What?! My Roof Has No Soffits?!
Your first question might be: "What is a soffit?" followed by: "Who cares if my roof has soffits?".
As it pertains to most roofs, the soffit is the underside of the eaves, which is the portion of the roof which overhangs the walls of the building.
An important purpose of the soffit is that it plays a key role in the attic ventilation system.
If you have been in an attic in summer, then you know how hot it can get. A ventilation system allows for the attic to cool down so that it makes the house easier to keep cool and it prevents heat build up which could shorten the life of the shingles. In the winter, this is important because it prevents the snow and ice which form on the roof from melting and refreezing and working its way under the shingles, which can lead to leakage and lose shingles.
A noticeable part of a newer roof will be a ridge vent, which can be seen at the very peak of a section of roof. It is a vent, so hot air which builds up in the attic can escape, but at the same time it has a design with sufficient covering, which matches the roof's shingles, so that water can not get in.
However, just like a straw, when capped at one end, will not let fluid, including air, escape, an attic will have trouble letting the hot air escape through the ridge vent if it does not have another opening, which would normally be in the soffits.
If the roof does have soffits, then you should make certain that it has adequate ventilation holes.
If your roof does not have soffits, which is the case on some cape cod style homes, then you should make sure that your roofer considers installing alternatives to the soffits so that the roof can be adequately vented.
A few inches up from the bottom edge of the roof is where a roofer would typically install some mechanism which would allow for venting. It would require an opening to be cut in the substructure of the roof to allow for venting and then the mechanism, which would allow for venting through the shingles while still preventing water from entering, similar to the ridge vent.
The picture below shows how a roof may look that has an alternative venting system. Notice the bump, which is a few inches from the bottom edge of the roof. It may not be as attractive as it would be without the vent, but it could add years to the life of the roof and make your house much more efficient to cool.
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