Wood vs. Metal Soffit: How to Choose
Beloved home renovation shows make everything look so easy. In reality, when it comes to making decisions for your home, it can be a slow and stressful process, especially in the roofing industry.
There are so many materials and styles for shingles, gutters, and soffits – how are you supposed to choose?
Rescue My Roof has been educating homeowners for over a decade, empowering them to make the best decisions for their homes.
In this article, we’ll break down the difference between wood and metal soffits. In the end, you’ll better understand which material is best for your home.
What is Soffit?
Soffit is the board tucked underneath the fascia. When you look at a house from a distance, you can only see the fascia.
Moving closer, you can see under the roof’s ledge. That is where the soffit board is hidden. It will be connected to the fascia at an angle and reaches across the home’s exterior.
Soffit is the ideal place to hide intake vents necessary for your roof’s ventilation. When hot air rises to the top of your attic space and escapes through the exhaust vents, cool air is needed to replace it and maintain airflow throughout your home.
That’s why intake vents are placed near the bottom of your roof, and if you want them to be hidden for cosmetic purposes, they can be placed in the soffit.
However, because it is primarily a space for ventilation, soffits are unnecessary for most homes. Other means of ventilation are also available and don’t require soffit vents.
At your estimation appointment for a new roof, the inspector will evaluate the existing ventilation. If improvement is needed and more intake vents can be added, one of the first considerations will be adding soffit vents to your home.
Read more about roof ventilation systems.
Metal vs. Wood Soffit: Which is Best?
When choosing soffit, it’s essential to consider the best material. There are several types of soffit, but the two most popular are metal and wood.
But, each material comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s what you need to know:
Wood Soffit
Wood soffit is a popular choice among homeowners. However, it can be very high maintenance. It’s prone to rot, resulting in costly repairs and replacement.
Homeowners must scrape, treat or stain wood soffit every few years to protect it from weathering.
Additionally, wood soffit costs $35-50 per foot. Because the pricing is by foot, it will be more costly than metal soffit.
If you have a big budget and don’t mind the maintenance, wooden soffit may be the right match.
Metal Soffit
Metal soffit has many advantages: it’s low maintenance, doesn’t require painting, and only needs the occasional cleaning with a garden hose.
As the low-maintenance option, metal soffit allows you to stay inside and leisure instead of doing time-consuming maintenance.
Metal soffit is available in a wide variety of colors fit for any home design and works well with all exterior types.
Pricing for metal soffit also proves to be more cost-effective. A metal panel (eight or nine feet) is approximately $35.
If you have a low budget and want to “set it and forget it,” metal is the right choice.
How to Choose: Metal and Wood Soffit
The most significant differences in soffit materials are in the maintenance and pricing.
Wood soffit will require much more maintenance than metal, with required painting and treatments every few years.
Additionally, wood soffit comes at a higher price – $35-50 per foot vs. metal soffit at $35 per eight to nine feet.
If you have a big budget and don’t mind the maintenance, wood soffit could be for you.
On the flip side, if you want zero maintenance and crave a cost-effective option, metal soffit is for you.
Learn about soffit and fascia with “What Are Soffit and Fascia” and “Solid vs. Vented Soffit.”
Do you need roofing services in Southeastern Wisconsin? Rescue My Roof is here to help. Contact us today to get started with a free roof estimate.