Talk:Fascia (architecture)

I gotta ask...

I'm not quite clear on which part is the fascia; how can something be a vertical surface and span across something. Particularly columns, which are vertical by definition? -- Randall00 ^Talk 20:57, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

It's vertical because it is oriented at 90 degrees to the ground. The fascia spans the top of a wall or across the top of columns or the ends of rafters in a vertical orientation - ie. it is fixed to the vertical face at the top of the structure. If you look at your roof, it probably has rafters and it probably has a board attached that spans across the cut ends of the rafters, obscuring them - this is the fascia. Usually the guttering is attached to this. The photo shows a typical fascia. It's the blue metal structure immediately under the roofing sheet. SilentC 05:26, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Me too: Perhaps it could be better described as a horizontal building element with its (main) surface aligned vertically ? Ronnam (talk) 22:49, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Me three: Even the reference on the bottom of the page to the dictionary.com entry is contradicting. The dictionary.com entry reads, "any relatively broad, flat, horizontal surface, as the outer edge of a cornice, a stringcourse, etc. any of a number of horizontal bands, usually three in number, each projecting beyond the one below to form the architrave in the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders."74.92.147.125 (talk) 13:24, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

It's a confusing concept to visualize from a word description. The fascia is typically made from long wood boards, though the example here shows the fascia as a long roll of metal, perhaps covering the boards. The long cut ends of the board are oriented vertically to the ends of the rafters - a rafter cap, if you will, perpendicular to the ground. The long run of the board forms a horizontal band immediately under the roofing that looks like trimming. Gutters, holiday lights, and buntings are generally mounted to the fascia. Like most things in architecture, it's much easier to "get" if someone can point to a fascia and tell you, "That's it there." B^)

Functionally, in modern architecture, though a handy place to tack up festive lights, it's actual purpose is multiple: it closes the gaps between rafters from weather, debris, and critters; it provides for insulation protection when a roof is insulated; it provides a point of attachment for the soffit; and it can creates or holds a "drip edge" that encourages water to drop off rather than seep up into the roof or soffit by means of capillary action. Wordreader (talk) 19:24, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Me four: I came to this page to try to understand the difference between soffit and fascia but got confused because they are both described as horizontal. The sentence "The finished surface below the fascia and rafters is called the soffit or eave" caused me to envision the underside of the overhang in two layers: the soffit and fascia. After some googling I now understand. Perhaps something like "The face or plane of the fascia is perpendicular to the face of the soffit and ground. Also the sentence "A soffit is also often installed between the ceiling and the top of wall cabinets in a kitchen, set at a 90 degree angle to the horizontal soffit which projects out from the wall." is confusing. Not sure what it means by "soffit . . . often installed . . . at a 90 degree angle to the horizontal soffit . . .Danred99 (talk) 21:48, 31 August 2011 (UTC)

Me five: "Horizontal" is clearly and unambiguously wrong and "vertical" would be correct. The surface of the fascia is not a horizontal surface, it is a vertical surface. A floor and a ceiling are horizontal surfaces and walls are vertical surfaces always. If a long corridor has a wall which is 3 m high and 30 m long it is still a vertical wall even though the horizontal dimension is much longer than the vertical dimension. The article is little more than a dictionary definition and needs expansion. GS3 (talk) 13:38, 28 October 2011 (UTC)

Looks like the term is also used for a piece of wood that can be used to cover the front of the top and side pieces and the shelves of a bookshelf: p. 143 in Trim Carpentry & Built-Ins By Clayton DeKorne (you can see some pages in this book on Amazon.com or at Google Books, then search for "fascia"). I have no idea how general that usage is. Mcswell (talk) 13:35, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Needs better picture to make clear what is the fascia

The photograph used is not helpful. It does not identify which part is the fascia, for people who don't know. A better photo or diagram would have the fascia painted in a different color, and identified as such by color. Likewise, for the article on soffits. Benefac (talk) 05:35, 1 September 2012 (UTC)

Me six - bargeboard vs fascia - merge?

For such a short article, it is truly confusing. Also, how does a bargeboard differ from a fascia? If the terms don't materially differ, then merge the articles. Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 17:01, 24 March 2015 (UTC)