Fascia vs. Cornice — What's the Difference?

Often requires maintenance or replacement due to exposure.

Enhances the building's aesthetic.

Supports the lower edge of the bottom row of tiles.

Serves as a cap for a wall or pilaster.

Holds the gutter in place.

Architectural feature that can be functional or purely decorative.

A vertical finishing edge connected to the rafters.

The uppermost section of moldings along the top of a building.

The board attached at the points where the roof meets the outer walls.

Often reflects the architectural style of the period.

A fascia (; plural fasciae ; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. Fascia is classified by layer, as superficial fascia, deep fascia, and visceral or parietal fascia, or by its function and anatomical location.

In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element – the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the top edge of a pedestal or along the top of an interior wall. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown, as in crown moulding atop an interior wall or above kitchen cabinets or a bookcase.

A detachable covering for the front part of a mobile phone.

A horizontal molded projection that crowns or completes a building or wall.

A board or other flat piece of material covering the ends of rafters or other fittings

The uppermost part of an entablature.

The dashboard of a motor vehicle

A strip of molding that runs along the upper part of a wall just below the ceiling.

A thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ

An ornamental horizontal molding or frame used to conceal rods, picture hooks, or other devices.

A sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other soft structures of the body.

An overhanging mass of windblown snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain.

The tissue of which such a sheet or band is composed.

To supply, decorate, or finish with or as if with a cornice.

(Biology) A broad and distinct band of color.

(architectural element) A horizontal architectural element of a building, projecting forward from the main walls, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the building's walls.

A flat horizontal band or member between moldings, especially in a classical entablature.

A decorative element applied at the topmost part of the wall of a room, as with a crown molding.

(fāshə) pl. fas·cias A board covering the ends of rafters on the eaves of a building. Also called fascia board.

A decorative element at the topmost portion of certain pieces of furniture, as with a highboy.

The shape or styling of the front or rear end of an automobile.

An overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain and along the sides of gullies.

Chiefly British The dashboard of a motor vehicle.

(transitive) To furnish or decorate with a cornice.

(architectural element) A wide band of material covering the ends of roof rafters, sometimes supporting a gutter in steep-slope roofing, but typically it is a border or trim in low-slope roofing.

Any horizontal, molded or otherwise decorated projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is affixed; as, the cornice of an order, pedestal, door, window, or house.

A face or front cover of an appliance, especially of a mobile phone.

A decorative framework to conceal curtain fixtures at the top of a window casing

(UK) A dashboard.

A molding at the corner between the ceiling and the top of a wall

(architectural element) A flat band or broad fillet; especially, one of the three bands that make up the architrave, in the Ionic order.

The topmost projecting part of an entablature

A broad well-defined band of color.

Furnish with a cornice

A band, sash, or fillet; especially, in surgery, a bandage or roller.

A sash worn by certain members of the Catholic and Anglican churches.

(anatomy) The layer of loose tissue, often containing fat, immediately beneath the skin; the stronger layer of connective tissue covering and investing muscles and organs; an aponeurosis.

The signboard above a shop or other location open to the public.

A band, sash, or fillet; especially, in surgery, a bandage or roller.

A flat member of an order or building, like a flat band or broad fillet; especially, one of the three bands which make up the architrave, in the Ionic order. See Illust. of Column.

The layer of loose tissue, often containing fat, immediately beneath the skin; the stronger layer of connective tissue covering and investing all muscles; an aponeurosis.

A broad well-defined band of color.

A sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue separating or binding together muscles and organs etc

Fascia protects the wooden board against water damage and supports the gutter system.

Fascias are usually made from wood, vinyl, or aluminum due to their durability and resistance to weather.

The fascia is a vertical board that is attached to the ends of the rafters at the edge of a roof, primarily used to hold the gutter system.

No, cornices are primarily decorative and not structurally necessary for all buildings.

Wooden fascias require regular painting or sealing to protect against moisture and decay.

A cornice is the uppermost decorative molding that caps a building, often elaborately designed to accentuate the top edge.

Yes, more durable materials like stone or metal can extend the lifespan of a cornice compared to plaster or wood.

Yes, cornices are also used in interiors to crown cabinets or furniture, adding a decorative touch.

Fascia is a vertical finishing edge, while soffit is the exposed surface beneath the overhanging section of a roof eave.

Cornices are prominent in classical, Victorian, Georgian, and many other architectural styles, each with distinctive designs.