Table of Contents
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.
How tall should a soffit be?
Standard Ceiling Space Soffit space should begin 84 inches off the kitchen floor. This means that a typical soffit for an 8-foot tall kitchen will be 12 inches high. But, you will still need to ensure this size space works well for your kitchen. The standard size is only a general starting point.
How do you calculate soffit?
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.
What is the difference between eaves and soffits?
Eaves are usually made of wood and then covered with roofing material. Soffit materials coordinate with siding and fascia boards on the exterior walls, and generally follow the aesthetics of the residence.
What’s the difference between a bulkhead and a soffit?
Soffits describe the area between the top of cabinets and the ceiling. Bulkheads describe the structure that fills in that area. Instead of empty space above cabinets, bulkheads are solid and box-like structures that fill in that wall soffit.
What can I use instead of soffit?
To ventilate your attic without soffits you can use gable vents, eyebrow vents, a venting drip edge, a shingle-over intake vent, wind turbines, or power vents. All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation.
What thickness plywood is used for 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.
How thick are soffits?
While not all soffit board sizes are the same, the width of most soffit falls in the range of 16 inches to 24 inches when used to cover the eaves of the home. In addition, standard soffit sizes feature a ¼-inch thickness, too, which can help with installation.
How far can roof overhang without support?
Two feet is the general maximum length for a typical roof overhang. This will protect a roof from most types of damage. Roof overhangs can extend farther than 2 feet, but beyond this length, they begin to lose structural integrity and require external support.
What is a typical roof overhang?
There is no true standard size for overhangs, but typical overhangs that are used for protection from rainfall are 16-18 inches wide. Overhangs wanted for shading should be minimally 24 inches. More commonly, they are 36 inches wide or more.
How do you measure for soffit material?
Measure soffit areas. Take length and width measurements in the area underneath your eaves. Multiply height by width for each area and add to get total soffit square footage needed.
How long is a piece of soffit?
Soffit panels are available in 12-ft. lengths, 12- or 16-in. widths and vented or unvented.
What is ceiling soffit?
Soffit ceiling is the covering that forms a ceiling on the underside of the roof in the area that extends beyond the walls of a home. Simply put, it covers the gap between the wall and the fascia, also referred to as the eave. It can also cover the underside of arches, stairways, and balconies.
How much does soffit cost to install?
The labor costs for soffit and fascia installation can vary from contractor to contractor. Fascia installation costs range from $6 to $20 per linear foot, while soffit installation tends to be cheaper than fascia at $1 to $3 per linear foot.
How is soffit ventilation calculated?
How to Calculate Soffit Vent Size Measure the length and width of your attic. Divide the square footage by 150 to calculate the area of ventilation needed, since you need 1 square foot of vent space for each 150 square feet of attic space.
How many soffits do I need?
Most professionals recommend one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic area. This will help you determine how many soffit vents you need. For example, a 15′ x 40′ attic would have a total area of 600 square feet; divided by 150 equals 4 square feet of total ventilated space needed.
What is soffit construction?
A soffit is an exterior or interior architectural feature, generally the horizontal, aloft underside of any construction element. Its archetypal form, sometimes incorporating or implying the projection of beams, is the underside of eaves (to connect a retaining wall to projecting edge(s) of the roof).
What comes first soffit or siding?
The installation of soffit will determine the positioning of the inside and outside corner posts. It also is necessary to complete the soffit before the final course of siding is installed on the wall. Soffit panels are similar to vertical siding.
