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blenderbender1811 · 7 years ago

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A Song of Ice and Fire - Weddings Primer

Just a bunch of stuff put together about weddings in the ASOIAF universe for those looking to write them. Specifically, how weddings run in Westeros. This goes under a read more, for the post is long.

1) Nobody can be COMPELLED to marry. They need to say the words and if it’s done under sword point, it might be dissolved later. That said, it’s expected you’ll marry who your lord or his liege commands and if you don’t, you might be estranged from your family, and the ironborn can marry someone by proxy (with a seal in the place of a person, the iron born are weird.)

2) The Targaryens occasionally took more than one woman as a wife. The Ironborn also sometimes have more than one wife - an ironborn ‘rock wife’ and ‘salt wives’ taken on raids (because that’s not coercion at all). The children of salt wives are not considered bastards, but they come AFTER the children of rock wives status wise.

3) Marriage contracts take forever to negotiate and they address all sorts of possibilities - land, inheritance, dowries, etc. Once a betrothal is made, you better have a GOOD reason to break it (infidelity, inability to fulfill property or income agreements in the contract, somebody died and you must fulfill their betrothal, you found out they have another contract, an inability to seal the alliance with children (infertility), etc.). Breaking a betrothal is a BIG deal and you might cause a lot more than hurt feelings. You might cause very real political damage with the people you were trying to ally with.

4) So, how do you choose a partner? There’s several factors, some more important than others.

- Rank: This is one of, if not the most important thing to consider. If the parties are not of similar rank, this is going to get tricky. Marrying one rank up or down doesn’t seem to be scoffed at (for instance, nobody thinks, for example, that Mace Tyrell is weak because he married down to Alerie Hightower). More than one rank though and you’re going to need a very good reason for the marriage to happen. And marriages to lowborn people are vanishingly rare. That’s why Asha couldn’t marry Qarl even though she’d love to.

- Position in Family: Another super important factor. Is the person being married a ruling Lord or Lady? What about an heir? Are they the eldest daughter (who traditionally has choicest pick of gentlemen callers)? Are they true born or bastards? If they’re dynastically important, the family will be much pickier. Younger sons or daughters are much more likely to marry a household knight (or their daughter) or a minor bannerman than an older child, who is likelier to marry a major bannerman, if not marry up.

- Political Context: This just always needs to be in mind. Does the husband have another wife? Is their land in a dangerous or contested spot? What’s their influence in the capitol like, if any? If your marriage making plans don’t make sense, the marriage is going to look shabbier or hastier to everyone else in Westeros.

- Age: In Westeros, we all know their treatment of age with regards to marriage is absolutely gross. We don’t need to be told that. Age isn’t treated as a major factor and indeed, young women have been married off to gross old men as a punishment (see poor Sylva Santigar for details). That said, even in Westeros, it’s generally considered more comfortable if they’re close in age, like with Joffrey and Sansa being considered perfect because they were the same age. This also makes sense dynastically speaking because they wouldn’t have to wait long for children. Or, alternatively, if you’re an elderly person looking for companionship before you die, you’ll probably pick someone closer to your own age and experiences.

- Religion: Again, not the biggest deal for most of Westeros, but I can easily imagine someone super pious wanting a spouse of the same religion.

- Personal Well Being: Since we’re playing a feudal dynastic game, this is barely a concern. That said, a decently loving family will probably want to look out for their family’s well being. They’re probably not eager to give their child in marriage to someone actively dangerous for them after all. Plus, dynastically speaking, it would render any alliance gained moot. Also, an older person looking for a second or third marriage, or again, an elderly person looking for companionship, would likely consider how well they got along.

- Health: Somewhat important. If the point is to seal an alliance via babies, you want someone who can survive consummation, pregnancy, birth, and raising those children. One of the most important things Catelyn considered when looking for a bride for Robb was how good their hips were. IIRC, she didn’t want Robb to marry a Whent because their health tended to be delicate. Again, if you make an alliance only to immediately lose it when the person dies, what was the point of it in the first place? A good example of this is how nobody wanted to marry Shireen because she had greyscale.

