A soffit is an architectural feature used in construction that connects the far edge of a roof to the exterior wall of a house. It is the material beneath the eave that covers the gap between the wall and the fascia, also referred to as the eave. Soffits can also be on the underside of a porch roof, arches, stairways, and balconies. They serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose for a buildings roofing system. They protect the internal structures from the elements and add character to the buildings exterior. Soffits are also used to ventilate attic spaces, ventilate interior enclosed boxed spaces, and provide protection for an interior construction component that needs to be covered for code or aesthetic reasons. Soffits are available in a range of materials, including aluminum, vinyl, fiber cement, wood, and steel. The dimensions of an eave soffit typically depend on the structure of the roof, with wide overhangs corresponding with larger soffits and narrow overhangs having slimmer soffits.