from the exterior of the wall to the fascia boards.
Installation of Fascia
Fascia creates a border from the edge of the roof to the outside of a house. Fascia also protects the roof from weather damage and provides points for gutters and drain pipes to attach to.
People usually install fascia around the entire structure of a house and attach it to the uncovered ends of rafters or the top of exterior walls. When it comes to roofing, people usually install fascia beneath roof lines and behind gutters.
Materials of Soffit vs. Fascia
People usually make soffit out of vinyl and aluminum. Fascia boards are usually made out of wood. Still, some soffit boards can be made out of wood, and some fascia boards can be made out of vinyl or aluminum.
Cost of Replacing Soffit and Fascia
Replacing a linear foot of soffit usually costs anywhere from $20.00 to $30.00. Replacing a linear foot of fascia usually costs from $15.00 to $25.00.
The price of soffit and fascia projects varies depending on things like materials used and the size of the house being worked on. Rotten or damaged soffit and fascia can cost you $5,000 or more to repair.
To learn more about soffit and fascia, browse some of our other soffit blog articles.
