This week’s Architecture word of the week presenting letter “E”.
EAVES and also some associated terms.
The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall.
FUNCTION
Primary function of the eaves is to keep rain water fall off the walls. Also, if they are big enough they can act as canopies covering the pathways around the building, minimise footings erosion, and reduce dirt splatter during the rain.
Secondary function is to control solar penetration of a building fabric as passive solar control measure.
DESIGN
Eaves must be designed taking in account local wind speeds. Inappropriate overhang can significantly increase the wind loading on the roof.
The underside of the eaves may be open or filled with a horizontal soffit – horizontal sheet of cladding fixed at right angles to the wall forming a ceiling from the top of an exterior house wall to the outer edge of the roof. The soffit, being decorative, also has a practical function. It seals the gap between the rafters from vermin and weather.
Fascia is a vertical finishing board running the length of the eaves forming a finishing edge of the roof. Typically it is a timber board or powder coated colorbond metal sheet.
The gables eaves that extend beyond the gable end are capped off by bargeboards – the fascia of the gable end of the roof.
Contact us if you need an advice on the size, location and design of the eaves of your house and we will help you to make a right decision.
