• Privacy
  • Imprint
  • Contact Form
  • COMMAIK
    • Contact Form
    • Imprint
    • Privacy
  • The Villa
    • The top floor
    • The upper floor
    • The first floor
    • The cellar
    • The garden
  • Stories from the construction
    • irrigation
    • Photovoltaics
    • Pool and terrace
    • SmartHome
    • The planning
    • The demolition
    • The installation
    • Machinery
    • Restoration and working techniques
    • This and that
  • Videos
    • Build & Renovate
    • Irrigation
    • Carport
    • Gabions
    • Garden
    • Garden kitchen
    • Pool
    • Smart Home
    • Drying
    • Tutorials
  • TESTED & RATED
    • Heating solutions & energy
    • Outdoor & Garten
    • Pool & garden kitchen
    • Security & Smart Home
    • Tools & DIY
  • Commaik Music
  • COMMAIK
    • Contact Form
    • Imprint
    • Privacy
  • The Villa
    • The top floor
    • The upper floor
    • The first floor
    • The cellar
    • The garden
  • Stories from the construction
    • irrigation
    • Photovoltaics
    • Pool and terrace
    • SmartHome
    • The planning
    • The demolition
    • The installation
    • Machinery
    • Restoration and working techniques
    • This and that
  • Videos
    • Build & Renovate
    • Irrigation
    • Carport
    • Gabions
    • Garden
    • Garden kitchen
    • Pool
    • Smart Home
    • Drying
    • Tutorials
  • TESTED & RATED
    • Heating solutions & energy
    • Outdoor & Garten
    • Pool & garden kitchen
    • Security & Smart Home
    • Tools & DIY
  • Commaik Music
  • Privacy
  • Imprint
  • Contact Form
  • Install Reolink RLN36 NVR | Install hard disk and set up camera

    Reolink NVR device on a gray background with large "Reolink NVR" text above it; a hand can be seen in the background installing a hard drive inside the Reolink security system. www.commaik.de

    To monitor my property, I had set up a camera surveillance system. Nine Hikvison and Trendnet cameras monitored every nook and cranny on the site. The data was stored on a QNAP NAS. The system ran cleanly and stably – but also at the capacity limit. The amount of data from the cameras was simply too large and I had to think about how to future-proof my surveillance system. I therefore decided to set up a Reolink camera system and store the data on an NVR, a network video recorder. In this post I show you how I went about it.

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    Diagram showing two triangular fields of view in front of a house at night from a reolink Wi-Fi security camera: one labeled 180° Sichtfeld (larger area) and the other 100° Sichtfeld (smaller area). A person walks by. www.commaik.de

    180° surveillance test: These 4 Reolink cameras secure your home seamlessly

    4. May 2025
    A man stands on the left, fist raised, next to a large Reolink Argus security camera and solar panel. In the background, a modern backyard with a swimming pool is visible, with the Reolink logo in the top right. www.commaik.de

    Reolink Argus 4 Pro review: The wireless surveillance camera with 4K and ColorX technology

    8. July 2024
    A man points at a metal heating box containing machinery and a yellow fluid tank; a large white arrow indicates transferring liquid from a red fuel container into the parking heater. www.commaik.de

    Upgrading the diesel parking heater: Installing a tank extension for the mobile heating box

    19. January 2025
  • Lawn care in spring for the perfect lawn

    A manicured garden with a palm tree, landscape stones, lawn care equipment, a bag of fertilizer and two lawn mowers on a neatly trimmed green lawn. www.commaik.de

    It’s the beginning of March and winter is slowly retreating. It’s time for me to take care of my garden and bring it out of hibernation. Today I want to take care of my lawn. There is a lot to do, especially in spring. Mowing the lawn, fertilizing the lawn, reseeding the lawn, in addition to scarifying and aerating, are just a few things that I would like to tackle today. I also have to reactivate my water taps and my lawn irrigation system after the winter.

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    An irrigation control system with pipes, valves, and wires is installed beside a stone-filled trench near a raised bed in the garden. Purple flowers and soil are visible in the background. www.commaik.de

    Building a raised bed on a slope with gabions and automatic irrigation

    2. August 2020
    Modern garden kitchen with a built-in grill, stovetop, drawers, and cabinets against a textured gray concrete look wall. Dark countertops and light concrete floors complete the style. A lantern and small appliances sit on the counter. www.commaik.de

    Designing a garden kitchen with a concrete look: Instructions for robust walls in the outdoor kitchen

    25. October 2024
    A metal heating box with hoses attached sits open next to a building, revealing machinery and a plastic container inside; the box appears to be an outdoor equipment unit or possibly a parking heater. www.commaik.de

    Installing a mobile diesel parking heater in the garden shed

    15. January 2025
  • Set up 2. balcony power station and connect in series.

    Two large solar panels, part of a balcony power plant, are mounted on a wooden platform outside a modern house, angled to capture sunlight beneath a partly cloudy sky. www.commaik.de

    Despite my balcony power plant in the backyard and lower electricity consumption, electricity costs keep going up. According to the http://strom-report.de, KWh of electricity costs an average of 34.6 cents. New contracts currently cost as much as 41 cents. It is therefore necessary to think about cost-effective alternatives and to add another module to my existing Balkan power plant. But can I connect 2 different PV modules together at all? Do I need a new inverter for two modules or can I continue to use the two old micro inverters?