- Wealth: Fairly important. You want an alliance partner to bring something to the table. It’s less about coinage and more about resources. Do they have lots of land, minerals, livestock, industry, etc.?

- Appearance: Not exactly a first concern, but it’s somewhat a factor, simply because a good looking person is more likely to get lots of offers.

- Region: Most marriages take place between houses of the same region. This isn’t a hard and fast law, but your alliances are more likely to be useful when they live next door and not five days away in a region you’ve never seen.

- Former marriages or children: This is important because if they already have children, YOUR children won’t get any inheritance from your spouse. If you’re going to marry, you have to be okay with that. Tends to work for marrying off younger children or when you look for step parents, but it might also be a deal breaker for someone looking for a first marriage. Never even mind in the Iron Islands, where wives might have to compete.

- Reputation: Important. You don’t want to marry your kid off to someone with a poor reputation. Knightly orders, people closely connected to important people, well reputed for honesty or honour are good things. An oathbreaker or drunkard will have a harder go than normal.

- Prestige: A more prestigous house will have more suitors. A house being of high rank doesn’t necessarily mean prestige. “New money” houses or houses in trade my have the wealth and militaryy might to be a major house, but still not be considered pretigious enough for many large houses. A house that were once kings will have more prestige than those who weren’t. A house who’s been around for thousands of years is likely lmore prestigious than a new one (hence why the Lannisters are more prestigious than Baratheons of Storm’s End before a Baratheon becomes king).

5) According to the Wedding Knight PDF from the Game of Thrones edition of the Green ronin RP game, weddings are traditionally hosted by the bride’s family.

6) Likewise, according to the same, wedding dresses are traditionally white. This gels with the books, where the wedding dresses I recall being described (Jeyne’s, Sansa’s, and Margaery’s are all white). Now, to be fair, Sansa is a Stark and Jeyne was disguised as Arya, so they would both be using Stark colours. It also fits with the Seven, where white is seen as a colour of innocence and thus might be more appropriate to a maiden. It’s also a colour Septons and Septas wear most of the time (along with rainbows) and on Maiden’s Day girls light white candles. While none of that would apply to the Old Gods (or offshoots of the Old Gods like the Drowned God), I can see white catching on as a wedding colour regardless. If nothing else, it shows wealth if you can keep white clean.

This isn’t like the real middle ages, btw. Blue was the traditional innocence and purity colour then. Women basically wore whatever colour they wanted, albeit with different cultural traditions surrounding omens and such.

Notes: For five and six, ‘traditional’ in this sense most likely does not mean ‘binding’. We see numerous examples of weddings that are not at the bride’s home and I’m sure plenty of Westerosi ladies wore other colours to their weddings. I wouldn’t be surprised if house colours were involved. Not that it matters overmuch - they change for the feast, and those colours can be whatever they want (though likely house colours).

7) Weddings in Westeros (or, at least highborn ones) involve a dowry, a dower (as per Tywin and Hoster discussing one for Lysa and Jaime) and a bride price (as per Barristan’s comments). These are three different things.

- A dowry: A dowry is property or income a woman is bringing into the marriage, a payment from her family to her husband’s. It’s meant to help build the new family and also for income security. In the rare (nearly non-existent in Westeros) circumstance of divorce, I believe she gets the dowry back, but if she dies, the money either goes to her children or returns to her family.

- A dower: A dower is a sum of property or income designed to protect a wife if she becomes widowed. Since men are the primary breadwinners in Westeros, this is done so as not to leave a widow destitute. This income or property comes from the groom’s family. If the couple divorces, she does not get the dower (although some societies allow her to keep it if she has just cause, I doubt Westeros works like that). This money is traditionally given to the bride by the groom on the morning of the wedding. This money is HER’S. Unlike the dowry, which is often used by both spouses, her husband cannot touch her dower. Usually this means her representative (usually a male relative) is in charge of executing it, but she can be bequeath it to whoever she wants.

