The dormer creaks or draughts in wind: what does that mean?

The symptom: in strong wind you hear the dormer — a creak, a recurring tick, or a whistle along the frame. Sometimes you feel it too: an airflow at the junction that is not there in calm weather.

Why then: a dormer is a protruding element with a vertical front face, and wind puts pressure on it that the roof surface itself does not get. KNMI describes wind gusts as brief squalls of at least 50 kilometres per hour and speaks of severe gusts from 75 kilometres per hour. Such gusts come in bursts, not constantly — which is exactly why you hear a tick or a creak rather than a steady sound.

Three causes behind the same symptom. One: movement in the structure itself, where timber parts shift against each other under load — a creak that always comes from the same place and grows louder over the years deserves attention. Two: hardened joint and seam sealing; then you mostly hear whistling and feel draught, and the problem sits at the frame or the junction. Three: loosened cladding or edge finishing that lifts on a gust and drops back — that is the tick you hear at irregular moments.

What you can establish yourself: note which wind direction triggers it and whether the sound comes from the frame or the structure (put your hand on the frame during a gust — do you feel it move?). Look for draught from inside with a lighter or a slip of paper along the seams. What you do not do is lean out or step onto the roof to look: the Dutch labour authority Arboportaal states that measures against fall risk are legally required above 2.50 metres, and needed below that too where a fall risk exists. Repairing seals and junctions falls under dormer renovation (€ 1,500-6,000); if the structure itself is spent, replacement (€ 6,500-11,000) comes into view. Every guide rate is in the price index.