How to Cut 2x4s for a New Soffit

Soffits are the flat, horizontal underside surfaces of buildings, commonly found underneath a roof overhang or the bottom edge of a drop ceiling. Soffits can be installed for decorative purposes, but often they are used to conceal ducts or pipes in your home that extend beneath the ceiling, or to protect the roof rafters where they extend past the exterior walls of your home. When constructing a soffit, 2-by-4 boards are often used. Cutting the 2-by-4s is a basic do-it-yourself task.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Crosscut saw
• Circular saw
• Safety goggles

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure the length of the wall where you're building the soffit.

   • 2

     Mark the length of the soffit onto the 2-by-4 by measuring the length and drawing a straight line across the board. If a single board is too short, subtract the length of that board from the length of the soffit, and mark that length onto a second board.

   • 3

     Saw the board along the line, using a crosscut saw or a circular saw. Wear safety goggles when sawing the wood.