- A bride price: A bride price is money paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s. This is meant as a sort of ‘thank you’ for raising her and also to compensate them for the loss of their daughter - physically, emotionally, and financially. Calculating these can be complex and depend on numerous factors. Appearance, skills, how smart she is, how healthy she is, etc. I’m fairly sure this is what Cersei refers to as ‘selling women off like livestock’. In the case of divorce, you can get the bride price back in many societies, and some also allow you to get it back if she dies (particularly if she’s childless). I imagine that’s much the same in Westeros.

8) There are at least two feasts traditionally thrown for the wedding - a welcoming one to welcome all the guests, and the actual wedding feast.

9) It’s traditional to throw a hunt just before the wedding. All the men in the wedding party and any ladies who wish to accompany them are allowed to go. This is done as a show of magnanimity by the lord who is supposed to open his land to his guests, and also to provide sport for the restless party. In return, anything caught on the hunt is supposed to go on the lord’s table for the wedding feast.

10) Different regions have different local traditions for a wedding day. Case in point, the Reach has a wedding breakfast where the bride and groom SEPARATELY receive their gifts.

11) Ceremonies vary by religion

- The Faith of the Seven: This one is LONG. It begins with the septon in a sept reciting several prayers and readings. The groom is between the alter of the Mother and Father but the bride is outside the room. Next, the bride is presented, being walked down the Isle by her father or a close male relative (or, sometimes, a liege lord if a close male relative isn’t there). The bride is on the left and the groom to the right. The father presents the bride to the groom, and the groom lifts her veil (if she’s wearing one). The groom removes his bride’s maiden’s cloak (or bride’s cloak if she’s a widow) and gives her one of his own house. The septon says they’re there to join them in a union, and ties their hands together in a ritual knot. They make their final vows, kiss, and the guests applaud. Guests stand in two columns in front of the couple to watch the wedding.

- The Old Gods of the Forest: The ceremony is performed by the head of the groom’s family. It’s at night, in the godswood, in front of a weirwood preferably. The guests carry torches to watch. The bride is led by her father (or again, a close relative). The person performing the ceremony asks who comes before the old gods and a few ritual lines are exchanged where the man gives the bride. The officiator asks the bride if she will take the groom, and when she says yes, the couple hold hands and kneel before the heart tree for a moment of silent prayer and then they’re done. The groom removes the maiden’s (or bride’s) cloak, give them a cloak of their husband’s house, and carries her to the feast in his arms.

- The Drowned God: They’re officiated by a priest of the Drowned God and tend to be very solemn. Salt wife weddings tend to be more fun, and that is all we know. Since Drowned God priests seem to do their ritual work on the shore, it seems probably iron born weddings are at the beach. I wonder if they have to drown for them? Maybe they wade into the water or get water dunked all over them. We’re not sure. We’ve never seen an iron born wedding. Since the Drowned God is an offshoot of the Old Gods, they likely also have some sort of bridal cloak custom, probably after whatever blessings and ritual immersion in water is done.

- R’hllor: The ceremony is conducted by a member of the clergy. The bride is escorted to the clergy person who asks the bride to identify herself and who comes to claim her. They ask the bride and groom if they will share their fire with their spouse to be to warm them when the night is dark and full of terrors. The bride and groom jump over a bonfire built in a ditch and by doing so, their souls become one to the Lord of Light. Then the groom removes the maiden’s (or bride’s) cloak and gives her the cloak representing his house.

12) After the wedding, there’s the reception. This has dancing, music, poems, basically whatever kind of entertainment you want (which is likely regional). This is all done along with the wedding feast. There might be tourney to celebrate, but melee’s aren’t traditional (I’m sure they occur but it’s not a custom). ALSO. IMPORTANT - It is considered bad luck to deny a knight your hospitality on your wedding day.

13) At the end of the feast, the highest ranking person in attendance calls for the bedding. Men carry the bride off, stripping her clothes and telling dirty jokes, women do the same with the groom, and sometimes they might be yelling encouragement or advice outside the door (or, god forbid, witnesses). This is done to ensure consummation. Not all weddings require a bedding ceremony, but Westeros does require consummation. This seems to be a custom for the Faith, the Old Gods, and the Drowned God, so it’s a universal across Westeros. After this the wedding is over. From this point on, they are married and if you don’t like it, well it just sucks to suck. And even if the wedding isn’t consummated for whatever reason, it’s bad luck for spouses to sleep apart on their wedding night. Brides are expected to be maidens (i.e. virgins), but if the couple gets married later, it’s not considered dishonouring (sex without a later betrothal was likely the dishonour Ashara experienced at Harrenhal, as it would have impacted her marriageability - not ruined it completely, you can marry somewhat decently even if you’re not a virgin, but definitely having an impact).

