Meta Description: Are eaves and soffits the same thing? Eaves and soffits are commonly confused. Learn how to differentiate between both of them in this expert guide.
In a nutshell, eaves and soffits refer to the part of the roof that overhangs the side of a building. Generally speaking, the eave is the whole overhanging part of the roof, whereas the soffit only comprises the underside component of the eave.
If you’re about to embark upon any roof improvements or repairs, it will be important to better understand the elements that make up the roof overhang, including the differences between eaves and soffits.
What are Eaves?
Roof eaves are the lower portion of the roof’s overhang, where the roof extends beyond the home’s exterior walls. Eaves protect a building from water damage, but eaves can also serve a decorative function.
The soffit and the fascia boards are two important parts of the eave. The fascia boards protect the gutter system on the roof’s edge, whereas the soffit covers the underside of the eave.
Flat roofs don’t tend to have eaves, increasing the chances of leakages. Depending on your roof pitch and architectural style, your home may have wide eaves or narrow eaves. In hot climates, wider eaves are useful for providing shade and keeping a home cool. Wider eaves can also protect against elements like snow and wind.
Eaves can be impressively intricate or statement pieces – think of the ornate eaves seen on East Asian pagodas or Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic elongated eaves.
Types of Eaves
There are four main categories of eaves to know:
Exposed Eaves
Exposed eaves allow you to see the roof’s underside and supporting rafters. These are common in older homes. In essence, exposed eaves are eaves without soffits.
Soffited Eaves
Soffited eaves are eaves with a soffit to connect the bottom edge of the roof with the house wall, preventing an exposed siding underneath. Soffited eaves protect the roof rafters.
Boxed-in Eaves
A boxed-in eave includes a soffit wholly attached to the eave at all edges, leaving no exposed siding. These effectively encase the rafters and meet the building at the same angle as the roof itself. These offer your home the best protection from outside elements.
Abbreviated Eaves
An abbreviated eave is a mini-eave that does not extend much beyond the house walls, cut off perpendicular to the side of the house.
What are Soffits?
The term soffit means something fixed underneath. Soffits are the horizontal underside of the eave where the roof meets the exterior siding. In other words, if you look straight up at your eaves, you’re probably looking at the soffit part of the eave as a whole -those long boards with grooves that you see between the roof edge and the wall.
One of their purposes is to improve the aesthetics of the roof’s overhang while protecting the roof rafters from moisture and outside elements.
Soffits also can provide ventilation. A soffit vent is a roof vent that fits underneath your roof and provides airflow. Soffit vents pull hot air out of the attic space, reducing the risk of mold and mildew and helping to keep your home cooler in the summer months.
Modern houses are usually built with soffits to improve the longevity of all materials associated with the roof system.
Roofs without soffits have exposed beams on the underside, which often makes a perfect entry for insects, birds, and other creatures. Covering the underside area with a soffit prevents animals from making their homes under your roof or in your attic.
Since soffits provide these useful protective functions for your home, it’s important that you maintain them properly to ensure they fulfil their purpose.
Contrasts Between Eaves and Soffits
Soffits and eaves both form part of the roof’s overhang. Yet, while they form part of the same structure, there are similarities and differences in function and materials that you need to be aware of. As always, when you begin any home improvement project, knowledge is important so you can make informed decisions about the best course of action.
Similarities: They Overlap
Of course, we’ve already clarified that eaves literally overlap soffits. Eaves typically create the need for soffits. If a homeowner has an exposed eave, they should probably consider installing a soffit under the eave to protect their home.
Eaves and soffits are normally made from different materials, each of which has benefits and drawbacks. Eaves are normally made of wood beams and covered with roofing material, and soffits usually coordinate with the siding or fascia materials. The normal materials used include wood, aluminum, vinyl, uPVC, composite, and fiber cement.
- Wooden eaves and soffits can be attractive, but there is a risk of rotting.
- Aluminium is durable but is prone to heat absorption.
- A vinyl soffit is cheap and durable, but the underneath area may not be the same color as the rest of the eave since vinyl is prone to discoloration.
- Composite is the most aesthetically pleasing and durable, but it is the most expensive option to protect a home’s roof.
Understanding the differences between eaves and soffits is key to ensuring the look, feel, and function of the overhanging parts of your roof matches your needs and preferences.
Let’s drill down on this by outlining those differences.
Differences
- Function: soffits and eaves differ in function. Eaves protect the building from water, allowing water to run off away from the outside wall. They also provide much-needed shade to keep the house cool. Soffits, on the other hand, provide protection to rafters, deter pests from accessing your home, and provide ventilation if needed. Both eaves and soffits can add aesthetic value to the edges of the roof.
- Types: There are four main types of eaves: exposed, soffited (vented and non-vented), boxed-in, and abbreviated. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks depending on where you live and your needs.
- Location: Eaves are the lower edges of the roof extending beyond the walls. Soffits are the underside of those extended eaves. However, soffits can appear in the interior of your home, too. Kitchen soffits extend above your cabinets to the ceiling in your kitchen, usually hiding cables or vents for a cleaner finish to your kitchen.
Conclusion
Soffit vents can improve your roof’s lifespan, allowing you to get the most out of your heating and air conditioning expenses. Installing a soffit vent is a straightforward process, but if you’re not very handy, it might be best to leave the work to a professional. At HB ELEMENTS, we provide high-quality PVC fittings for your home’s exterior—including trim, cladding, and more. If you want to learn more about HB ELEMENTS products, check out our website.