Asbestos has always been connected to mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer that spurs the development of tumors on linings surrounding vital organs.  Asbestos, is not used in construction these days, but is still known to be contained within numerous old structures, among them schools and older factories. Although not dangerous in a normal state, its still a bit worrisome knowing that many buildings still contain the dangerous material, whose fibers can be released into the air during constructions projects or fires and earthquakes. If you believe your home or building contains asbestos, it might be time to remove it. 

The asbestos removal process is quite lengthy and complicated. All precautions must be made to remove any possibility of asbestos fibers being released into the air.If such an event would occur, the asbestos fibers would put everyone in the immediate vicinity in danger of contracting mesothelioma. These fibers are difficult to detect and aren't accompanied by any particular taste or smell. The removal process can be controversial.So many avoid all together the removal of asbestos simply because it is removing it might disturb it thus cause a greater risk then leaving it alone.

Many individuals, companies, and governments have already taken the initiative to remove asbestos from older building. So have many older properties. Many old structures have had complete removal of asbestos.The government has been involved in contracting with companies to remove asbestos. The controversy still continues despite the risks involved.However, people need to begin understanding that the risks involved in removal and thus just keep asbestos undisturbed.
 In the end, it is the choice of the decision maker on whether he or she wishes to remove the asbestos that may be contained within the property.

Prior to making the decision one need the proper knowledge to go forward, and it's not always straight forward.  Just the thought of having dangerous and cancerous materials in your building can make many feel very uneasy. The fear of future dangers forces many to make the ill-advised act of removing their asbestos. Thus potentially putting many, including the workers, in danger.  Contact a trained professional prior to embarking on any asbestos removal process. 

Rico Valdez - Abbas & Company - The Ottawa Renovations Expert

Bathroom Renovations - Advice When Planning Home Renovations

This article will discuss what every home owner should know when starting a bathroom renovations project. We will work our way from the flooring, to the walls, to the toilet, bathtub, and then onto the vanity, lighting, and sink. This article will provide advice based on expert opinions of Abbas & Company, the local leader in Ottawa home renovations.
 
At Abbas & Company we always ensure that only quality advice is provided for our clients, we never do a job only because the client thinks it’s nice to have or the cheapest solution. Daily we refuse jobs because they simply do not make sense and the client is simply doing for the cheapest solution available. For example, covering your bathtub with plastic or acrylic might solve your budget problems but it will not solve your real problems of mould, aesthetics, or bathroom damage. Simply masking a problem with a cheap solution only makes it worse and will only depreciate you’re in the end. This article will go into detail about the importance of having a good general understanding of the do's and don’ts when planning your bathroom renovation.
 
When renovating a bathroom, the flooring is usually the first and simplest decision to finalize. There is really only one choice, stone flooring. In this category we have granite, marble, ceramics, or porcelain. Many might now be saying in their head "oh well what about vinyl or sheet tile?", for which we simply plastic on your floor is not a good idea. Vinyl and sheet is known to give off toxic fumes and does a terrible job at keeping water out. Ceramics and granite are considerably superior to all other forms of flooring for your bathroom because they benefit from cement and grout in between the joints to prevent moisture from seeping through. At Abbas & Company we use bio-block grout to also prevent bacteria from building up in between the joints. In addition to this the home value will increase when you install stone flooring and it will depreciate when you install anything else. We even have some clients suggesting hardwood in the bathroom, for which we quickly advise against because wood + water = bad idea. Thus for these reasons stone flooring is the best way to go for your bathroom renovation project. 
 
Next on the list of planning would be the bathtub area, which includes the backboard support, the plumbing, the bathtub, and the faucets. In Ottawa the cost of Bathtubs is so low that it would not make sense to "repair" the bathtub rather than replace it. The costs of a basic bathtub can range from $100-500 for your standard bathtubs; the price is dependent on whether you get a corner tub or a large tub. You can always go with a Jacuzzi style tub, which can be $500+ depending on what you go with.

