A quick glossary
Three words get used in every quote and most homeowners have never needed them before. Fascia: the vertical face. Soffit: the underside. Eave: the overhang itself.You will not need this vocabulary often, but it turns up in every proposal in this trade, and quotes are hard to compare when you are not sure what is being described. When somebody says the channel mounts under the soffit, you now know what part of the house they are pointing at.
Why the track mounts at that line
The mounting line was not chosen for looks alone, it is where several requirements meet. The eave runs the full width of the house, so a run there has length to work with. It is elevated, so the light has somewhere to fall, and the overhang shelters the hardware.
The direction the light points
The channel can go beneath the overhang or on the vertical face, and the choice changes what the light does. Tucked underneath, the output points down. On the face, the effect is a bright edge. Neither is the default, and a designer should tell you which suits your elevation.The eave line sets the throw down the elevation, so two identical houses can read differently based on that one decision.
When the eave complicates things
Overhang depth is not standard, and it affects what is possible. Deeper is better for concealment, and can work against the wash you wanted. A shallow one leaves less to hide behind and changes where the channel has to sit. None of it is knowable from the street view online.
What the eave line is worth on an ordinary night
A lit eave line does real work on a normal evening. The practical version is being able to see the steps, which is not a small thing in February. It also keeps the house from disappearing after sunset.
A practical scheduling note
The eave line is shared real estate. Any planned roof work belongs in the first conversation. Doing it backwards means paying twice for the same work. It is a five second question that saves a real headache.
What happens above the first floor
A single story house has one line to consider. A two story has more than one option. The upper roofline is the line that reads from furthest away, because it is highest and has the most sky behind it. A lower eave over a porch or a garage puts light nearer where people actually are, which does more practical
https://jsbin.com/hiyefadame work. Running both is often the answer, though it does not have to happen in the same year.
Getting a plan
Somebody needs to look at the actual roof edge to draw a plan worth anything. EverCrest Lighting installs permanent lighting along rooflines and eaves for residential and commercial properties across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free, and the design is drawn for your house. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].