What is a soffit

In such a case, Feldco has you covered. The air from the soffit cycles to the vents to draw heat and moisture away from the house. This is a highly important function because moisture in the attic can develop rot in the sheathing and rafters. A structure to fill the space between the ceiling and the top of cabinets mounted on the wall is called a soffit , as is the material connecting an exterior wall to the edge of the roof under the eaves.

Technically, a soffit is the underside of any element of a building. The word originates with the Latin suffigere, meaning to fix underneath. So there are soffits on ceilings, stairs, and even cornices. Although they aren’t as popular today, soffits were quite common in the kitchens of older homes, like this one.

If you’re not a candidate for soffit for a given reason — say your building does not have eaves — I suggest you ask a builder to look at your attic and offer custom suggestions to improve your air circulation. An exterior soffit is located on the span beneath the rafter tails, while the fascia is the exposed horizontal band you see at the end of the rafters. These architectural elements found along the eave area do more than just add visual interest and give a finished look to your home. It protects the underside of eaves and porch ceilings and can provide a hidden vent system. Find quality soffit online or in store.

English dictionary definition of soffit. The underside of a structural component, such as a beam, arch, staircase, or cornice. The lower surface or soffit of the arch is the intrados, E, and the upper surface the extrados, F. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume Slice 4. Soffits can be any color, but many people opt for white or for a color that matches their trim for the best look. 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.

It is usually the board that you see most of from street level. The soffit board is tucked away under the fascia board. Alternatively, ventilation can be provided over the top of the fascia board. Many people prefer the latter solution these days.

Most commonly it refers to the material that forms a ceiling from the top of an exterior house wall out to the edge of the roof. The definition of a soffit is the underside of a piece of architecture. An example of a soffit is the underside of an arch. But if you walk through a brick-built tunnel and glance upwards, for example, you will be looking at the soffit of the arch. How Much Does It Cost To Replace Or Repair Fascia Boards And Soffits ? We are still gathering data for this.

Typically a soffit is used in the area beneath the eaves on the exterior of a house to close the space beneath the eave. Most popularly, soffit is installed from the exterior wall of the house up to the rear side of the fascia board on the hanging edges of the roof. It may also be referred to as the bulkhead.

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. Almost all homes are fitted with some kind of roof vents at the peak of the roofline, be it individual roof vents, hip roof ventilation, and many homes have gable vents as well. A soffit is the area between the top of the wall cabinets and the ceiling. A projection upon the soffit of the Doric corona, which originally marked the position of the rafter-ends beneath the sheathing.

The word soffit is derived from the French word for “formed as a ceiling” and the Latin term for “to fix underneath. It is the exposed surface beneath the overhanging section of a roof eave. The ventilation system should include roof or gable exhaust vents.

Continuous ridge vents can be installed for superior ventilation performance. The price of fitting soffit is dependant on many factors. The depth of the home’s overhang, and the logistics of installation. Ways to Disguise a Kitchen Soffit. This is a great option even for a large, deep soffit , as it uses moulding in a way that covers a wide expanse.

Thicken the soffit as a border around the kitchen. Lower the entire kitchen ceiling to soffit height. In popular use, soffit most often refers to the material forming a ceiling from the top of an exterior house wall to the outer edge of the roof, i. Simply put, it covers the gap between the wall and the fascia, also referred to as the eave. As we mentioned above, a soffit is the underside of any construction element.

Soffits play an important role within the construction of a building, because they cover the eaves and protect the rafters from weather damage. To add soffit vents to your aluminum soffit , you can cut a hole in the aluminum soffit (and through the wood soffit under it if there is one), then use sheet metal screws or pop rivets to attach the metal vents to the soffit , and caulk the U-shaped grooves in the soffit , however, cutting cleanly through the aluminum won’t be that easy. Metal or vinyl soffits also come as solid panels or perforated to provide ventilation. Ventilated soffit materials can help prevent winter ice dams and keep the home cooler in the summer months.

Soffit materials may be vinyl, metal or wood.