 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Soffit" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Asoffit is an exterior architectural feature, generally the horizontal, aloft underside of the roof edge. Its archetypal form, sometimes incorporating or implying the projection ofrafters ortrusses over the exterior of supporting walls, is the underside ofeaves (to connect a supporting wall to projecting edge(s) of theroof). The vertical band at the edge of the roof is called afascia. A soffit of anarch is frequently called anintrados.
The termsoffit is fromItalian:soffitto, formed as a ceiling; and directly fromsuffictus forsuffixus,Latin:suffigere, to fix underneath).
Inarchitecture, soffit is the underside (but not base) of any construction element.
Examples include:
| Description | More precise synonym |
|---|---|
| undersurface or under-face of anyoverhanging section of a roofeave | |
| underside of acornice | |
| underside of a flight of stairs, under the classicalentablature | |
| framework-filled area beneath kink of a chimney | undercroft ofchimney |
| wall into which loudspeakers are mounted in a recording studio | wall with speaker recesses |
| curvature of e.g. plasterwork to fill the space above the kitchen cabinets, at the corner of the ceiling and wall | coving (interior design) |
| underside of office ceiling of tiles (often gypsum) suspended, fastened or bonded to a grid system attached to the walls and/or ceiling | false/suspended ceiling (tiles/grid) ordropped ceiling |
| underside of anarch orarchitrave (whether supported by piers orcolumns) | underarches |
| lower (usually false) ceiling area to mask and allow egress of upper end of ventilation hood(s)/flues[1] | false ceiling/lower ceiling beneath (multi-light/surround) lantern/raised skylight/dome/sloped upper ceiling |
In foremost usesoffit is the first definition in the table above. In spatial analysis, it is one of the two necessary planes of any (3-dimensional) optionally built area,eaves, which projects, for such area to be within the building's space.
In two-dimensional face analysis it is a discrete face almost always parallel with the ground that bridges the gap(s) between a building'ssiding (walls) and either: their parallel extraneous plane (fascia) where such exists; or where no such plane, a point along (or the abrupt end of) the roof's outer projection (overhang). Soffits and fascias are archetypally screwed or nailed to rafters known aslookout rafters orlookouts for short, their repair being often undertaken simultaneously. A parapet wall or cornice tend to preclude eaves, as an alternate design, both favouring flat roofs and weather-proof walls. Very pronounced overhangs (eaves) are characteristic to European architecture to shield the walls from rain, sleet and snow such asSwiss chalet style,Dutch,Romanian, andTudor architecture.
Soffit exposure profile (from wall tofascia) on a building's exterior can vary from a few centimetres (2–3 inches) to 3 feet or more, depending on construction. It can be non-ventilated or ventilated, to prevent condensation. A grill that covers the venting opening on the bottom of the soffit is called asoffit vent. Asoffit joist can be added to the framework instead of or in addition to lookouts.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Soffit".Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.| Roof shapes |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Roof elements | ||
