Porkchop trim at eaves (roof)
Mill_house
| Posted in General Questions on
Hello, I’m having the eaves on my cape cod house extended. The rafters are boxed in (notched into the top of the wall plate) so it doesn’t allow the installer to nail an extension to each rafter. So instead he is installing Dummy Rafter Tails (the rafter tails are individual blocks attached to a ledger board, and the overhang is put on in one piece).
My question is around the fact that the gable ends and the non-gable ends meet in such a way or angle that a porkchop is necessary. Why is this happening? And is there a way to design it so that the fascia thickness is the same all around?
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Replies
Here is an article that shows you all the different eave options available to you. https://www.builderonline.com/design/alternatives-to-the-pork-chop-eave-return_o
Yes thanks. I’m aware of the different types. I’m still hoping for answers to my questions. Hoping someone can help.
Mill House,
I took Yupster's reply as saying that if there are alternatives, pork-chop eaves must not be inevitable. What it is about the way your roof was framed that made them necessary, or whether they are necessary on your project is just guesswork on our part without more information.
The job is just being started. It's not a fait accompli. So I think we can still make adjustments.
The horizontal piece of wood at the top of the wall, just beneath the rafters, is 2x6 fir. I believe the gable ends are also 2x6 fir. The dummy rafter tails for the non-gable ends follow the 10/12 roof slope and create a 14" overhang.
For some reason the guy ended the dummy rafter tail with a 7" wide board. I remarked that the eavestrough that would be attached to it is only 4" top to bottom max. Meaning 3" of 7" fascia board would be visible below the eavestrough. He said he could adjust the piece so it's only 5" deep. Ok. Great.
The problem is with the gable sides and how they connect to the non-gable sides resulting in the porkchop. I am not able to provide a depth measurement for the gable at this time. Although I do think it should be the same (2x6). I could measure it and let you know.
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Mill House,
I'm still not sure I understand, but will take a stab at it. Let's call the horizontal piece of lumber that the eavestrough attaches to the fascia, and the sloped one on your gables a bargeboard. (just for clarity. I don't think many people use the term anymore).
As long as the two are the same depth, the bargeboard should cover the fascia and most of the eavestrough, as long as you are sloping your soffits. If you aren't sloping the soffits, you can end them flush with the gable wall and avoid having a pork-chop that way.
I don't use finished fascias, but rather specify a 5" pre-finished aluminum fascia-gutter that performs both functions, and is attached to a 2"x4" rough fascia. A finished fascia, especially one that only protrudes an inch or so below the gutters, is just one more thing to maintain.
Hope this helps, or at least we are getting closer.
Malcolm. I have a question for you about ice and water shield and drip edge. How do these items get installed - ie what order? I've seen various articles - some say drip edge first then ice and water; some say drip edge first on the rake portion, ice and water, then drip edge last on the gable side; some say ice and water wrapped around the fascia board. How is one to know what to do?
Mill House,
I think that the reason there has been an ongoing debate around this for decades is that it doesn't make a hill of beans worth of difference. My own preference would be to install all the drip-edge first, then the I&WS.