With how soffits and fascia are almost always mentioned together, many people do not realize that there’s a difference between soffits and fascia boards. The two are almost always mentioned hand-in-hand because they work hand-in-hand to protect your home and as part of your roofing system. Just because they work in tandem does not make them the same thing, though. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between soffits and fascia, how they work together, and why it’s so important to have them repaired when they need it.
What Are Soffits?
In order to understand the difference between soffits and fascia, you first need to know what each one is. A soffit is an exposed board that goes underneath the overhanging eaves of your roofing system, under your fascia board. Not all properties have them, but they’re easy to notice when they’re there.
What Are Fascia Boards?
Fascia boards are boards that go along your roofline between where your roof and the walls of your home meet, typically perpendicular to your soffits.
The Difference Between Soffits And Fascia
Now that you have a rough idea of what a soffit and what a fascia is, we can go deeper into the difference between soffits and fascia boards.
Purpose
A difference between soffits and fascia is in their very purpose. Soffits are usually used to close the space underneath your eaves, acting as a barrier between the interior of your roofing system and external elements and pests and the like. They typically work in tandem with fascia boards in order to do this, because fascia boards are meant to protect the part of your roofing system that is exposed to your gutters.
Both soffits and fascia give your roof a smoother, more aesthetically pleasing appearance, by covering up the interior roofing system. Additionally, they work together to offer protection from weather damage, pests, and the like. Without a soffit, your fascia wouldn’t be able to stave off rot and mildew and mold as well, and without fascia, your soffits wouldn’t be able to keep animals and insects and the like out from your rafters as well. Together, they protect your roof from exterior damages.
Installation
Another difference between soffits and fascia is in how they’re installed, which makes sense, since they’re not the same thing. Fascia boards are usually installed behind your gutters, around the entire roofing structure beneath the roof line, at the uncovered ends of your rafters or at the top of your exterior walls.
Soffits are usually installed behind fascia boards, from the exterior wall. They’re more hidden. In some cases where the roof is flush against the exterior walls, the fascia boards will have soffits, to assist with ventilation.
Materials
Another difference between soffits and fascia boards is the materials used. Typically, you’ll find that soffits are made out of aluminum or vinyl, while fascia boards are more often made out of wood, but can be aluminum or plastic. They can both come in a variety of colors, so that they can match the siding of your home, for a more aesthetically pleasing look.
Durability
Perhaps the most notable difference between soffits and fascia aside from their purpose is their durability. As soffits are more exposed to the elements than other parts of your home, they are more likely to be damaged. Water from your shingles, birds’ nests, rusted flashing, and malfunctioning gutters are all things that can damage your soffits, lessening their durability.
Fascia boards don’t experience the same levels of exposure to water damage as soffits, but this doesn’t make them immune. In both cases, if your soffits or your fascia boards or both are showing signs of damage and rot, they will need to be replaced.
How Soffits And Fascia Work Together
People wonder about the difference between soffits and fascia because they work together so much. Fascia boards provide vertical protection while soffits provide horizontal protection, each covering what the other can’t, and working in tandem to both cover up your interior roofing system and to keep it protected from damages. Together, soffits and fascia extend the lifespan of your roof, through helping to prevent decay, offering protection from a variety of environmental factors, and through making your home more aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Unlimited Siding offers soffit and fascia repair. A difference between soffits and fascia that does not exist is that they both need repair as soon as you notice they’ve been damaged. If you need soffit and fascia repair, contact Unlimited Siding today! We work with high quality materials in a range of colors that are made to last so that your soffits and fascia will look good and function well for years to come.
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