Soffit Lighting Ideas

Soffit lighting means small fixtures, usually recessed LED downlights, set into the underside of the roof overhang to wash light down the walls. For a polished look, space them evenly, line them up with windows, columns or the entry, keep the color warm, and put them on a timer or dusk sensor.

Why soffit lights look so good

Lights tucked into the overhang throw a soft wash down the face of the house instead of glaring at the street. They show off siding texture, stone, columns and a front door, add security around the perimeter, and make a house look finished at night.

Ideas that work

• Frame the front door. A pair of downlights on either side of the entry, or one centered over each porch column, is the simplest high-impact layout.
• Line up with windows. Place lights in the overhang between windows so each wash hits wall rather than glass.
• Light the garage. Two or three fixtures over a garage door replace a single harsh flood light.
• Graze stone or textured siding. Lights set close to the wall create dramatic shadows on stone veneer, board-and-batten or shakes.
• Highlight peaks and gables. A light under a gable overhang draws the eye up and makes a roofline read at night.
• Wrap the corners. Lights near outside corners help define the shape of the house and light side paths.
• Back deck and patio. Soffit lights over a deck give usable light without a pole fixture.

Get the light right

DarkSky's lighting principles are a good guide for any home: light should be useful (only where it's needed), targeted (shielded and aimed down), low-level (no brighter than necessary), controlled (timers or motion sensors) and warm-colored. Fixtures in DarkSky's approved program can't exceed a nominal 3000 K color temperature, which is the warm-white range that flatters most siding and brick. Bluer, higher-Kelvin bulbs tend to make a house look cold.

Plan around your soffit vents

Vented soffit is your attic's air intake. Fixtures belong in solid soffit sections or on blocking where they don't cut off airflow. If you're replacing soffit anyway, that's the perfect time to plan light locations, since panels are open and blocking can go in exactly where each fixture will sit.

Wiring and permits

Under New Jersey's construction code, replacing a light fixture with a like one is ordinary maintenance. Adding new fixtures and circuits is electrical work. The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs notes that when an electrician does the work, the municipal permit must be signed and sealed by a licensed electrical contractor, so hire one for new wiring and ask about low-voltage options.

Try it before you wire it

It's hard to picture lights at night from a daytime photo. All In Roofing's Design Studio lets you see soffit lights at dusk on a house along with roof, siding, trim and gutter colors, and we handle soffit and fascia replacement so the panels are ready for your electrician.