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New submersible pump defective – draining the cellar
Two months ago I built a sump pit with a sump pump in my cellar to collect the water seeping into it and further dry out my cellar. A submersible pump with an integrated float switch should then pump the water out via a hose. Unfortunately, things turned out quite differently. The new submersible pump in the pump sump was defective after just a few weeks. Read this article to find out why the pump was destroyed and how the draining process continued.
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Drying basement – pump sump | build septic tank yourself
I built a sump pump at the lowest point of my house to help drain my cellar in the long term. The water is collected there and pumped out automatically. In this article, I describe how I built the soakaway and what I had to pay particular attention to. I go into the advantages and disadvantages of this method of draining the cellar and of course also write about whether this method works. Drying out the basement of my 120 year old house has been going on for 12 months now. In the interior, I have previously used the injection method to dry out. The areas above the barrier layer…
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MSpa whirlpool for the sauna in the test
The MSpa hot tub had proved to be an excellent addition to my small spa area in the basement, especially after long and tiring days at work. I had created this area to relax and unwind after such days. Especially in winter, the combination of sauna and whirlpool was an excellent way to both relax and strengthen my immune system. Until now, I had had to do without a refreshing dip as our garden pool was unusable in winter.
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Removing and extending a gabion wall on a slope
The small slope below the parking lot was secured with a gabion wall last year. I created a raised bed between the wall of stone baskets and the parking lot and planted the first plants. The raised bed has an automatic watering system and is additionally secured with a honeycomb fleece. The area in front of the office now looks tidier and cleaner than before. Our visitors are offered a much more beautiful picture. The slope was also secured against slipping with the stone baskets. In this article I describe how I extended the existing gabion wall with an additional stone basket.
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Perfect winterizing of lawn and irrigation system
It’s fall and the cold winter is approaching. It is therefore high time to prepare the lawn and the lawn irrigation system for the cold and frosty temperatures by winterizing. My main focus today is on making my garden ready for winter, which includes taking care of the lawn and making sure the automatic lawn watering system is frost-proof.
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Renovate basement ceiling yourself – safely replace steel beams
Our art nouveau villa was built in 1900 and has a full basement. However, there is another, previously unrenovated cellar beneath the basement. This was used in the past as a vegetable cellar and air raid shelter. The climate is therefore cool and humid. Over the years, leaking pipes on the outside have led to major water damage in this area. For years, rainwater from a roof area of more than 100 square meters ran directly into the masonry. This, of course, had a considerable impact on the building fabric. The steel beams in the basement ceiling are badly rusted and the floor is blown up.
