Have You Ever Wondered What a Soffit Is? Read This!

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It’s no secret that Western culture places a premium on the importance of home-ownership, and it goes without saying that a beautiful home full of comfort, warmth and personality is a great thing. However, with the market shifting constantly, making a stylish home can be rather complicated. It has to be updated constantly according to the times, and quite convenient, too.

What Is A Soffit?

‘Soffit’ is actually a blanket term. It encompasses a general architectural feature used with other components in construction. Internal structures gain extra protection from the harsh elements because of said system. Moreover, there’s a great aesthetic purpose it serves. Thanks to advancements in the field, design and installation processes alike for soffits are now much more streamlined. It’s a cost-efficient effort that helps homes look more finished and rather chic.

Ceilings that are exposed end up showing building elements that are incredibly unsightly. Soffits afford uniform finishing and structural protection whose covering is rather modern. Any possible raw areas are disposed of well and tucked away neatly.

Usual soffit systems have four parts to them, generally custom-made. Together, they make a visually appealing, structurally sound finish for the trusses of a roof. The key components are:

  1. Fascia – These are installed along a home’s outer edges. Essentially they’re molding that’s decorative.
  2. Frieze board – This is added between the house wall and soffit.
  3. Rafter tails – Attached to the soffit, it holds plenty of benefit for a high-end design to be realized. Aside from being decorative, it also works wonders for structural support.
  4. Soffit panel – Also known as a soffit ceiling sometimes, the technical ceiling’s underside is covered by this. Sometimes, it goes between the fascia and structural walls.

What’s the Point?

Pests, mould, rust, and weather can all be detrimental to the longevity of your home. A soffit will shield you from the dangers of all these complications. In addition, they have been developed to get airflow going well, redirect water from the foundation, as well as minimize temperature changes by shading windows. 

A fresh coat of paint will go a long way in helping a home get a “facelift”. Aside from being more polished, it will easily bring any structure into modern times. Thankfully, there are a number of designs available when it comes to the soffit which can help create a timeless look.

What Are the Advantages Of A Soffit?

  • Maintenance – The soffit helps to lessen maintenance needs over time.
  • Ventilation – When a timber home is not ventilated well, everything suffers, including the ceiling. A soffit will keep the house’s delicate areas safe thanks to airflow being redirected.
  • Weatherproofing – Improperly protected and covered eaves in a house puts it at risk for wind and rain issues. The best way to close off areas where wind can push moisture into crevices is a soffit.

Conclusion

Soffit is basically a general term for an architectural feature that’s used with other construction elements. The four key components are the fascia, frieze board, rafter tails and soffit panel. Advantages include weatherproofing, maintenance and ventilation.

Need a soffit and fascia in Ottawa? Gillespie Handyman can help! We’ve got a wide selection of quality home improvement services with prices that are incredibly affordable.