14) Women may or may NOT take their husband’s name. If they’re of the same rank, it’s pretty much up to her. If she outranks him, she very well might continue using her higher status maiden name. Plenty of women use their husband’s name and in fact most likely do, but it’s not a requirement in Westeros (at least, not among the same ranked or when the woman is higher).

15) Annulment is incredibly hard to get in the Faith of the Seven - you better hope the High Septon or the Council of Faith is inclined to give you one (this is easier if its not consummated, the marriage is bigamous, there was an unbroken prior betrothal, or if the vows were made under false pretences, but it’s possible even if you’ve consummated or had children - Renly didn’t think it was impossible for Cersei to be set aside in favour of Margaery, Tysha and Tyrion’s marriage was annulled, etc) and while you don’t need to be there for it, you need to make the request yourself. It’s easier to just move apart. Or, if you’re THAT committed to getting away, you could join the Faith or Night’s Watch.

Note: It’s much much easier to annul a marriage in the Old Gods religion (and, likely, the Drowned God as well) - all you need to do is tell your spouse that they’re no longer your spouse in front of public witnesses, at least according to Elio and Linda’s correspondence when discussing The World of Ice and Fire. R’hllor might require permission from the clergy in addition, but I find that unlikely for the Ironborn, since they seem fairly independent and in many ways closer to the Old Gods simplicity. I’m not sure if there are any special conditions to make this announcement but if they exist, they would likely be similar to grounds for annulment in the Faith of the Seven (with the exception of bigamy for the ironborn - they really really don’t care about that). Honestly, even if they don’t have conditions that doesn’t necessarily mean an unhappy marriage will be annulled since that requires spitting in the eye of the family you’re trying to make an alliance with. Breaking a betrothal is messy enough, breaking a marriage is just BEGGING for trouble.

#a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #meta #weddings #game of thrones #asoiaf meta

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faithfulnews · 5 years ago

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fanesavin · 7 years ago

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What was the inspiration behind your character?

*cracks knuckles* Alright then, I have a feeling this is going to get long-winded because there’s several sources from which I’ve drawn and based Fane from.

Edit: I was right this ended up being 3 pages long and over 2200 words in length.

I think the first thing I should say was in actuality I wasn’t entirely sure I even wanted to play Fane, I wasn’t entirely sure where I’d approach him from or jump into his psyche but the more I worked on trying to figure out his backstory the more I came to enjoy writing him. Initially, all I really had to go on was when Kcat approached me about Sumner and was like YOU SHOULD CHECK THIS OUT and gave a *nudge nudge wink wink* into taking up Fane. I’d been out of the RP game for a while at this point but I was like… eh why not…

Thus this dork right here was made.

So my start point was this aspect of Dani’s bio:

“Though he’d never had the audacity to admit it out loud, Fane had long desired to be a father. Over the centuries, he’d watched his friends grow and love and start families, but being what he was, he was only able to sire new vampires, never his own children. He’d tried to fill that void in many ways: lavish parties, charming lovers, elaborate travels, even academic pursuits, to no avail. It wasn’t until an orphaned child had been brought to him by one of his reckless blood-drinking progeny that his envy for his mortal companions finally began to recede.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a good base. I tweaked the story a little to make it one of the vampires that Fane took in and tried to help rather than one of his own progeny. From the start I had base facts: that he was from Transylvania, around 400, that for some reason he didn’t want children before he hit perhaps the 300 mark and that even in Soapberry’s standards having a human child was considered odd. Fane was unique amongst his peers because of his willingness to attach himself to something that for all intents and purposes he would outlast/outlive.

