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What is the best wood to use for soffit?
Although unsanded and touch-sanded grades of plywood are often used for soffits, optimum appearance and finish performance is achieved by using panels with Medium Density Overlay (MDO), or textured (such as APA 303 Siding) or sanded A-grade faces.
What type of wood is used for exterior soffits?
Standard soffit material is 3/8- or 1/2-inch-thick exterior plywood in pine (or similar softwoods) or cedar. Common, but much less durable, is Masonite or similar fiberboard soffit, as well as much more weather-resistant fiber-cement.
What can I use instead of soffit?
One great alternative to a soffit ventilation system is to install an intake vent right at the lower edge of the roof. They call this a venting drip edge. The venting drip edge seems to be the easiest and most common way to go.
What size plywood should I use for soffit?
Soffits are generally made from AC plywood, the thickness depends on your soffit framing, and the distance the soffit will be spanning. If your soffits are narrow, and the framing is on 24″ centers, then you could go with 3/8″ AC ply. But for soffits that are 2ft wide or more, I’d recommend 1/2″ AC ply.
Can I build a soffit with 2×2?
A soffit is usually constructed with 2×2 lumber, which is easy to work with and inexpensive. You can use 1 x 3s to keep the frame as small as possible and 2 x 4s for large soffits that will house other elements, such as recessed lighting fixtures Chases should be framed with 2 x 4s.
What material is used for soffits?
While soffits and fascia are traditionally constructed from materials like aluminum and wood, many homeowners are now choosing ones made from synthetic and composite materials like UPVC and vinyl because they offer easy maintenance and durability.
How wide can soffit be?
Soffits usually range from 16 to 24 inches wide. For instance, CertainTeed Ironmax soffits may span 24 inches without additional nailing strips, if permitted by code rules. The installation also depends on whether the eave construction is open or closed.
Can you use OSB for soffit?
Basement Soffits & drops are easy to build using 2X2’s and ½” OSB plywood. Not much to how to build them as you rip the plywood to the desired height which can be determined by the lowest duct height allowing space for framed material under the duct as well.
Are wood soffits bad?
Wood soffits are often the victims of mold, mildew, and fungus, due to roof leaks. These could potentially cause respiratory and other health issues due to spores in the air. In addition to mold and mildew, fungi can break down the fibers in the wood, leading to the wood crumbling, known as dry rot.
How many pieces of soffit do I need?
Multiply the total length by the width to obtain the area of soffit needed to fill the gap. For example, if the total eaves length is 110 feet, and the width is 2 feet, multiply 110 by 2. The result, 220 in this example, is the number of square feet of soffit required.
How many pieces are in a box of soffit?
Triple 4˝ packaged 16 pieces, 12´0˝ long, 1.92 squares per carton.
What screws to use for soffit?
On the screws, 5/8 is plenty long enough, as most soffit is around . 019 thick. You can use the pea shooter for the soffit as well, but screws are a bit more user friendly.
Is a soffit necessary?
Why does my home need soffit? Air from the soffit cycles to the vents to draw heat and moisture away from the house. Moisture is mold’s breading ground and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality. The soffit also helps keep pests from slipping into your home through the roofline or gutters and nesting in your attic.
Can soffit be wood?
Wood soffit is a popular choice among builders and homeowners. However, wood soffit can also be very high-maintenance. It is prone to rot when exposed to the elements, resulting in costly repairs or replacement. Wood tends to be quite expensive, as well, both in the original purchase and in maintenance costs.
Do you need soffit vents?
A roof may need soffit vents if there is no other ventilation allowing for adequate air movement. However, if the attic space is properly sealed and insulated, there is no need for this type of ventilation. Soffit vents are an easy, aesthetically pleasing way to vent the attic space.
How thick should a soffit board be?
Replacement fascias do vary in thickness by manufacturer, but the rule of thumb is that to qualify structurally as a replacement board they should be somewhere between 16mm and 25mm thick – our most common range is the 18mm Replacement Fascia.
What is exterior grade plywood?
Exterior Grade Plywood, (also known as construction-grade plywood), is made from regular grade plywood sheets. Yet, these sheets have been fastened together using water-resistant ‘Exterior Glue’. Exterior grading is usually indicated by adding an ‘X’ letter to the standard grade of a sheet of plywood.
What is CDX plywood?
CDX Plywood is used primarily by contractors to build exterior walls and roofs. CDX plywood has one side veneer grade “C” and one side veneer grade “D”. The two are bonded together with glue which can withstand a little moisture. The APA would recognize CDX Grade Plywood as C-D Exposure 1 plywood.
How far can a 2×4 span flat soffit?
A 2×4 which would be minimal will take up 4″ of space with covering, bringing your clearance to 90″. If that is acceptable, then you can frame it all in using standard construction methods, apply your sheetrock and have a 90″ ceiling.
Do soffits have studs?
Built much like a three-sided box comprised of short stud walls, soffits are finished with wall sheathing and painted or stained. You can even build empty soffits to balance the look across the room.
