A quick glossary
The roof edge has parts with names, and the names are worth two minutes. The fascia is the flat board facing you at the edge of the roof. The soffit is the underside, the panel you see when you stand under the overhang and
https://stephenymrx827.iamarrows.com/permanent-outdoor-lighting-how-it-works-and-what-it-costs-you-in-effort-thinking-about-permanent-outdoor-lighting-here-is-how-it-works look up. The eave is the part of the roof that hangs out past the house.Knowing the words will not be on a test, but it makes the quote readable. When somebody says the run follows the fascia, you know exactly what they mean.
The reason for that spot
Permanent lighting gets installed along rooflines and eaves for reasons that are mostly practical. The eave runs the full width of the house, which gives the light something to trace. Height gives you reach down the facade, and the overhang gives the hardware cover from the worst of the weather.
Under the overhang versus on the fascia
Where exactly the channel sits is not arbitrary. Mounted under the soffit, the light washes downward across the wall, which lights the building itself. Mounted on the fascia, the run itself is what you see from the street. Which one is right depends on the house and on what you want it to do.The eave line also determines how far down the wall the light reaches, which is why the same house can look very different depending on where the channel ended up.
Deep overhangs, and houses that barely have any
Not every roof gives you the same thing to work with. Deeper is good for protection, and can work against the wash you wanted. A shallow one leaves less to hide behind and changes where the channel has to sit. This is why designs get drawn at the house rather than from a satellite image.
Everyday use
Set to warm white, the run is exterior lighting rather than decoration. The practical version is finding your keys at the door, which is not a small thing in February. It also keeps the house from disappearing after sunset.
Gutters, roofs and the order of operations
A lot of things compete for that line: the gutter, the drip edge, and the track. Any planned roof work belongs in the first conversation. Doing it backwards costs a second visit. It is worth mentioning even if the roof work is only a maybe.
Upper runs
A single story house presents one eave. A two story has more than one option. The upper roofline is the line that reads from furthest away, because it is highest and has the most sky behind it. The lower run lights the approach. Running both is common, though it does not have to happen in the same year.
Getting a plan
The mounting decision comes out of standing under your own overhang and looking up. EverCrest Lighting installs permanent lighting along rooflines and eaves for residential and commercial properties in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free, and the design is drawn for your house. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].