This wasn’t a common occurrence even by Soapberry’s standards and thus I knew Fane has had to live for the last 26 or so years facing criticism, judgement and skepticism from those he considered his friends and peers but despite this I never wanted him to become cynical– it felt like the easy route to take. To make an affluent character who was broody and locked himself away in his estate hoarding his money for his own pleasure. So I decided to take the trope of rich broody vampire, flip it 180 and turn him into rich generous philanthropist who opened up his home to anyone he came across who was in need a la Charles Xavier style, leading to the question of why even after four-hundred years of seeing things that likely would turn even the best person cynical he was still willing to give humanity and by extension those who judged or criticised him the benefit of the doubt time and time again?

I won’t lie, I love tropes I like picking them and exploring them through characters and admittedly Fane suffers from chronic hero syndrome, and with this I sometimes draw comparisons between him and Clark Kent– Clark has super-hearing and can hear literally everything even whilst he’s doing the most mundane things in his life and he makes deliberate decisions whether to help or not help someone. That he’s learned to ‘tune out’ what he has to and that he’s come to accept that even he can’t be everywhere for everyone and that sometimes people who need help sometimes need to be ignored.

By comparison, Fane hasn’t come to learn this lesson and until he does he’s driving himself into the ground by taking on too many burdens belonging to other people (i.e. his willingness to listen to what people’s problems are and offer advice or even get involved trying to help them somehow sometimes show with Tuah, Faye, Dani, Sam, Elizabeth, Bella more recently amongst others he’s come across in his time). Unless someone willingly steps in to point out that this isn’t actually healthy behaviour he’s become blindsided to just how negatively it affects him and even when it is pointed out i.e. as it has been more recently by Faye, he’s been acting this way for so long that even now he can’t just break this cycle of behaviour. He feels a responsibility to use his time towards altruism and when he isn’t doing just that he feels like he’s failing to live up to his own moral code.

Speaking of moral codes, I also draw some influence from Arthurian myths– every single knight at some point in the myths feels a responsibility to got out and quest for trouble. In this instance Fane’s questing takes him in search of people he might be able to help. After all, I knew that if he’d taken in Dani he would have an inclination towards individuals with broken or traumatic histories which after exploring his zodiac as well just… fits. As a Leo sun and Pisces moon Fane is rather in touch with the nuances and subtleties of human nature, he does his best to take on other people’s points of view, to put himself in their shoes and try to understand from their point of view so that he can in turn help them as best as he possibly can. It’s part of the reason why he studies people a lot during conversations, he’s looking for clues to help him read body language and facial expression to figure a person’s intentions out.

ANYWAY, going back to the question of why he is this way I went back to look at history in the 15th/16th century considering I knew he was give or take 400 it meant he was turned in 1617/6 (I’m pedantic about dates) and since I hc he looks 37 it meant in turn he was born in 1579. So I started researching Transylvanian history and the background of Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages. I am a self-admitted history nerd, growing up I wanted to be an Egyptologist but now I couldn’t actually be further from the field considering I’m a sports science student. I try to do a lot of research about the things I write about (Riley can testify to this considering how much research I’ve done around life in 18th century London for a separate RP set during this era that we’re in) but even then pretty much all of my knowledge and interests stem from my understanding of more Western European / pretty much all English eras from the Roman conquest / WWI / WWII along with a mixture of ancient history that I’ve had an opportunity to study or come into contact with i.e. Mayan / Egyptian / Viking / Roman / Greek.

Being brutally honest I knew next to absolutely nothing about anything to do with Eastern European history stepping into this or museum curating to be honest ahaha. So for me this was a huge leap of faith and a big ass research project before I even felt comfortable applying for this character because usually I like to write things I know about and can get a grip on. Fane’s the first character where due to prerequisites I kind of had to step outside of my comfort zone but this also likely explains why Fane’s interests lie with ancient history in comparison to nearer situations i.e. the Cold War/Vietnam War etc because I myself feel more comfortable and confident in myself writing about these eras.

Anyway, the Long Turkish war was my first point of contact with coming to terms with how I wanted to shape his background. I love a good coming of age story hence why Robb Stark is probably one of my favourite ASoIaF characters along with Margaery Tyrell and Arianne Martell (forever bitter about the show trashing Dorne). Anyho, in regards to this I turned to look at some actual historical figures and ended up looking at a young Edward IV born the son of the richest duke in England, who much like Robb and in turn Fane was forced into taking on huge responsibility and risk at only 18 after his father’s passing by comparison Fane was only 15 when his father was killed in the Great War in 1594.

