What are fascias and soffits?
 

Almost every home has fascias, soffits, barge boards and guttering, we group these products together under the category roofline. Roofline products such as fascias, soffits, barge boards and guttering are a speciality of ours. But we often find that our customers outside of the trade are unsure of the correct terminology as a result we have decided to share our expertise and put together a handy guide explaining the differences to help homeowners make more informed decisions.

Fascias:
What are they?
Fascia boards run along the roofline (where the roof meets the walls) and were traditionally made of timber, although in recent years PVC has replaced timber in most homes because it requires a lot less maintenance. The fascia board is normally fitted directly onto the end of the timber roof trusses

What do they do?
Fascias are designed to cover over and protect the end of a building’s roof trusses from the elements. They also support and carry the guttering because of the potential volume of water that can fill the gutting at any given time (especially with our infamous British weather) this means that it is vital that the fascia board is strong and sturdy enough to carry the weight of the water effectively.  

Soffits:
What are they?
The soffit runs along the underside of the fascia board and lower edge of the roof. Boxing in the underside of the roof trusses. If there’s an issue with the appearance or function of the soffit boards is often the first things homeowners notice because they tend to be more visible from the ground than other roofline products.

What do they do?
Soffits are often ventilated allowing a properties loft space to breathe, this minimises the likelihood of damp with in the loft insulation which could cause further issues. However, to avoid confusion it is worth noting that nowadays fascia boards are often ventilated as well or instead of the soffits.

Barge Boards:
What are they?
Barge boards run along the roofline of the property’s gable end. They are often plain and simple however there are more decorative barge board options available and are a prominent feature in some styles of architecture. Like fascia boards they are normally attached directly to the roof trusses.

What do they do?
Like fascia boards the main goal of barge boards is to protect the exposed roof trusses and protect the timbers from the elements, in some cases they also provide additional strength to the roof trusses by tying them together.

Guttering:
What are they?
Perhaps the most well-known roofline product guttering is comprised of gutters which run along the length of the roof and down pipes which as the name suggests run vertically down the front/back/side of the building.

What do they do?
Guttering is fitted to the fascia bards and is designed to take away the water that falls onto the properties roof protecting the home from water damage.

I think it is fair to say that roofline products can often be overlooked by homeowners until it’s too late and something goes wrong. Unlike windows and doors, roofline products don’t tend to be at eye level, so any issues may not be instantly noticeable. Also, roofline products tend to do all their work in the background and aren’t used by the homeowner everyday in the same way as windows, doors or conservatories.

To find out more about our roofline products or to book a free design visit, send us an email on info@this-home.net alternatively if you’d rather talk than type give us a call on 01842 763800