What is this called?

[Alan Gage]

I've searched for it on Google but with no luck so I'm asking here.

I'm thinking of the overhang on a gable wall that is at roughly the level of the top plate of the first floor. It provides shade and protection for the first floor windows and extends the length of the gable wall, tying in with the main roof. It's not built on all houses but is somewhat common around here at least.

Can anyone put a name to it?

Still flip flopping between a gable and hip roof on my build and if I do a gable I'd like of these...so it would be nice to find out something on framing them.

Alan

[archimedes]

Is soffit the word you're looking for?

[Alan Gage]

Not the soffit.

This thing:



There's one over the 1st story window in this one too:



Alan

[PEG688]

  A  eave or eyebrow eave.    Although with the latter you'll get a mix of arched topped windows that are on roofs.   

[glenn kangiser]

Leave it to good ol' PEG to know the answer to that... Thx PEG.

Obviously I didn't know... I'm a steel guy... [ouch]

[rwanders]

I believe that is usually called a "pediment". A common architectural device in use at least as far back as ancient Greece and Rome.

[Alan Gage]

Thanks. Still having trouble coming up with any pictures/advice searching for pediment, eyebrow, or eave. I get lots of images of people named Eave with really ugly eyebrows though. "Pediment" gets be close but most of them are for fancy details just over a single door or window rather than an overhang the full width of the house.

Maybe there just isn't a real name for it?

Alan

[rwanders]

Pediments come big & small----you can see big ones on many public buildings and also ones over many individual windows or doors---see White House for small and Supreme Court for large. In fifties they were often added to smaller houses to dress them up a little----not usually structural as in weight bearing unless bldg is more massive masonry structure. Big public ones often have statuary or other decorations in triangle spaces. Also often seen resting on columns as in Greek Revival mansions which were common in antibellum south.  Architectural sources will detail use over the centuries----framing is basically an enhanced and enlarged fly rafter design and usually does not add any structural factors.

[PEG688]

  Nail a ledger on the wall , toe nail the short rafters to it , add the lower "look out" again back to a lower ledger , sheath , roof , don't walk on it.

  You could make a jig and gusset the "rafter and soffit lookout " together then toe nail them up as a unit.

  You could even make the triangle out of 1 1/8 Ply and nail those up to the ledgers.

They're simple enough to look at but sort of a PITA to get straight , as they just sort of hang off the wall , so any humps in the wall , bulges in the wall sheathing , small miss cuts of part , all of the above . Tend to magnify the issues.

  They are not very strong and although from the ground you'd think you could walk around the house on them , you seldom can . They generally only stick out 24" to 30"   , so you so up right walking on one is pretty shaky.

I agree a pediment generally would be a roof-let or ornate structure over a door or window , not a continuous or continuing eave like you're looking for.

So not hard to build , but hard build straight, level, &  true,  ya a bit.   

[Alan Gage]

Thanks Peg. Great info!

Alan