Understanding Soffit Purpose: Ways Soffit Improves Architectural Design

An image of soffit purpose.

The soffit purpose on a home can enhance both interior and exterior architectural design. Here are five reasons to focus on this aspect of your home.

3 min read

What's one of the most important parts of your house's design? If your mind immediately goes to your siding, the interior plumbing system, the electricals of the house, or even the outside landscaping, then we can't blame you. These parts of the house often get the most attention when conducting home improvement projects because of how much we use them.

But somehow, we forget about one of the even more important parts of the house: the roof. The thing that keeps shelter over your head is often forgotten!

To maintain your roof well, you need to understand the soffit purpose. Soffit is the material that goes on the underside of your roof overhang, connecting the edge of your roof to your walls. Without soffit, you'll experience a whole host of roofing issues.

Aesthetic Design

The first purpose of soffit is simply aesthetics. Imagine looking up as you walk in through your front door and seeing bare roofing beams. It simply isn't a good look. It would make your house seem unfinished and your roof seem unprotected from the elements.

Once you have installed soffit, your roof overhanging will have a much cleaner, aesthetically-pleasing look to it.

Better Roof Ventilation

The right soffit material will allow your house to breathe better by ventilating the roof. It does this even while protecting the underside of your roof from the elements. In order to realize this benefit, remember that you have to choose to install vented soffit.

Enhanced Roof Support

Another architectural plus of soffit design is enhanced roof support. If you choose the right soffit structure, the soffit will actually help to support the roof overhanging. It will help to carry some of that dead weight, keeping the stresses from the gravitational force from warping any siding or the roof itself.

Keep out Pests

Just imagine if you kept that roof overhang bear. Anywhere that there was a crack or tiny opening in where the roof met the wall would be immediately attacked by all manner of zealous rodents earnestly trying to gain access to your home. Keeping pests out would become a veritable nightmare.

Prevent Bees' and Wasps' Nests

Last but not least, soffit can help keep bees' and wasps' nests from forming on the roof overhanging. While some soffit structures are still prone to insects building nests on them, they are nowhere near as prone as bare roof beams, which have the material and structure that such insects prefer to build their nests around.

Know the Soffit Purpose for Your Home

There you have it—now that you understand soffit purpose, it's time for you to start installing soffit in your home so that you are able to realize all of the benefits we just discussed in this article.

Installing soffit is no easy task. Be sure to take some time to check out the rest of the articles on our website. We provide handy guides for soffit installation as well as product advice to ensure that you choose the right soffit option on the market.

An image of find a roofer.

How to Find a Roofer in Your Area That You Can Trust

You shouldn't let just anyone climb onto your roof and make repairs. You need someone with the right experience. Here's how to find a roofer you can trust.
An image of how long does soffit board last.

Is Your Investment Worth It? How Long Does Soffit Board Last?

Is the investment of installing new soffit worth the cost? Keep reading below to learn how long you can expect soffit board to last.
An image of hiring painters.

Hiring Painters 101: When to Go Pro or to Say No

Do you want to paint your home but are unsure if you should be doing it yourself or hiring painters? Let this article help you make the right decision!