Sorting out the terms
Three words get used in every quote and almost nobody uses them in normal life. Fascia: the vertical face. Soffit: the underside. Eave: the whole projecting edge.You will not need this vocabulary often, but it turns up in every proposal in this trade, and quotes are hard to compare when you are not sure what is being described. So when the plan says fascia mounted, it is a location and not jargon.
What the eave gives you
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. It is elevated, so the light has somewhere to fall, and it is protected by the overhang above it.
Under the overhang or on the face
The channel can go beneath the overhang or on the vertical face, and that decision changes the effect. Mounted under the soffit, the light washes downward across the wall, which lights the building itself. On the face, the effect is a bright edge. Neither is the default, and a designer should tell you which suits your elevation.Where the channel sits changes how far the light travels down the face of the house, which is a bigger difference than most people expect.
Not every house is straightforward
Not every roof gives you the same thing to work with. Deeper is better for concealment, and can work against the wash you wanted. With little overhang, the fascia often becomes the answer. This is exactly the kind of thing a site visit settles and a phone quote cannot.
What the eave line is worth on an ordinary night
Set to warm white, it stops being a holiday product. It puts light on the walk, the drive and the front door, which makes the property easier to use and easier to find. A house with a lit edge looks like somebody lives there.
Coordinating with other roof work
A lot of things compete for that line: gutters, guards, flashing, and now a lighting channel. If a roof or a gutter replacement is anywhere on your horizon, mention it early. Doing it out of order costs a second visit. It is worth mentioning even if the roof work is only a maybe.
Two story houses raise a second question
A single story house presents one eave. Add a floor and the plan has a decision in it. The top edge carries best. A lower eave over a porch or a garage adds a second line closer to eye
https://evercrestlighting.com/permanent-lighting/ level, which does more practical work. Running both is often the answer, and it can be phased.
The next move
Somebody has to see the eave to draw a plan worth anything. EverCrest Lighting runs permanent LED lighting along rooflines and eaves for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free, and the plan is built around your building. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].