Warm summer days are a good time to take stock of any winter damage to your home. If your house wasn't entirely buttoned up during storms, the chances are pretty good that a few problems, particularly pertaining to moisture, have become self-evident. Following are 10 post-winter repairs you may want to tackle now. If any of these are beyond your abilities, call a contractor. You can find qualified, pre-screened roofers or contractors on the web.

1. Repair water-stained ceilings
Following a roof leak, there is usually a yellow or brown stain on the ceiling below. Don't try to paint right over the stains--they're likely to show through. Simply seal a stain with a stain sealer, then repaint the ceiling (you can try to touch up the area, but, for uniformity, you're likely to find that the entire ceiling may need to be painted). See the FREE HomeTips article How to Repair a Water-Damaged Ceiling.

2. Fix missing or damaged roofing.
Look for trouble spots on top of the roof (but only in good weather and if you can do this safely). Or, during the day, go into the attic with a bright, portable light to check for signs of wetness or water marks.

You can also look for pinpoints of daylight showing through (on a wood shingle roof, you'll probably see many such places, but these tend not to leak because they're protected by the shingles' overlap.) When in the attic, step only on secure framing members--never on the insulation or topside of the ceiling below--this won't support you! See our information on roof repair.

3. Fix leaking roof flashing.
Many serious roof leaks are not caused by missing or damaged shingles, they're due to broken or improper roof flashing. For information on fixing flashing, see Roof Flashing Easy Repairs.

4. Fix siding leaks.
If you've discovered any areas where your home's siding doesn't hold Mother Nature out, you'll have to make repairs. For more about siding and how to repair it, see Siding Repairs.

5. Clear gutters and downspouts.
Water damage often occurs as a result of clogged gutters and downspouts. Dry weather offers a good opportunity for cleaning them out so water will drain properly. For information on cleaning and repairing gutters, see Gutters and Downspouts Easy Repairs. For new gutters, see Gutters: A Buying Guide.

6. Eliminate water in the basement or crawl space.
Has your basement or crawlspace become flooded? If it has, it's important to dry it out to protect against dry rot, prevent moist air from being drawn up into the living space, and prevent the growth of mold. For information on this, see Drier Basements and Crawlspaces.

If a sump pump might be required to keep this from happening in the future, check Sump Pumps: Keeping Your Basement High and Dry.

7. Repair storm doors.
Buffeting winds can take a toll on storm doors. Often, the door closer becomes bent, breaks, or pulls away from the doorjamb. For information on fixing a storm door, see Storm and Screen Door Repairs.

8. Block air leaks.
Indoors, cold weather often becomes most evident by cold drafts caused when air leaks through and around windows and doors. One way to slow down drafts and save energy is to install or repair weather stripping.

9. Repair rotted woodwork.
Where wood sills or sash have taken serious abuse from weather--resulting in rot, you can use epoxy wood filler, available at home centers, to repair the area. Use a chisel to dislodge most of the loose, rotted wood. Drill a few 1/4-inch holes into the damaged wood. Soak the entire rotted area with liquid epoxy "consolidant" to transform the area into a sturdy base for filler. Let the wood absorb it for about 5 minutes, then reapply, wait, reapply, and continue until the wood ceases to accept consolidant.

Knead a batch of epoxy filler, according to label directions, and mold the repair. As the material cures, dip a putty knife in solvent, and use it to sculpt and shape the repair. Sand, file or rasp as needed, and paint the area within 3 days.

If large areas are affected, talk with a carpenter or cabinetmaker.

For more about fixing windows and door saddles, see Window Frames Easy Repairs.

10. Service your furnace and/or air conditioner. With forced-air systems, air returning to the air handler's blower first passes through an air filter designed to catch dust and debris and help clean the air before it's recycled to your home. A good furnace filter can help reduce allergens. When filters become clogged with dust, they cut down on a furnace's efficiency. Change filters quarterly or sooner if they look dirty. For other repairs or maintenance, call a professional heating-and-air (HVAC) contractor or furnace repair technician.

--Don Vandervort