Soffit suggestions for open beam A-frame house

[dsell]

Hi,
Newbie here and I need advice on replacing the soffit material on my house.  The old material is some type of fiber board that is sagging due to moisture. Two quotes are Smartside OSB and Charter Oak vinyl.  I think the Smartside would look the best with the cedar texture but it would have caulk in the expansion joints / edges, and need painted.  What are your opinions and is there another material to consider?   The material is inside and outside the house, so the difference will be obvious looking out.





 

[hedgerow]

My opinion is always I don't want to paint all the time. Around here a lot of vinyl and metal is used on soffit. I even used metal soffit on my old 110 year old barn when I put pole barn steel on it for siding. I didn't want to have to get up their and paint. You can always use something else inside. 

[dsell]

My opinion is always I don't want to paint all the time. Around here a lot of vinyl and metal is used on soffit. I even used metal soffit on my old 110 year old barn when I put pole barn steel on it for siding. I didn't want to have to get up their and paint. You can always use something else inside.

Are you referring to aluminum?  Would it have more of a tendency to sag on these wide runs?  Also, should any considerations be made for condensation of different materials?  The current fiber board has tar paper above it and then two layers of sheathing.

[hedgerow]

It is aluminum and it has holes in it for ventilation. We used the same product without the holes on a porch ceiling that is ten feet wide and never had a problem with it sagging. What we used didn't come from a big box store it came from a siding wholesale company. There are different grades of siding and trim products. 

[fishfighter]

Is there any dead space in between the soffit and roof? Down here in the south, vinyl is used a lot. Have it on my house that was built 20+ years ago. Easy to clean when you need to.

I was going to use Hardi board on my guest house build, but I am second guessing of going with vinyl soffit. I don't like to paint at all. 

[dsell]

No dead space.  Whatever I chose will be fastened directly to the sheathing.  On top of the beams is the fiber board, tar paper,  2 layers of sheathing, shingles, 2x4's laying flat with styrofoam between, another layer of sheathing, tar paper, and finally shingles that you see.

[fishfighter]

For vinyl, you would have to nail up some 1x4 stripping's 16" OC to nail up the vinyl.

[Don P]

Things that might factor in, what is the wildfire risk, is this a high wind area?

[dsell]

Certainly Kansas wind, no fire threat.  I believe that's the reason the fiber board failed.  We seldom get moisture without high wind.

[dsell]

For vinyl, you would have to nail up some 1x4 stripping's 16" OC to nail up the vinyl.

I'm not sure I understand.  There are two layers of sheathing to nail or screw the vinyl too.  This house has two roofs so even if the screws went through the sheathing, they won't go through the shingles you see.  I believe there will not be nails sticking through the two layers of sheathing that would inhibit placing the soffit directly against it, but I may get surprised.  If so, then I agree I will need strapping.  The drawback to the smartside, it would be thinner than the existing product.  The charter oak vinyl would actually be thicker.  Point is, the smartside wouldn't cover the fiber board left in between the beam and sheathing.  There again, strapping might be a better way to go.