Maxine brings her experience from the promotional and marketing world to Abarent Construction Ltd. Along with her marketing efforts Maxine lends a hand at the office when needed during the busy season. You can always find Maxine hard at work with a smile on her face greeting Abarent clients.
Konstantin Ashkinadze, P.Eng. has over 30 years experience in various fields of residential, commercial and industrial construction in Canada and Russia. He has been involved with Abarent for 15 years as a consultant and recently joined us as our Engineering Manager. Konstantin brings in his advanced theoretical and extensive practical knowledge in foundations, soils and building structures. His particular strength and passion is investigative inspections; if you want to know what is going wrong with your property, he would be the person to ask! Konstantin is an expert in different systems of underpinning, remedial secondary foundations and “reading” the sometimes, convoluted framing arrangements of old houses. This, and his ability to think outside the box come instrumental in choosing the best remedial strategy to your unique problem. Besides engineering, Konstantin is an avid badminton and chess player, guitarist, singer and songwriter, and a nature enthusiast.
Travis has 10 years of experience in the construction industry, 5 of which have been with Abarent Construction. Working in various capacities from customer service to working in the field; Travis is a valuable asset to the team. Recently, Travis has graduated college with a diploma in Architectural Technologies. He brings with him his knowledge of building science and technical drawings while working closely with our structural engineer to create construction drawings for many of our structural projects. Outside of work, Travis plays an active role in the community and enjoys spending time with family.
Water damage to a basement is costly, both on your wallet and on your nerves. There are several options for basement flooring, but not all of them are ideal in situations of flooding or water leakage, which can damage your floor and floorboards. Ideally, you want to use materials that are cost-effective (won’t cost you a fortune should they need to be replaced) and offer a quick dry time without the risk of mold.
The following basement flooring options are best suited for all basements, but especially for basements that are prone to water damage or have a history of water damage.
The least expensive and worry-free basement flooring option is your existing concrete. Rather than cover your concrete with additional materials that risk damage or mold in a water prone basement, keep your concrete exposed with a stone-look finish. There are paints, stains and epoxies available specifically for concrete floors that can add a rustic and elegant finish to your basement floor, without the added cost should your basement flood.
Luxury vinyl tiles are elegant, water-resistant, and warm underfoot without the risk of chips or cracks like ceramic tile.The tiles install easily over concrete, with or without grout, and come in a wide range of style options, such as hardwood, slate or a stone-look finish. If water leaks or spills on the floor should happen, it’s no problem, just grab the mop, wipe, and you’re done. Vinyl flooring is made from synthetic materials rather than organic, such as plywood, hardwood and carpet, so it stands up against moisture far better.
Laminate hardwood floors are a suitable basement flooring option because it is not real wood, which would get severely damaged should your basement flood, yet it looks like wood. The plastic coating of laminate hardwood adds durability and easy clean-up for those who are tougher on their floors.
However, what’s critical for laminate flooring is the subfloor system you install along with it. Many subfloors include plywood which, once wet, can be costly to replace and has a higher risk of developing mold. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you want to add an extra layer of protection to give the flooring the ability to dry. Products like Amdry Insulated Subfloors are designed specifically for subfloor systems that require better insulation and air flow between floor and concrete.
All of the basement flooring options above offer durability, water resistance and cost-effective solutions to water prone basements or basements with a history of water damage. Make sure that the basement flooring option you choose is installed by professionals who use materials that will reduce the chance of damage and mold created by excessive water, just like you would contact professionals to aide in a basement flooded by water.
Does your basement need waterproofing or water leak repair? Contact our professionals at Abarent Construction.
Support and stability are two of the most important aspects of any home. When it comes to major repairs, sometimes it’s the small warning signs that lead you to find the bigger, more concerning issues for your foundation. The only problem is, how do you know when you to seek expertise for something that seems quite small but if left too long, could potentially lead to something more costly?
Foundation shifts and settling are common for any home and coming across small cracks can be quite a normal find. We have noted 3 seemingly small signs to keep an eye out for and when you may need to call in the experts.
Cracks
Small, diagonal, and interior cracks can be caused from a variety of issues but any crack wider than three millimetres in width should not be ignored. Have a professional inspect the crack if you notice any wide cracks on interior and exterior walls. If there are any long cracks in your foundation, it’s a good indicator that you will need foundation repair.
Leaks
Got a leak in your roof? This can be a sign of foundation shifting. Continuous leaking can lead to more serious foundational issues like rotting or warping wood. Get someone to come out and take a look if you have had a continuous leak in one area of your home.
Collecting Water
Have you noticed water collecting near the foundation of your home? In many cases, collecting water can be a sign of problematic drainage. Seek an expert’s opinion of the pooling water, just to be safe. Drainage issues can become a costly repair if paired with a crack in the foundation of your home, which eventually can lead to significant water damage and foundation issues.
As with any home repair, small warning signs can be easily detected with the help of an expert.
Abarent will help you perform foundation inspections and foundation repair before they become a major problem. Notice any of these signs? Call an Abarent expert to come take a look.
We spend a lot of time working in construction because we are passionate about the work and we care about the people we get to help.
Back 20 years ago or more, teams like us depended on happy customers telling people about how Abarent helped them save their homes and prevent damage through foundation repair, piling, waterpoofing, and more. We are extremely thankful to every customer who talked to their friends and colleagues that needed a foundation repair company.
But these days, it’s a lot easier to help spread the word about the people and companies that leave you with a great experience: online reviews. And we appreciate our customers who take the time to leave reviews about their experiences with us, so we decided to offer a promotion!
Head to our reviews page, leave a review and you will receive a $50 Salisbury Greenhouse gift card. Just notify our office the minute you get the review up, and we’ll send you the gift card right away!
Knowing how we do is extremely important to us. It’s one of the best ways for us to know that we’re doing the best work we can. Let us know how we do by reviewing Abarent Construction here.
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A window well is the excavated area outside of your basement window that is similar to a trench, and consists of a steel metal sheet that acts as a retaining wall against the surrounding dirt to help drain water away. All basement window wells must be built below grade and require proper drainage installed to prevent water leaking inside your basement. Unfortunately, mistakes are made and some people do experience water damage to their basement caused by improper installation of their window well.
When a basement window is the source of water damage, the next step is to contact a window well repair professional to assess the area and determine the cause for well failure. Common problems include a homeowner installing a new or enlarging an existing window well and not excavating down to the weeping tile for proper drainage, or the well was not properly attached to the wall of the home. When a window well is not properly attached, the ground beneath the well shifts from Edmonton’s freezing temperatures which can lift the well and cause soil and debris to plug the drain pipe.
To solidify window well repair, hire a team who has the equipment to properly excavate down to the weeping tile and the ability to pack down soil firm to prevent ground shift issues throughout each season. Window well waterproofing is done once the area is properly excavated, the well is properly fastened to the wall, and gravel is laid down at the footing above the weeping tile and at the base of the window to allow water to slowly flow to the storm drain.
The team at Abarent Construction ltd. has over 20 years of experience in window well repair and window well upgrading. Get in touch with us if your window well is causing a concern. We can discuss your concerns and let you know about your options. We serve BC and Alberta and have offices in Edmonton and Vancouver.
Dori Braddell, HR Manager, has over 2 decades of experience recruiting and managing employees. She believes that employees are the company’s most valuable assets. When not enjoying fun with her husband Kevin and 2 young boys, Dori is a very active volunteer at her children’s school and many local charities.