We at Abbas & Company strongly recommend cement backboard because it is the best solution to prevent moisture buildup. We have seen many home owners go with a "water proof" drywall or even worse, a standard drywall when renovating the bathroom. We advise against this and always recommend home owners go with a stronger and more resistant cement board.

When renovating your bathroom always make sure you get your plumbing upgraded to the modern systems since you are rebuilding that area. We highly recommend that clients use copper pipes for the water and re-enforced plastic pipes for the drainage. The rest is based on taste and preferences, whether to go with a standard shower, hand shower, turn knob, etc. After you have decided on the fixtures, the toilet is next to be reviewed. We have noticed a significant increase in the demand for Dual Flush Toilets. This toilet allows users to select the level of water consumption thus minimizing water usage therefore providing significant water savings.
 
To backlash or not to backsplash, this is always the question. Having an elegant backsplash provides the finishing touches to your bathroom. A backsplash can be whatever length you choose but standard height is 4-6 feet depending on the style. A backsplash tends to have the top peace decorated while the remainder standard tiles; sometimes a highlight tile is installed to add a nice look to the bathroom. Adding a backsplash is important and adds the richness that every bathroom needs.
 
The mirror and vanity, at this point it is all up to your personal preference. Every home owner has their own idea of what mirror and vanity goes into the bathroom renovations therefore there is nothing to recommend with regards to best value. A vanity and the mirror act as the central peaces to the kitchen therefore sticking with a marble counter is always a good idea and perhaps a mirror with nice lighting will further beautify your bathroom. Depending on the size of your bathroom one can go with a European fully finished vanity that rises to the ceiling, has crown molding, built in pot-lights, and a beautiful rich oak finish sitting on an exotic granite or quartz counter. Or perhaps an exotic or modern simple vanity with a sheik mirror. The important thing to keep in mind is the bathroom flow, everything should match or complement the design.
 
To summarize, when attempting a bathroom renovations there are many important things to consider before undertaking the task. When planning a successful an Ottawa bathroom renovation project keeping in mind the things to avoid and recommendations made by this article will put you ahead of many others. The advice given in this article is provided by the Expert Renovators at Abbas & Company Inc.  

 Rico Valdez - Abbas & Company - Ottawa Home Improvement Experts

Ottawa Home Renovation Tips – Flooring types and home value

Here at Abbas & Company we are asked frequently from Ottawa home owners about the type of flooring we recommend to increase the value of their home. As the Ottawa renovation experts and because we work with many investors who are entirely focused on return on investment (ROI) we have a solid understanding of what flooring materials from highest to lowest to best value. An important home improvement is upgrading your flooring. This article will focus on Ottawa home improvements based on local market prices. This article will summarize and discuss the grades of flooring starting with the most expensive;

High-Cost - Natural Stones Granite/Marble:
This type of flooring is usually reserved for high-end condos and houses and will general provide the greatest increase in value. The primary reason for the increase in value is the granite flooring the most expensive type of flooring one can get for their home. The price range can vary from $6 -$35 sq foot depending on the type, design, and quality of the marble. In many cases granite is more expensive but marble can easily jump up in price if it is high grade marble. We have simplified the stones available to the two most popular, there are also slate, limestone, and flagstone flooring options that we have not discussed. The bottom line is that unless you are going ultra-high end for your project the natural stone installation would not be the optimal investment when compared to the other options available.

Medium-High Cost – Hardwood flooring

Hardwood is perhaps a very common flooring material here in Ottawa, nearly 90% of homes we renovate have this type of flooring. There are many types of hardwoods such as pine, oak, maple, etc. each having its own characteristics in the wood grain. You may purchase the hardwood finish or unfinished, meaning you stain and varnish it yourself. This home improvement can be expensive, ranging from $2-20 depending on the type of wood, finish, thickness, and style. Hardwood is always recommended for increasing the value of your home. It is a very popular home improvement and renovations item.

Medium Cost – Porcelain flooring

One of the strongest flooring materials you can install due to its toughness, strength, and translucent characteristics because of the glass and mineral mix fused at very high temperature. Porcelain can be much stronger then stone and can vary in price, in Ottawa the price range can be from $3-12 for porcelain tiles. Porcelain looks beautiful and lasts a very long time. The durability of Porcelain makes it one of the best value installations you can do for your home flooring and is generally the Abbasco recommendation for home improvements.

