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Eaves  What are eaves? Eaves are the section of roof that overhangs the wall. Shown best in the image to the right, the eaves overhang past the wall line, creating a shaded area on the wall depending on the time of day. Eaves are designed for this reason, to keep the wall temperature down during the hot months. In summer, during the middle of the day the sun is at it's hottest, but is also at it's highest point. With eaves on your home the sun will not touch your walls till later in the day, allowing them to stay as cool as possible. Eaves also create a slight rain cover, depending on the direction of the rain. You can have your windows slighly open and not get rain comming through into the room. Houses with no eaves There are more and more houses being built without eaves every day. Why is this you may ask? One reason is the price. Having eaves adds a little extra to the cost of the roof due to the extra materials needed and the labour to install everything.  As you can see by this image, there are no eaves, and the sun is shining directly onto the walls and windows. The shadow normally cast by the eaves is very small, and not protecting anything. Another reason for having no eaves is the design look of the house. Having no eaves creates a bolder look and shows off the walls more.
Which design is for you? The decision of whether to have eaves or no eaves comes down to what you want your home to look like. Having eaves will give you the protection from the sun and rain and will cost a little more, and having no eaves will create a bolder look, showing off the walls and entire design more. The decision to have one or the other will not effect anything else, as all other aspects of your home will remain the same.
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