Fane like his historical counterparts had to assume leadership of his father’s men and make decisions risking not only his own life but that of his men making decisions that still haunt him mirroring what Edward likely felt after the Battle of Towton where supposedly 1% of England’s population died due to the ongoing civil war that now is more commonly known as the ‘War of the Roses’ which ultimately placed him on the throne. As a result of these deaths, Edward likely wasn’t all that fond of war and preferred to find other routes to avoid bloodshed, at the time he was viewed by his contemporaries as being overly forgiving (he showed mercy to traitors and issued orders allowing common soldiers to escape the end of battles).

That was his beginning, and from there I knew I wanted him to travel, learning about cultures and becoming fascinated with the rich history of the places he visited. So I figured in his chance to leave the boundaries of his home for war it ignited in him a curiosity and wanderlust that eventually later led to him forsaking his stead as Head of the Alois family and turning to pick a life of travel and immortality over simply dying.

Thus the next character I drew on, one that outlasted the death of his own people along with several of his own companions due to his own longevity, decision making and ability to regenerate is The Doctor from BBC’s sci-fi hit Doctor Who (a character who ultimately chose to end a war by committing a mass genocide of not only his own morally questionable race but supposedly their opposing side as well). A character who initially only explored with the intention of experiencing the wonders the universe had to offer but more often than not got involved in the machinations and crises of various places he was visiting. Fane always was a man born into wealth and privilege but could never stand the plight of the weak and oppressed, thus his travels much like the Doctor’s became a way for him to protect and stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. Yet, in doing this Fane has had to do plenty of bad deeds and though many might call him a hero he refuses to actually subscribe to this title in any shape or form.

Out of all the incarnations if I had to pick, I’d say Fane’s an amalgamation of the 10th and 11th, with aspects of the 10th’s outgoing personality and the same fondness for pop-culture traits along with a bright, playful nature largely existing to conceal left-over emotional trauma from things he has done in his history. Although he is cheerful, bubbly and fun-loving darker traits occasionally emerge particularly when those he cares about are put in harm’s way or successfully manage to truly piss him off which is an incredibly difficult feat to truly accomplish.

Aspects of the 11th that Fane displays are also the tendency to act far younger than he is, displaying childlike enthusiasm for plenty of things in life AS WELL AS HAVING A HUGE SWEET TOOTH, literally don’t offer him sweets or surgery things he will take them with 0 qualms about taking it. He’s not above doing things if they’re fun and engaging so long as they prove to make other people happy then… Really he’s willing to do almost anything within reason (caterpillar duck races 10000% included in this) but in truth this conceals that fact that at the end of the day he’s a very old, guilty, lonely and grief-stricken individual who has actually grown rather tired of the world.

Another ASoIaF character that inspires Fane is Davos Seaworth, the brutally honest advisor to Stannis Baratheon. The dynamic works because Stannis hates people sugar-coating their words if they have a point to make. Fane likes to give and be given in return good honest advice.

Fane’s a gentleman scholar, an aspect of his persona that draws on several points and characters perhaps the most ironic being Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, where, despite being “one of the most advanced scientist of his day” possessed nerves of steel, an open mind, kind heart and a wry sense of humour. Other characters influencing this part of him is Faramir who is known to be highly intelligent and scholarly, a gracious host and pleasant individual to encounter able to hold a friendly conversation wtih various people regardless of their culture and background. In Tolkien’s own words, Faramir was “modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very merciful”

In regards to his anger when it does rear its head Fane’s fury is very tranquil in nature, much like Ender or Dumbledore when they’re angry. No matter how much fury they might feel, outside he tends to maintain a deathly calm and collected appearance. It’s deliberate, Fane knows the difference between hot and cold anger: the former is all-consuming, and will lead to them doing stupid acts, but the latter? In his mind it can be harnessed as a tool to harden one’s resolve and steel one’s will. This tends to be infused with Dumbledore’s quiet disappointment that makes the focus of his fury usually feel worse than if he’d simply raged and ranted at them.