Low-medium Cost – Ceramics

Ceramics is perhaps the most common flooring home improvement, primarily because of its general acceptance as the standard for kitchen and bathroom flooring renovations. Ceramics can be as cheap as $1-12 and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Generally you can tell the quality of the ceramic by the thickness, the cheaper the ceramic the thinner it is. At Abbasco we special in stone flooring installation so we always recommend ceramics over laminates, carpets, and vinyl.

Medium-low cost – Laminate

This is perhaps the most under-estimated value packed upgrade to a home. Many commercial clients prefer this upgrade to vinyl or carpet. This home improvement is low cost and provides a great alternative to hardwood; it is excellent for basement renovations due to its heat insulation. Price range of laminate can be $1-6 depending on thickness, style, and design. At Abbasco we always recommend porcelain over laminate for main rooms in the house and only if the project is in the basement is laminates recommend. As a general rule of thumb, installing laminate will not subtract or add to the value of the house and is considered a neutral upgrade by most Ottawa general contractors.

Medium-Low cost – Carpet

This is also a very common home renovation request. As general contractors we get many clients wanting to purchase carpets and install them, many are unaware of the costs and value associations. Like vinyl carpet will depreciate the value of your home. Carpet can get dirty, carry allergens, and has a low life expectancy. You also have many cases of moisture leaks, carpet bumps, and many other problems associated with carpets. Carpets are also not cheap! They can get very expensive with prices ranging from $0.5-20 a sq foot! So always be weary when installing carpets.

Low cost – Vinyl

This is the cheap alternative to all other methods of flooring. This is great for new home builds due to cheap materials and standard installs. Vinyl can be a single sheet or can be in tiles, they are designed to provide the “look and feel” of tiles without the cost. Inherently vinyl is simple plastic tape on-top of your sub-floor and here at Abbasco we highly discourage customers to go with this option. It would be far more beneficial to pay the extra money and go for something that lasts 5x longer, is more durable, and looks much nicer. Vinyl would not be a good home improvement.

If we were to summarize this article up and conclude on what we here at Abbasco recommend for best return on investment for home renovations, it would be porcelain and hardwood. These two upgrades will increase the value of your home the most when taking into consideration material cost and general contractor installation cost. As with all projects, it may seem easy on TV however we highly recommend you get a professional general contractor to install your flooring. We hope this helps with your next home improvement and will add knowledge when talking with your home renovation experts.

This has been another quality article by the professionals at Abbas & Company, the leader in home renovations and general contracting in the Ottawa area.

 Rico Valdez - Abbas & Company - Ottawa Home Improvement Experts

Choosing the right home renovator

So you have decided to renovate your home? Perhaps it was the increase in home value, or maybe it was the unsightly empty basement, or maybe it was the persistent nagging from the husband/wife, whatever it was you now need to get the job done. The thoughts of doing it yourself probably even crossed your mind but then reality hits with the fact that you are not certified, you have no idea about electrical or plumbing, and you want the job to look good.

Many will waste their time and money attempting to renovate their own projects, only to wind up with a mediocre at best finished product.  Many on the other hand wind up with a disaster and eventually wind up calling a professional to finish off the installation thus costing them more money than if they would have went with a home renovations expert from the beginning.

Home renovation experts are individual who focus on doing the work themselves rather than subcontracting the work out entirely. Many companies in the industry simply sub-contract everything out and charge you the premium. Inherently they act as a middleman on your expense and in many situations may wind up costing you more money due to the bottom line. The incentive of the contractor is to hire the cheapest labor and charge you the maximum price. In doing so you will pay top dollar for average at best work.

In order to get the best value for your hard earned money, we recommend you hire a home renovations expert who does most of the work themselves or through a direct team of experts. This means that the contractor has a solid team of trusted members who are on the payroll and understand the business working on your project. This is opposed to a general contractor who hires 3-4 different contractors all independent of each other and all not working on the same page.

