That is their functional purpose.
Roof eaves windows.
A roof can come to an end in basically three ways.
Open eaves with trusses.
An open eave has a pronounced overhang often revealing projecting roof beams or brackets.
Eaves windows are 3d structural glass roof lights perfect for smaller roof lights to allow more light in or to match an existing roof line.
From left to right.
A closed eave has very little or no overhang extension beyond the siding.
An eave is the edge of the roof that overhangs the face of a wall and normally projects beyond the side of a building.
Doing so raises the eave which prevents it from conflicting with the window head height.
Un vented roof solutions to buildings with no roof overhang and which are a more distant second best approach are discussed at roof venting.
They also help to frame windows on upper stories.
Proper locations for another sketch of soffit construction and soffit ventilation details.
Remove the gutters and roof flashing if needed.
In an open eave design the roof rafters or joists and roof sheathing are visible.
Unscrew the gutters at the brackets then pull out the nails holding them in place and lower them down safely.
When designing an open eave with roof trusses make sure that you raise the heel of the truss and use a thicker top chord.
A box eave is enclosed with a soffit.
Eaves form the overhang to distribute water clear of the walls.
On buildings where the top of windows are close to the top of the building wall there may be insufficient space to construct an overhanging roof eave without blocking the windows.
Closed eaves with angled soffit closed eaves with flat soffit and no raised heel closed eaves with flat soffit and raised heel.
Closed eaves with angled soffit.
Un vented hot roof solutions.