Install a solid wood sub-fascia on the ends of the rafter tails or install blocking between the rafter tails as needed. from the fascia to avoid waves and ripples in the soffit plywood. You can find the rafters by locating the nailheads or using a stud finder. The point at which the joist meets the exterior walls of the building leaves a gap that is open to the outside environment. Steps. Then I simply multiplied the length of the base (72 5/8, or 72.625, inches) by 1.118, which equaled 81.195 (or 81 3/16) inches, or the length of the bottom gable plate, long-point to long-point. Tip: Use a table saw to keep your cuts perfectly straight. When you’re finished, you can install gutters on the boards. This permits the exterior insulation to extend above the top plate line so that we avoid a cold spot along the top plate. The joists are spaced approximately 2 feet apart along the length of the roof. 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. It's an ugly situation. They sit, at right angles, to the fascias, helping to create a water-tight seal that protects your roof interior and rafters. Once the soffit board is in place, you can fit the fascia onto the soffit. Climb a ladder near the corner of your roof and tape the end of your tape measure against the rafter using duct tape. Instead of letting the rafter tails project beyond the exterior wall and trimming them with a fascia and soffit cuts, we’re screwing blocking and a subfascia onto the wall. For more information on ventilation and moisture control, read this article I wrote on Proper Attic Ventilation. Remember to allow for the fascia ventilation in the total height if you’re using it. The intersection of the soffit lining and the top of the weatherboards can be effectively flashed and wedges installed to block the gaps between the weatherboards. A ledger plate is fastened to the wall to attach the soffit at that location. Soffit lining a house in Northern Florida, United States. Position the soffit venting holes between the rafters at equal intervals. Roof leaks will not always be apparent on the ceiling directly below the leaky spots. On narrow eaves the rafter ends serve to fasten the soffit and fascia. I divided 13.42 by 12 inches to come up with 1.118 when the length of the base is 1. Splicing alongside rafter feet is generally done on a fascia soffit gutter run. It’s most commonly used around a building’s main roof, but soffit can also be used under porches, under arches or columns, under a flight of stairs… pretty much anything that has a visible ceiling. Check your nailing along the floor joists with a … When a roof is placed on a building, it is supported by joists. Dry rot on the ends of gable rafters must be addressed before it spreads to the roof sheathing or rafters in the attic. The drawings in this article illustrate the various types of eave and soffit construction. Aluminum and vinyl are the predominant materials, and they are available in solid, fully perforated or lanced, or combination soffits. Water from leaks can run down the rafters and cause the soffit to remain damp. That means you should have at least 2.6 sq. horizontal mark is 80mm above soffit line). The sequence of construction is described in Steps 1–7 and shown in Figures 1 and 2. It is one of a series of sloped structural members that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads. For this article, we’ll focus on soffit for its primary use — the roof overhang. Our 2x6 rafter tail had rotted enough to weaken it, so we screwed another 2x6 to it (Photo 6). If you use only one screw you create a ‘see-saw’ effect where the wood moves under pressure. Remove Old Soffit. Straight, Level and Square: You should be concerned about leveling the soffit and this is the time to think about it. Note that a squirrel had built a large nest above the soffit shown here. 2. Look through exposed rafter soffit pictures in different colors and styles and when you find some exposed rafter soffit that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made them happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. installing vinyl soffit. Some of the animals that can invade your home if the soffit is in disrepair or nonexistent include squirrels, birds, and bats. The rafter tails support the edge of the roof, and the lookouts support the soffit boards, so they have to be sound. Make sure that the fascia isn’t too wide as this can block windows from opening and secured in place to support the weight of roof tiles and guttering. ft. of vent area with half under the eaves in the soffit and half near the peak as either gable or ridge vents. Your home’s attic also needs ventilation. After that, secure the boards to the ends of your rafters to fit them in place. A pair of rafters is called a couple. Pull down to remove the old soffit. You are basically trying to mimic the rafter feet either side of the affected timber. To create a straight, rigid soffit, try to maximize plywood along it’s length and minimize joists. Under the “6” on the square is the number 13.42, or the length of a rafter per foot of run. In layman's term fascia boards are the horizontal boards that are attached at the end of rafters at the exterior of a building which are used to hang rain gutters or guttering. Typically consisting of wood, wood substitute (such as Fibre Cement or Nutec), metal or PVC plastic, the fascia board along with the soffit, encloses the roof space of the home. The soffit is the material that covers the eaves, or the place where the rafters extend beyond the walls of the house. Use a reciprocating saw to chop out the rotted rafter. It protects the underside of eaves and porch ceilings and can provide a hidden vent system. Replacing the rotten area only is too short for