The key for finding an Ottawa general contractor is to focus on a company that provides you with the quality service at a value price, rather then quality price at a value service. With Abbas & Company you can expect our over 35 year experience will ensure that your project is in good hands by trained professionals who work with you to provide you with a real assessment of work to be done. We do not promise the world and fail to deliver at the end rather we work realistically with client setting the right expectations in order to ensure a job done right, by code, and within budget.

This has been another quality article brought to you by the experts at Abbas & Company Inc, Ottawa’s home renovation experts!


By: Ali Abbas - Abbas & Company - Ottawa Home Renovations Experts

A Guide To The Two Classes Of Ceramic Tile

This article will explain ceramic tiles, basically there are 2 main types of tile construction: glazed and unglazed. When you look at a glazed tile from the side, you can see 2 layers. The body of the tile, or largest layer, is called the bisque and the top layer is called the glaze. Glazed tiles have a hard non-porous, impermeable surface after firing. They are more stain resistant than unglazed tile and are easy to clean.
Unglazed tiles add a different beauty to your home flooring. These tiles are solid colored all the way through and do not have a top layer of glaze. This is often referred to as through-body construction. They have no additional surface applications and are typically more dense and durable than glazed tiles. Thus they are more suitable for interior and exterior applications where wearability is a concern therefore provide a more durable finish. If your home has areas of heavy activity or kid zones, unglazed tiles may be just the answer.
There are 5 steps in the ceramic tile manufacturing process: Mining, Blending and Mixing, Pressing, Glazing, and Firing.

Step 1: Basic and Organic.
The process begins with the mining of the raw materials, which is a mixture composed of mostly clay and minerals.

Step 2: Transform Mud into Fine Sand.
The clay and mineral mixture is blended and mixed into a semi fine powder. Water is added to form a wet slurry or mud-like consistency. Then the slurry is pumped into a large dryer. The result is a fine clay powder that feels like warm, fine sand.

Step 3: Form takes Shape.
Next, the clay is pressed or formed into a tile shape. These pressed tiles are called green tiles at this stage. There is also another method called extrusion which can replace the pressing step. Extruded tiles are formed by forcing the clay material through a mold for the desired shaped versus pressing the tile. However, pressing is the more common method used today. And after the green tiles are formed they are dried to remove some of the moisture.

Step 4: Glaze Phase.
It’s the next step in the manufacturing process for those tiles that will have a glaze. If the tile is to remain unglazed it skips this step and goes directly to the firing kiln. The glaze liquid is prepared from a glass derivative called frit and colored dyes. The glaze is applied by either a high-pressure spray or is poured directly onto the tile.

Step 5: Heat Things Up.
The ceramic tiles are now fired in the kiln at temperatures around 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Tiles that are fired once after the glaze is applied are called monocoturra tile or single fired. The other type is called biocuttura or double fired tile. Biocuturra tiles are first fired after the green tile is dried and then fired again after the glaze is applied.

An optional, durable choice is porcelain. Aside from the 2 types of ceramic tile, glazed and unglazed, there is another category that continues to gain popularity – beautiful, elegant, porcelain tile. Porcelain tile is made up of 50% feldspar and is fired at a much higher temperature than regular ceramic tile. This makes porcelain tile much harder and denser than other tile products. Their high performance and low water absorption ratings of less than 0.5 percent make these tiles a worthy choice for your home.

Additionally, porcelain tile can be used for interior and exterior applications as well as heavy or commercial areas. After the finished tiles have been inspected for quality assurances, they are packaged, crated and ready to be shipped.

Note to All Customers
Not all ceramic tiles are suitable for each area of your home. The beautiful, decorative tile you might put on your kitchen backsplash may not be recommended for installation on the floor. Most manufacturers have a rating system that is based on or supported by the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). Many times you can find these ratings on the tile sample or in the product cataloge.

The most common system rates ceramic tile abrasion resistance or the overall durability of the tile.

By: Ali Abbas - Abbas & Company - Ottawa Home Renovation Experts

Small To Medium Sized Bathroom Redecorating Ideas