Emergencies
Why Your Roof Only Leaks in Wind-Driven Rain
Updated · Sabine Crest editorial
Common entry points
- Ridge vents and box vents facing the wind
- Step flashing at walls and dormers
- Lifted or unsealed shingle tabs
- Gaps where roof meets siding
- Skylight curbs
How roofers find it
By noting which storms cause the leak, checking the windward slopes, and sometimes water-testing sections with a hose while someone watches from the attic.
Fixes that work
Replacing vents with baffled, wind-rated models, correctly lapped flashing, and hand-sealing shingles along exposed edges. See roof flashing repair.
Fixes that actually work
Wind-driven leaks are usually solved at the edges and joints: resealing or replacing step and counter flashing, adding kickout flashing where a roof edge meets a wall, correcting drip edge, and replacing lifted or creased shingles with correctly nailed ones. On older roofs where the shingle seal strips have failed across a whole slope, replacement may be more reliable than patching.
Why Your Roof Only Leaks in Wind-Driven Rain: follow-up questions
Why does my ceiling only get wet during tropical storms?
Strong wind pushes rain sideways and uphill under shingles and flashing that shed normal rain fine. The weak spot is usually at a wall, chimney, vent or roof edge.
Can gutters cause wind-driven leaks?
Clogged gutters can back water up under the roof edge, especially with wind. Clean gutters and proper drip edge help.
Every home differs; editorial standards.