The final two people I’d point out as references and influences in Fane’s characterisation would be Jay Gatsby and the Edmond Dantès from The Count of Monte Cristo.

#this got so long and idk what it is #savin speaks #answered #.cd.#.hc.#Anonymous

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florenciolampkin · 6 years ago

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Compilation: Expert Tips From the 2019 Diamond Certified Directory

Earlier this month, we published the 2019 Diamond Certified Directory. Issued in 10 regional editions, it features full-page profiles of Diamond Certified companies throughout the Greater Bay Area. In addition, each directory includes a section that features helpful consumer tips provided by owners and managers of local Diamond Certified companies. To give you a sample, we’ve assembled the following compilation of expert tips gathered from the 10 different directory editions in print.

Dr. Alfred dela Cruz

Owner, Alfred B. dela Cruz, DDS

A Solution for Sore Gums

If you suffer from sore or bleeding gums, the most important step you can take is to adopt a daily flossing routine. Keep in mind that when you first start flossing, it will cause your gums to bleed even more. However, with time, regular flossing will correct this issue, resulting in healthier gums.

Frank Canova Jr.

President, Diablo Valley Cabinetry

Repairing Minor Cabinet Damage

Most minor dings, dents and scratches on cabinetry can be repaired using a cabinet touch-up kit. These kits usually come with a putty stick and a marker, which can be used to fill in dents and scratches and blend in the color. This allows you to “erase” minor blemishes and keep your cabinets looking pristine.

Eva Kissova

Owner, Kiss Painting

Touching Up Exterior Door Paint

Repainting an exterior door can be an expensive job, especially if the paint has failed. A more cost-effective option is to service your door before the paint fails. Since the paint is still good, all that’s required is to add a new coat of varnish, a service that’s roughly one-third the cost of a full repainting job.

Andy Bongiorno

Owner, Bongiorno Termite Control, Inc.

Preventing Insect Infestations

Factors like firewood piled up against the house, trees and shrubs touching the home exterior, and wall planters with high soil levels can increase the chances of an insect infestation. Remedy these conditions by storing firewood away from the home, keeping vegetation well-trimmed and monitoring the soil levels of wall planters.

Eloy Baeza

Owner, Baeza Plumbing Service

Action Plan for a Major Water Leak

In the event of a major water leak, your first course of action should be to turn off the water at your home’s main shut-off valve. Next, open an exterior hose bib to relieve the pressure to the water going into the house. When you’ve successfully shut off the water, call a plumber to come out and repair the leak.

Francisco Cortez

President, Green Environment Landscape, Inc.

Water-Wise Irrigation Tip

When irrigating lawns or plants situated in sloped areas, you can inadvertently waste a lot of water due to runoff. To prevent this, rather than watering for 10 minutes straight, water for five minutes, wait a couple of hours and then water for another five minutes. This will minimize runoff because you won’t oversaturate the soil.

Karen Skinner

Senior Project Design Specialist, Viking Pavers

Paver Design Tip

Your paver installation may look great, but if it isn’t practical, you may wind up with unexpected frustrations. For example, if you have elderly family members who live with you or visit often, a cobblestone walkway isn’t a good choice—not only will it make using a walker or wheelchair difficult, it will increase the chances for falls.

Gregg Campbell

Owner, B & L Glass Company

New Windows: Retrofit or Replace?

Replacing windows is no problem for wood-sided houses, thanks to trim that hides the damage caused by cutting out the old windows. However, it isn’t so simple for a brick or stucco house, since there’s no trim to conceal the damage. In these cases, it’s often more practical to retrofit the windows than replace them entirely.

Eduardo Porta

Owner, Fremont Foreign Auto

Synthetic Oil Change Intervals

Many high-end car manufacturers are now recommending oil change intervals of 10,000 miles. However, even with synthetic oil, driving for this long without an oil change can lead to engine lubrication problems, especially if your car has more than 100,000 miles on the odometer. A safer oil change interval is 7,500 miles.