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    Two large solar panels for a balcony power plant stand on wooden pallets outdoors. An arrow points from 600W to 800W. Inset images highlight the panels, power inverter, and cables, showcasing the system's details. www.commaik.de

    800W balcony power plant easy to install & optimize by yourself

    2. October 2023
    A person stands on a rooftop with solar panels and a balcony power plant, pointing toward a graphic showing a Zendure SuperBase energy storage unit. A modern house and trees are visible in the background. www.commaik.de

    Optimize balcony power plant – New modules and 220V battery storage for maximum efficiency

    26. July 2024
    Screenshot of a solar panel monitoring app displaying the Statistik section. The background highlights blue solar panels, with the main heading reading Balcony Power System and a note showing it was last updated 5 minutes ago. www.commaik.de

    Balcony power station – Set up the Solarman app optimally

    29. October 2023
  • Draining the cellar – 1 year later

    In a damp cellar, plastic containers are inserted into holes at the base of a brick wall to dry out the room. A red dehumidifier and various appliances can be seen in the background. www.commaik.de

    I have been working on draining the cellar for a good 2 years. In addition to repairs to the pipe system, ventilation concepts, dehumidifiers, dryers and a pump shaft in the cellar, I also installed a subsequent horizontal barrier with a masonry injection. It is now time for a review and a summary of the individual measures.

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    A construction site with a stone retaining wall and gabion wire mesh reinforcement in front of a modern house; soil and building materials are scattered in the foreground. www.commaik.de

    Slope stabilization – stack gabions safely on top of each other

    21. August 2020
    A photo showing construction tools and materials: two yellow buckets with gravel, an orange bucket, a red pump sump for drainage, a circular saw blade, a power drill, and a spirit level, all placed on a rough concrete floor. www.commaik.de

    Drying basement – pump sump | build septic tank yourself

    10. January 2021
    A worn, empty concrete pit with rusty beams, exposed pipes, and draining buckets—one orange and one green—sits against stained, aged walls in a dimly lit basement-like area. www.commaik.de

    Draining and waterproofing basements: Effective measures against moisture and flooding

    24. November 2024
  • Build your own garden kitchen – brick and glue walls with aerated concrete

    Partially built garden kitchen with light-colored gas concrete blocks, open walls and unfinished columns on a concrete foundation. Trees and a wire fence can be seen in the background. www.commaik.de

    After the base of the new garden kitchen was set and aligned with the gas concrete blocks, I could now start building the walls with the Ytong blocks. A special feature here should become the bar counter of the pool bar, in addition to the window on the south side.

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    Close-up of a partially constructed wooden deck, ideal for a garden terrace renovation, with a drill, screws, hammer, and metal brackets on top of the decking boards; metal framing and groundwork visible underneath. www.commaik.de

    Renovating the garden terrace: switching from wood to WPC and aluminum profiles

    17. March 2024
    Modern garden kitchen with a built-in grill, stovetop, drawers, and cabinets against a textured gray concrete look wall. Dark countertops and light concrete floors complete the style. A lantern and small appliances sit on the counter. www.commaik.de

    Designing a garden kitchen with a concrete look: Instructions for robust walls in the outdoor kitchen

    25. October 2024
    Partially built outdoor wall of white concrete blocks with exposed electrics, a level tool, and a hammer on top—ideal for a future garden kitchen. A canopy and stacked firewood appear in the background. www.commaik.de

    Build your own garden kitchen – plan and install the electrics

    19. March 2024
  • Inflatable whirlpool MSpa Alpine Tekapo – experience after 1 year

    An inflatable whirlpool filled with bubbling water with the bold lettering Whirlpool Sauna & Spa MSpa Alpine and a red border to emphasize the soothing whirlpool experience. www.commaik.de

    We were able to extensively test our inflatable hot tub, the MSpa Alpine, for a good year. Now it’s time to give feedback on usage, maintenance, pros and cons. Is a whirlpool bath worth it? What are the running costs? What problems arise when installing the pool in the basement? I will explore all these questions in the following article. I have written a first article on the construction of the whirlpool here.

    Weiterlesen

    Ähnliche Beiträge

    A large pile of broken concrete and rubble sits on the floor of an unfinished construction site, surrounded by concrete walls and building materials, hinting at future plans for a pool installation. www.commaik.de

    Converting the pool – demolishing the old retaining walls

    23. March 2021
    An inflatable, square whirlpool filled with bubbling water stands in the interior next to a window and a wooden wall with the MSpa brand on the front. www.commaik.de

    MSpa whirlpool for the sauna in the test

    20. December 2020
    Partially constructed cinder block walls on a wet concrete floor, with stacked bricks and construction materials, including pipes and cables, suggest preparations to build a pool. The area appears to be under construction. www.commaik.de

    Build your own pool – Masonry walls with reinforcement | Set formwork stones

    8. August 2021
1112131415

Autor & Blogger

In this construction diary, we share our experience in the renovation and modernization of our Art Nouveau villa and hope to give a few suggestions and tips to some of you.

commaik.de © 2026
  • Contact Form
  • Privacy
  • Imprint
  • Change privacy settings
  • Cookie policy
  • English
  • Deutsch (German)