Soffit is a service offered by Arcamm Roofing, Insulation & Eavestrough within Toronto and surrounding areas.
A soffit, technically, includes the underside of any building element. The term comes from the Latin suffigere, which means “to fix underneath.” Therefore, there are soffits upon stairs, ceilings, and cornices. However, the most common kind is located in the area underneath the eaves on the outside of a house. The soffit will extend from the side of the property to the corner of the eave and will close the space under the eave.
The dimensions of the eave soffit depend upon a roof’s structure. A roof that has a wide overhang has a correspondingly wide soffit, occasionally up to 3’ wide. A roof that has very little overhang is going to have a narrow underside, occasionally as little as 3”.
The soffit will be more vulnerable to weather damage than any additional portion of a home. Wet material rots, as well as the underside may be soaked repeatedly by water from torn shingles, rusted or damaged flashing, poorly functioning gutters, or ice dams. Birds and squirrels also can damage a soffit, as they enjoy nesting inside the area in the space behind it if they’re able to locate an entry point. Wasps, hornets, and bees don’t really cause damage, yet as they construct a nest in this region, they’ll present an issue for the homeowners.
An overheated or unventilated attic may be improved with soffit vents and ridge vents. Because heat will rise, the hottest air will be exhausted through the ridge vents then cooler air will be pulled in through the soffit vents. If the air circulation is bad, an attic fan may be utilized to boost air movement.