Can I install wood over the white soffet on my front porch ceiling, or do I need to remove it first?
Asked by Breno da Costa 
2 months ago
Last Updated: October 22, 2024
My wife is thinking about changing the white soffet material on our front porch ceiling. Do you think I can just put wood on top of it, or do I need to take it down first?
You should really take it down, it won’t take long.
You could be okay with either option. What is up there? If you open it up, you can rearrange the electrical, install some lighting, add a Christmas light plug with a switch, or add more insulation if necessary
That sounds like a great plan!
Make sure to remove it. Otherwise, putting up new materials will be a real pain. The vinyl soffit will bend and compress, making it very difficult to align the new pieces. (New boards)
I currently don’t notice any holes in it,
What ideas do you have to improve ventilation in your roof using this soffit to increase its lifespan ?
You shouldn’t attach anything to or through this current soffit.
I thought that removing it would be the usual suggestion and I understand that it’s a quick task. My worry is that when I take it down, all the blown-in insulation will come out.
Hey Rob, it looks like baffles should have been put in during framing to keep the blown insulation from spilling out onto the soffit. In my area, code requires them to make sure the insulation is at the right depth without overflowing onto the porch or out the eaves.
Rob, there should be no insulation on the porch roof.
Junior, make sure to heal unless there is a room above it.
I was thinking about that after I made the post, but you shouldn’t use blown-in insulation.
Since you’ll need to remove the lights and electric cover anyways, why not take a peek in there and see what you’re dealing with instead of making assumptions.
A porch ceiling without insulation can really heat up, especially if the sun is directly hitting the roof and the pitch is shallow. The thin vinyl ceiling material doesn’t really block out the radiant heat well. Remember, radiant heat doesn’t just go up – it spreads in all directions. I once had a disagreement with an HVAC ‘expert’ who claimed that radiant heat only rises.
I’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s up there in the attic because I can see it from there. Looks like there’s blown-in insulation. I just found out about the baffles recently, so if they’re in place to keep everything in check, that’s awesome. I’ll go ahead and tear it down if needed.
Hey , I’m pretty sure there’s blown-in insulation over there. I live in a single-family home, so there’s no room on top. My porch is always in the shade, to the point where my white painted pylons and door trim actually get moldy, which is why I have to power wash them twice a year.
It definitely should be the first thing to take down.
You’re not causing any harm by leaving it up. But it wouldn’t be difficult to remove. It’s your house, so do what you want.
Give it a fresh coat of paint
Bring it down and spread the word. I bet there’s someone out there who would really appreciate having it. They might even help you take it down.
Just let her know that she will need to scrape, sand, and paint every 4 years – because that’s what you’ll need to do if you switch from vinyl to wood. It may look better, but it requires much more maintenance.
I have 2 obvious choices.
Choice 1.
Buy your wife a pink step ladder and pry bar.
Choice 2.
Find a new wife.
Ask your mom
Can you please try to persuade her to allow you to keep it and maybe paint it a haint blue or something? I recently had a new roof, fascia, soffits, and gutters put in. The soffits and fascia were decayed, and I’m really happy to now have the clean, maintenance-free vinyl.
I suggest not painting it or the new wood. Use tongue and groove mahogany with clear oil. Perhaps reapply every 5 to 10 years, as it is exposed to sun and rain.
Okay but you have the option to pressure wash this. It will be necessary to repaint the wood every few years.
If I had wooden soffit like you, I would definitely prefer this haha!
Has a good point…
Alternatively, you can simply decline.
I removed mine and used cedar instead.
Wow, that’s really beautiful,
Thank you,
My wife has the same idea for our house – new color all around after a crazy hail storm. She chose cedar for the garage doors, front door, and deck.
I bet that will look really fantastic.
Removing it, readjusting electrical boxes and lights to the correct depth, and then adding new material is the way to go.