Small things gone unnoticed or unrepaired can lead to big problems once the weather turns cold, wet and windy. Here are ways to avoid major damage.

We asked the experts to identify the easily overlooked issues that, when left unaddressed, cause major headaches once Old Man Winter rambles down the block. Here are their tips:

Don’t let the small stuff go
The first thing you want to do this weekend is slowly walk around the outside of your home, keeping an eye out for anything amiss. You’re looking for anything as simple as storm windows that haven’t yet been put in place, to shrubs that have been allowed to grow in front of south-facing windows, which will block out much-welcome sunlight during the winter. But you’re also looking for small damage that needs repair. Even a few missing or loose roof shingles severely compromised the integrity of the whole house when winds reached high speeds. Researchers have seen shingles and tiles dislodge at winds up to 80 mph — bad workmanship isn’t evident prior to the simulated storm. And even a few shingles ripped away during a heavy storm can lead to serious water damage.

Repair leaks
Time was, if you had some moisture weeping or water leaking around a window, the wood framing and sheathing around it could take some yearly winter-time wetting and, combined with summer-time drying, survive it. But today’s lesser-quality buildings don’t ventilate nearly as well. Since things are built more air-and weather-tight, there isn’t that same drying that used to occur during the summer months. Translation: Once water gets in through a gap around a window or door, for example, that water doesn’t leave. It just wreaks havoc. How bad can it get? A homeowner not long ago who took good care of his home — it was repainted, the balcony deck waterproofed. But there was a window that wasn’t properly flashed and sealed, and water had gotten inside. They had no idea that water was migrating inside, causing relatively major structural degradation and decay. As a result, one whole end of the deck and a wall will have to be dismantled and completely rebuilt with new wood and sheathing. We’ve seen these incidences cost $20,000+ in roof repairs and wall-repair work cost $10,000+ on single-family houses. Also, look closely at the wall siding. You’re looking for places that wind can drive the precipitation into the wall and where that moisture can migrate down into the wall cavity, but also where water droplets can be drawn back into the adjacent balcony, deck, roof or wall. Make sure that everything is properly flashed and sealed, and that the flashings are intact with overlaps sealed so that during wind-driven rain, water can’t migrate into the wall cavity. Leaks aren’t always where they appear, either. Evidence of one sometimes pops up 20+ feet from the actual leak. If you suspect a leak, and can do the following test safely, train a garden hose on the suspected hole and see where water emerges. For covering the openings, a durable flashing like those made by Grace Construction Products — elasticized membranes that will “heal” around staples or nails and make a tight, waterproof seal.

Hit the roof
The roof is a major point of vulnerability for a home. During your inspection, or when you’re on a ladder cleaning your gutters, take a close look around.

Pay particular attention to the following:

Break the dam
Ice dams form when snow melts off a warmer rooftop, then freezes again when it reaches the colder eaves. The resulting mass of ice blocks the gutters and downspouts. Water that comes later can’t drain, so it runs under shingles and enters the walls of a home and can cause serious damage before you ever notice. If you’ve got electrified de-icing cables on your eaves check to make sure they’re working. You should be able to switch them on and they should feel lukewarm to the touch.

Other things you can do:
Keep your attic chilly so that snow doesn’t melt in the first place. Do this by insulating under the roof, and blocking any places where heat rises into the attic. During the winter, try to keep snow off the roof with a roof rake. And filling an old nylon stocking with snowmelt and placing it atop an ice dam (perpendicular to the gutter edge) will create a channel off the roof’s edge for water to flow.

Make the grade
The best defense against a flooded basement or water-damaged foundation is a good offense. We want our water flowing away from our foundations. Make sure you have the proper grading. If the ground looks like it’s sloping down toward the foundation, it probably is. Bring on the dirt-filled wheelbarrows! You’ll need enough to get some slope in the other direction - at least one inch of fall per foot. Segrete recommends six inches over four feet. If you hire someone for this job, make sure he uses water-phobic clay, with only about an inch of absorbent mulch or topsoil atop it.

Repair stairs, seal concrete paths
Before snow and ice covers them, fix even slightly damaged steps. You get the most damage done to the exterior of the property because of the temperature changes and freeze-thaw cycles. Daytime rain insinuates itself into crevices in wood and concrete, then freezes at night, further weakening often-used places such as stairs. Concrete is not waterproof. It’s porous, like a sponge. As a result, it soaks up water during warmer days, then freezes at night, expands and cracks. It also heaves with the ground below it. But sealing it — as well as keeping the surrounding area well-drained will help reduce the amount of cracking and heaving, and prolong the concrete’s life. Many people use sodium chloride (salt) to keep pathways clear. That’s a mistake - it eats away at concrete. Instead use a product with calcium chloride, which causes no damage and is safe for pets. Simple steps can save you major, major work in the long run.