Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Fascia/Fascia board

Horizontal piece (such as a board) covering the joint between the top of a wall and the projecting eaves.

Long, straight board that runs along the lower edge of the roof. The fascia is fixed directly to the lower ends of the roof trusses and usually does all the work of supporting the lower edge of the bottom row of tiles.

Typically a soffit is used in the area beneath the eaves on the exterior of a house to close the space beneath the eave. The soffit extends from the side of the structure to the edge of the eave. Fascia is used to create a barrier between the edge of the roof and the outside.

Architectural term for a vertical frieze or band under a roof edge, or which forms the outer surface of a cornice, visible to an observer.

The most commonly used materials for fascia are wood, plastic and aluminum.

A fascia board is technically part of the roof system of your house, but from the ground, it looks like part of the wall. Its purpose is to cover the ends of the roof rafters, and because that's where water drains off the roof, the gutters are often attached to it. The fascia board has to be resistant to moisture and rot, or it won't last long. A number of materials fit the bill.

Cedar is a popular fascia wood and redwood is another. That's because both species resist rot and moisture very well, even when unpainted. If you prime and paint the fascia, you can also make them out of fir, spruce or pine, which are all less expensive. You construct fascia boards out of 1-inch lumber.  .
-    Chris Deziel, What Type of Material to Use for Fascia Board?  (online April 2020)


Examples from Buffalo:

Examples outside of Buffalo:


Photos and their arrangement © 2019  Chuck LaChiusa
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