DISCUSSING SOFFIT WITH HOMEOWNERS
Soffit helps save energy in the home, can be customized to match your client’s chosen design and can even add value to the home.
Make your next new home build or remodeling project a little bit easier by working with the best products available. Let’s review what to look for when choosing soffit.
Choosing Soffit Your Clients Will Love
Soffit comes in a number of different materials, so the options for a home’s exterior are almost endless. To help your client choose the best product for their home, it’s important to know the pros and cons of various soffit materials.
Soffit made from materials like wood and vinyl soffit are popular solutions, especially because they’re widely available and seem appealing when there’s a tight budget. But these benefits don’t necessarily outweigh some of the long-term issues and higher maintenance that come with choosing less expensive materials.
Working with materials that can withstand exposure to high moisture and harsh temperatures helps prevent damage to the home. When professionals select durable materials like aluminum soffit, they can help guarantee it will protect their client’s house from moisture damage and poor ventilation.
By preventing this kind of damage to the home, soffit can actually improve the value of your client’s home.
Wood
Wood is the more traditional choice for exterior design, but without considerable maintenance, wood soffit is prone to deterioration and requires a finish or treatment to protect it. Homeowners that want wood soffit should know that it’s not always vented, and comes with additional maintenance and repair down the line, maintenance that’s difficult, and potentially dangerous, do to the location of the soffit. Not only do you need a ladder, you also have to work at an angle. This can be especially difficult on a two-story home.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a budget-friendly option for homeowners. However, if not installed properly, it can become damaged by exposure to the elements, leading to moisture damage and mold over time as the material breaks down. If your client has a strict budget, vinyl soffit can be a good choice — just make sure it’s installed properly.
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is one of the most costly soffit types, but it’s a durable option for homeowners with a larger budget. Fiber cement will eventually require a fresh coat of paint, so it isn’t maintenance-free. But it can last for decades, making it a decent investment.
Aluminum
Soffit also comes in durable, low-maintenance metals like aluminum. Aluminum soffit products are great at preventing excessive moisture and providing proper attic ventilation. Plus, they complement any exterior design your homeowner desires.
What Clients Need to Know About Soffit Maintenance
You can help homeowners understand how important ventilated soffit is for proper ventilation in their home, and ensure they know yearly inspections and maintenance will help them address any problems with their home’s ventilation before it becomes serious.
Here are some tips to share with homeowners:
- Homeowners should inspect their roof and exterior regularly for rotted wood, holes or other damage: Anything that might leave the attic open to insects, rodents and other animals.
- The gutters and soffit vents should be free from leaves or other debris and checked before temperatures drop.
- Homeowners should also inspect their attic for moisture or mold, especially around the roofline, walls and insulation.
Homeowners may not know soffit lets air through the roof cavity (like in the image above), and, when combined with exit vents towards the top of the roof, this ventilation keeps moisture out of the attic. If these vents aren’t operating correctly, it can cause moisture to get trapped, causing costly damage to their home, including their roof.
Long-Term Solutions for Homeowners
Many homeowners want a home that they’ll live in (and love) for the long run, not something they’ll need to improve on for years to come.
Installing sleek and attractive ventilated soffit can give your clients a roof with proper ventilation when used in the right ratio. Vented soffit with ridge vents is a great place to start to help reduce energy usage and costs in the home, allowing homeowners to keep the indoor temperature comfortable without spending more on their utility bills.
And when professionals work with brands like Rollex, they can give their clients innovative, long-term solutions for soffit. Using products like Rollex’s Stealth soffit, with hidden ventilation perforations, provide the home with weather protection and an exterior design that clients won’t need to update. Plus, Rollex’s soffit products all use the same accessories, which can speed up installation and reduce the number of pieces you need to buy. All of Rollex’s soffit locks together quickly and easily, saving you time which, in turn, saves you money. And easy installation is especially important with recent labor shortages.
Building With Confidence: Materials You Can Trust
Working with the right soffit can help you give your clients a properly-ventilated, healthier and more energy-efficient home — one they’ll want to stay in for the long run. Using Rollex’s soffit means fewer call-backs, leading to more credibility for your and more money in your pocket, thanks to less time wasted on problem-fixing calls.
Plus, it’ll make you look good to your clients, who will make sure all their friends and family know what a great job you did working on their home. Make your next remodeling project or new build a smoother process by working with materials you can trust. Check out more options for soffit by visiting our site here.