a firm hold. The fascias form the outer edge and have a groove in them to receive the soffit lining sheets. That way you can completely finish all the cutting down on the bench before taking them up and installing them. The roof of my guest wing now has exterior foam with a minimum value of R-33. Then complete the installation as described for open eaves. Plus, they improve the appearance of a roof and decrease the likelihood of mold, rot, and other forms of moisture damage. At other times, the rafter tails are left exposed. Step 1 – Carry wall underlay up the wall framing and turn out over the underside of the flying rafters/soffit framing. I am ready to start on the next phase of retrofitting the envelope.nIn this phase I have to decide how (or even whether) to get insulation in the 5 and a half inch bays above the ceiling, between the rafters/joists in this miniature, non-accessible “attic”. Remove Rotted Rafter. A soffit is the exposed under surface at any overhead component of a building such an arch, balcony, cornice, beam, cornice, lintel or vault. Find the location of the rafter tails behind the fascia board. When installing the soffit: 1. Attach Cleat. soffit. The procedure used to install soffit … The calculated Soffit Drop is the measurement from top of wall vertically down to the underside of soffit sheeting. When building a roof, in some instances I will work out the exact overhang needed for the fascia and soffit boards and add that to the rafter lengths already calculated. Soffits provide coverage and protection, shielding the eaves and rafters from weather damage. All roof rafters should be identical, so follow the same steps to measure the plumb cut, tail cut, and birdsmouth cut. Although the underside of any element of a building can be called a soffit, typically we reserve the term for the area under the eaves of a roof. For a 30’x26′ attic (780 sq. Using a double fix to every rafter ensures a secure fitting that will last for years. Some fascia and soffit products are designed with easy installation systems that make it simple to fit your boards together at the right distance. Sometimes also called soffit board, fascia is a board running horizontally under a roof edge which covers the openings between the rafters of the roof. Probe the rotted areas with a screwdriver to find the extent of the damage. Part 1 of 2: Measuring and Cutting the Fascia 1. Let moist areas dry out before proceeding. Soffit is comparable to vertical siding, and its installation entails more than the actual panels. It is commonly made in aluminum and vinyl, as well as fiber cement, wood, and steel. 4. How to Fix the Soffit and Fascia on a House. These architectural elements found along the eave area do more than just add visual interest and give a finished look to your home. These architectural elements serve to protect your home from a variety of pests. In home construction, rafters are normally made of wood. Use a tape measure to find the length of your roof. Wide eaves require additional nailing supports running from the rafter-ends/fascia board and back to the house wall. Place the fascia board level with the front of the soffit board. How to Replace Rotted Rafter Ends on a Gable Roof. 3. The final phase of building or replacing a roof is affixing the soffit and fascia to the edge of the roof. These are called lookouts. 5. Rafters are commonly spaced about 24 inches (61 cm) apart. Roof leaks will not always be apparent on the ceiling directly below the leaky spots. Straighten the rafter tails by pulling and snapping a chalk line across the ends of the tails and then trimming them as necessary. KDS444. ft.) you would need at least 5.2 sq. Your horizontal mark will be Dimension x minus 80mm to the Suggested Reference of the slot on the rafter bracket (i.e. In this example the soffit is fixed to the slope of the rafters. Soffit vents alone are not enough to provide proper attic ventilation. Then use the instructions for open eaves. The number of rafters needed will be determined by the length of your roof. In layman's term soffit is the finished surface below the fascia. If you widen existing holes, widen them toward the fascia, but no closer than 3 in. The Top Fascia to Under Soffit measurement is from top of fascia (under roof sheeting) to the bottom side of the soffit sheeting. There could be many rafters supporting a roof. Fix it onto the rafters with stainless steel nails – rafters should have two evenly spaced nails on to hold the fascia in place. Determine How Much Soffit You Will Need . Even without soffit venting, it is important to provide an air gap at the soffit level to help keep the roof deck dry. Rafter: Rafter is a sloping beam (usually wood) that supports a pitched roof. It usually ranges from 305mm to 315mm for 22.5 degree roof pitches. Sometimes the projecting portions of the rafters — the rafter tails — are cut plumb and level to be boxed in with a soffit and fascia or more ornamental trim. Check for signs of a leaky roof, which may run down the rafters and cause the soffit to remain damp. Essentially there to protect the underside of the roof edge, they can be seen on the overhang of your roof (stand under it and look up). In this example the soffit is 12 inches wide and made from center lanced U groove perforated sections of vinyl in a return fashion and fixed to a truss roofing system. 2. If you’re installing perforated soffit panels and the existing soffit doesn’t have openings for ventilation, cut an adequate number of openings. Cut a replacement piece from pressure-treated lumber. (Many builders have the soffit sit on top of the window frame.) 3. Two problems occur on aging eaves: The fascia warps slightly, and that leads to plywood under the soffit sagging or separating.