Architectural Detail

[Brian_Weekley]

There's a nice architectural detail I've seen on many old houses and barns.  It's where the soffit and trim wrap around the corner under the roof and terminates on the gable end of the building.  It also has a small sloped top to shed water.  You can see an example in the picture below.  This detail seems to be more prevalent in New England and I've seen many examples of it on barns and houses in Maine.  Personally, I think it's a very nice element that you don't often see on "new" houses today.  I'd love to see some details on how this is typically framed and trimmed.  I've searched high and low, but can't seem to find any information about this architectural detail anywhere.  Have any of you incorporated this element on your TF barns or houses?  Does anyone know what this feature is actually called?

Thanks, Brian

[Jim_Rogers]

I think it's called a "return" or a "roof return" but there maybe other names for it.

I can check on another forum of designers and cad users and see what they call it.

Sometimes there are things like that that are called different names based on the location in the country.

Jim Rogers

[Jim_Rogers]

In my other drawing program, it is called a roof return.

And you can specify if you want it to have a "boxed eave" which means the bottom is flat or level.
Also, you can tell it whether or not to have a gable end or a hip end.
So I guess there are lots of variations of this detail.

Jim Rogers

[lynches lumber]

The returns do look good. You usually only see them on old homes here in the south. Over the years of building houses Ive only put them on one new house, but have replaced them on many old homes. If they are not properly flashed and sealed they can cause problems

[Brian_Weekley]

For some reason, I thought it was called a "Soffit Return" which is why I couldn't find it.  Jim, that's just the info I was looking for.  And if I end up adding something like this, I'll be sure to flash it correctly.  Thanks, guys.

[VictorH]

The slang term roofers around here use for it is "eyebrow"  Not sure how that got started but I've heard at least two roofers that I work with in my gutter business refer to them as such.

[Rooster]

So, if it was on a Mc Mansion, would it be called a "High brow eyebrow"? ;)

[VictorH]

 :D :D :D

Victor

[Brad_bb]

That was Baaaad Rooster.

But seriously I'd like to see a youtube of how they are assembled/made- for consideration on my future house.

[blackfoot griz]

 

 

There are eyebrows in rural Montana as well.  This is my old house that I sold a few months ago.  Not a highbrow though...

[timberwrestler]

Check out 'Traditional Construction Patterns' by Mouzon.  It has some excellent and important details on eave returns.  On a traditional house, the pitch of the return cap should be much lower.  I've done a few of them.  The modern version of an eave return is called a pork chop, which is a cheap and pretty ugly way of not knowing how to do eave returns.