A quick glossary
Three words get used in every quote and most homeowners have never needed them before. Fascia: the board at the edge. Soffit: the underside. Eave: the overhang itself.Knowing the words is not a requirement, but it makes the quote readable. When somebody says the channel mounts under the soffit, you now know what part of the house they are pointing at.
Why the track goes there
Permanent lighting gets installed along rooflines and eaves because that line solves several problems at once. The eave runs the full width of the house, so a run there has length to work with. It is high enough to throw light down the wall, and
https://evercrestlighting.com/about/ the overhang shelters the hardware.
The direction the light points
Where exactly the channel sits is not arbitrary. Tucked underneath, the output points down. Mounted on the fascia, it reads more as an outline against the sky. Neither is automatically better, and a designer should tell you which suits your elevation.The eave line sets the throw down the elevation, so two identical houses can read differently based on that one decision.
Deep overhangs, and houses that barely have any
Not every roof gives you the same thing to work with. Deeper is better for concealment, 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 exactly the kind of thing a site visit settles and a phone quote cannot.
Everyday use
Set to warm white, the run is exterior lighting rather than decoration. It puts a soft wash on the approach to the house, so people can see where they are going. It also keeps the house from disappearing after sunset.
Coordinating with other roof work
A lot of things live at the roof edge: the gutter, the drip edge, and the track. If a roof or a gutter replacement is coming in the next year or two, say so during the consultation. The sensible order puts the lighting last, because the alternative is removing a run that was just installed. It is a five second question that saves a real headache.
Two story houses raise a second question
A single story house presents one eave. Add a floor and there is a question to answer. The upper roofline is the line that reads from furthest away, since it sits against open air. A lower eave over a porch or a garage puts light nearer where people actually are, which is more useful and less dramatic. Running both is often the answer, though it does not have to happen in the same year.
Having your roof edge assessed
Somebody has to see the eave before the plan means anything. EverCrest Lighting installs permanent lighting along rooflines and eaves for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, working out of Greenville. Consultations are free, and the plan is built around your building. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].