Spotlights for the roof: a new word in the decoration (20 photos)

Work on the construction of the roof involves not only the installation of rafters, the installation of gutters, as well as the laying of the roof covering. It is very important to correctly carry out such a construction technological operation as the hemming of the eaves of the roof in order to:

• give a finished look to the house;
• provide ventilation of the space under the roof;
• prevent blowing out of the attic of heated air with a cold wind;
• increase the energy efficiency of the building;
• to mask cables, ventilation and other communications (if any) mounted under the roof.

Protection of the attic space from penetration into it from below by cold air can be carried out by a variety of materials, for example, siding, lining. But the most suitable option is the hemming of the roof with spotlights, which today is most often used for finishing downward facing planes:

• visors;
• cornices;
• gables.

This modern material got its name from the Italian word "soffito", which in translation into Russian means "ceiling".

In a properly built house, its roof should end at a distance of about (60 ± 10) centimeters from the wall in order to protect the walls of the structure from excessive exposure to rainwater.

The roof overhangs formed in this case, topped with roofing material, are hemmed in the bottom with a lining. In this case, ventilation of the under-roof space is improved due to the occurrence of air draft coming from the lower edge of the overhang to the upper region of the roof due to the gradual heating of the air masses moving towards the ridge and then leaving through the ventilation holes.

The presence of air circulation, for example, under a gable roof provides good weathering of moisture from the space under the roof, which helps to increase the service life of the entire structure.

The installation of spotlights on the roof eaves has become an innovative technology relatively recently. However, the popularity of this building material is constantly growing. The market offers the consumer basically four varieties of these panels for finishing cornices:

• PVC (often referred to as vinyl spotlights);
• steel, usually called professional builders "metal";
• aluminum;
• copper.

Plastic spotlights for the roof

The advantages of this material:

• It is flexible;
• easy to cut;
• resists decay;
• not subject to corrosion;
• not destroyed by ultraviolet radiation;
• maintains color intensity for a long time;
• withstands temperature extremes from -50 ° C to +50 ° C;
• service life exceeds 30 years;
• ease of care: sometimes it is enough to clean its surface from dust.

The standard sizes of vinyl panels are: length - 300 cm, 305 cm and 306.6 centimeters, the width is most often found 25.8 cm and 30.5 cm, but it can be different. The product is usually sold in packages containing 16-22 pieces of panels.

The following types of vinyl models are available:

• Solid non-perforated spotlights. They usually sew up the gable overhangs, ceilings of open verandas, arbors, mainly for decorative purposes.
• Partially perforated spotlights. These panels have perforations in the center to allow ventilation of the under-roof space and to prevent mold development.
• Spotlights are completely perforated. They mainly file protruding roof details: overhangs, skates, peaks, etc. This kind of spotlights is often also used to trim a porch, arbor or porch. These spotlights provide unhindered air circulation.

In addition, depending on how many trapezoidal lifts there are on one element, plastic panels are called either two-way or three-way.

Metal soffits for the roof

When talking about spotlights of this kind, then, in fact, they mean panels made of high-quality galvanized steel coil. Their front side usually has a polymer coating of polyester, plastisol or pural. But there are also metal spotlights protected from corrosion by powder coating. Such technology improves the quality of this building material and extends its life, but similar products cost a little more.

The main advantages of the material:

• long term of operation;
• resistance to mechanical stress;
• filing overhangs of roofs with spotlights of this type provides extremely high fire safety;
• finishing the roof with metal soffits gives the roof an aesthetic, neat, finished look, protecting it from corrosion and water penetration;
• spotlights metal are universal in application, as they can be used for decoration not only outside but also inside the building;
• the material is resistant to corrosion, mold, fungus;
• it is easy to mount on the roof and easy to clean: it can be washed with plain water.

Types of metal spotlights

There are four modifications to this building material:

1. Spotlights with a smooth profile without perforation. Their use is advisable when sewing gable overhangs.
2. Spotlights partially perforated in the center. They can be installed in cases where the removal of excess moisture and ventilation of the space under the roof is required.
3. Spotlights having perforation over the entire plane of the panel. They are used to decorate the protruding roof elements: skates, overhangs, peaks, etc. They are also used in the construction of verandas or arbors, or porches.
4. Spotlights that have stiffeners. Profiles having stiffeners or a corrugated surface are particularly durable.

The width of metal spotlights can be 13.5 cm., 35.2 cm. And more. They can be made to order. The length of such spotlights can reach six meters.

Such metal panels are presented on the market in a wide assortment both in size and color, including which they can be decorated in wood of various colors, in stone or brick.

Aluminum soffits

Such products are made using durable material, the surface of which is covered with a protective primer layer. The application of this technology gives aluminum spotlights a number of useful properties:

• they perfectly protect the roof from the formation of condensate;
• not subject to corrosion and the effects of fungi and mold;
• have a long service life, sometimes exceeding the operating time of even the roof itself;
• their use is economically advantageous, since periodic restoration of roofing edges is not required;
• aluminum spotlights do not lose their properties due to sudden changes in air temperature;
• they retain their characteristics under prolonged exposure to both ultraviolet radiation and sea air.

Copper spotlights

Copper soffits give the roof a luxurious look, especially if it is also covered with copper. The fact is that if you install any elements from a different material in a copper-coated roof, then not only the integrity of the roof type will be violated, but chemical reactions between different types of components can also occur. Therefore, only copper spotlights are the best choice for a copper-coated roof.

Advantages of copper spotlights:

• particularly attractive appearance;
• copper spotlights are well combined with tile from the same material;
• possess strength, resistance to large temperature differences, as well as to fungi, mold and corrosion;
• solar radiation does not spoil the performance of copper spotlights;
• copper soffits have an exceptionally long service life.

How to hem a roof with plastic soffit yourself?

The installation procedure for vinyl spotlights is not very complicated, but it must be borne in mind that the choice of its type should also be made taking into account the general appearance of the building. Any homeowner can make the roof cornice a spotlight with his own hands, but it is important to make all the necessary calculations in advance and accurately determine the number of necessary panels and additional elements. Otherwise, if you have to buy the missing, there is a danger of acquiring materials from another batch, which may have differences in color from parts already purchased.