Mike Ross

President, Ross Roofing & Construction, Inc.

Roof Repair Tip

Don’t overpay for temporary roof repairs. Sometimes it makes more financial sense to replace a damaged roof than to try and salvage it. A good guideline: When a repair begins to approach 20 percent of the cost of a complete reroof, consider reroofing.

Jennifer Young

Owner, Elite Pro Home Cleaning

Stainless Steel Cleaning Tip

Most commercial stainless steel cleaning products either contain harsh chemicals or are made with mineral oil. A Greener, more affordable option for cleaning your stainless steel appliances is baby oil. Not only is baby oil environmentally friendly, you probably already have some at home, so you’ll save a little money.

Sergey Ivanov

Owner, Serge Electric

Adding Electrical Outlets

If you use a lot of power strips and extension cords in your home, it might be time for an electrical upgrade. Besides the risk of overloading your circuits, it’s unsafe to have a lot of extension cords running through your home, so consider having some additional outlets installed—an affordable measure as far as upgrades go.

Nick Granato

Owner, PremierGarage

Installing Garage Storage Cabinets

In most cases, it’s best to install garage storage cabinets above floor level. First, since they’re above the floor, it’s less easy for insects and rodents to get into them. Second, if your water heater and/or washing machine is located in the garage, raised cabinets will avert water damage if a major leak occurs.

Gurjit Singh

Owner, Reliant Auto Repair

Replacing Your Car’s Water Pump

No vehicle component lasts forever, and water pumps are no exception. That’s why it’s good to replace your water pump preventatively rather than wait for it to fail. To minimize the cost, plan to replace your water pump at the same time you replace your timing belt—typically at the 90,000-mile mark.

Chris Young

Sales Manager, J & M Windows & Glass, Inc.

Adjusting Sliding Door Alignment

Besides regularly cleaning and lubricating your sliding door’s track, it’s a good idea to periodically check its alignment. Most sliding glass doors have a couple of knobs at the bottom that allow you to adjust the alignment. Open your door slightly and check its alignment with the track; if it seems off, use the knobs to adjust it.

Russell Calhoon

Project Manager, Paradigm Concrete & Construction

Hosing Down New Concrete

If you feel inclined to hose down newly installed concrete, be sure to do it at night. When concrete is hosed off during the day, the water will evaporate and leave a blotchiness or efflorescence. While this can often be cleaned off with a vinegar/water solution, it’s best to avoid it in the first place.

Debby Benson-Miller

Real Estate Agent, Prime Real Estate Services

Getting Pre-Approved for a Loan

The first step in your home search should be getting pre-approved for a loan, as this will allow you to act fast when you find a property you want to buy. Your best route to getting pre-approved is through a mortgage broker, who can approach multiple lenders and find one that’s able to work with your particular circumstances.

Sean Madar

Owner, Atticare

One Reason to Inspect Your Attic

One reason to inspect your attic is to rule out rodent infestation. Rodents can cause a lot of problems in the attic, from chewing on insulation and electrical wires to leaving droppings, the latter of which can impact indoor air quality. To prevent this, inspect your attic annually and have any issues addressed by a professional.

David Robb

Owner, Robb & Messer Moving and Storage

Packing Tips for a Move

When packing for a move, try to pack boxes as tightly as you can. Besides being an efficient use of space, this will reduce the chances of breakage caused by items shifting around during transit. On the other hand, when packing large boxes, avoid overfilling them with heavy items, as this can cause their bottoms to fall out.

Lamine Elabed

President, LW Construction & Handyman Services

Fixing Low Water Pressure in a Faucet

If you’re getting unusually low water pressure from a faucet in your home, it may be due to a clogged aerator. To fix the problem, simply unscrew the aerator from the faucet, clean out any sediment inside and tighten it back into place. You should immediately notice an improvement in water pressure.

If you’d like to receive the Diamond Certified Directory at your home or workplace, click here. By signing up to become a Diamond Certified Preferred Consumer, you’ll receive the Diamond Certified Directory (as well as quarterly Diamond Certified Directory Updates) and several other benefits, including a double Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. Membership is ALWAYS FREE, so don’t hesitate—sign up today!

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