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  • COMMAIK
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  • 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
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  • Draining and waterproofing basements: Effective measures against moisture and flooding

    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 my cellar was a lengthy and challenging project that I implemented using various methods to permanently combat damp and mold. From waterproofing with injection methods to installing a pump sump and retrofitting a horizontal barrier – I share my experiences, the challenges and how the measures have proven themselves even under extreme weather conditions. Draining and waterproofing basements: In this blog post, I describe how homeowners can effectively combat moisture and mold to create a dry and healthy basement. Draining a damp cellar was an important step for me to preserve the building fabric and prevent mold growth. In this article, I’ll shed some light on the measures I…

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    A black Reolink NVR device is shown against a gray background. A large text in German reads "Hard disk retrofitting". The Reolink logo appears in the bottom left corner. www.commaik.de

    Expand Reolink NVR storage space – Installing and configuring hard disks correctly

    26. February 2026
    Graphic featuring multiple Reolink security cameras and a video recorder on a gray background, with “Reolink Firmware Update?!” highlighted in bold text at the center. www.commaik.de

    Update Reolink firmware quickly and safely: Step-by-step guide for cameras and NVRs

    7. February 2025
    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
  • 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.

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    Ein verwittertes Holztor mit zerbrochenen Bohlen steht vor einem schmalen gepflasterten Weg, umgeben von grünen Pflanzen und Bäumen. Das Tor ist leicht angelehnt und teilweise beschädigt. www.commaik.de

    Bad surprise – cable thieves strike

    18. September 2008
    A man holds a roll of infrared heating foil. An arrow points to a thermal image revealing heat distribution on the floor. The words Infrarot Heizfolie are displayed above. www.commaik.de

    Efficient heating with infrared heating foil: installation, experience and tips for electric wall heating

    11. February 2025
    A small wooden garden house with large windows stands on a concrete foundation, surrounded by dirt, construction materials, and wooden planks, set in an outdoor area with trees and houses in the background. www.commaik.de

    Build garden house with bird aviary yourself

    12. August 2021
  • Dry out the cellar yourself – infrared heating is used

    Plastic bottles attached to a pipe run along a brick wall in a basement or garage, probably part of a drainage system. Nearby is an easel or a whiteboard on blocks with several cables hanging above it. The floor is made of concrete. www.commaik.de

    In order to make the basement rooms of our over 100-year-old city villa usable, I first have to dry them out. The house is partially built into the slope. On the east side the basement floor is at ground level and on the west side about 200 cm below ground level. I have already used various methods for draining. I am currently creating a new watertight horizontal barrier in the masonry using chemical agents such as injection liquid, injection sticks and injection cream. I have already drained the eastern part of the cellar. Now it is the turn of the western part of the building. This time I let my…

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    Close-up of a heavily rusted and corroded basement metal girder with jagged edges showing considerable decay. A blurred ladder and a bright background can be seen through a large hole in the metal. www.commaik.de

    Renovate basement ceiling yourself – safely replace steel beams

    25. October 2020
    A gloved hand holds a white stick near a moldy wall. On the wooden floor, a silver packet labeled NOVUstick für nachträgliche Horizontalsperren contains 10 sticks for creating an effective horizontal barrier and improving drainage. www.commaik.de

    Drainage – retrofitting a horizontal barrier yourself

    24. January 2024
    A man in a black jacket points to the inside of a black, box-shaped electronic device with wires, next to a similar device with the inscription "KROAK TB2" on a gray background. www.commaik.de

    Kroak TB2 diesel parking heater 8kW: Unboxing, test & possible applications

    22. January 2025
  • New submersible pump defective – draining the cellar

    A red pump, an orange bucket, two plastic bottles and a hose stand in front of a rough, stained concrete wall with visible drops of water and pipes. www.commaik.de

    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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    A small red excavator is digging a pile of dirt in a backyard or construction area, with wooden sheds, a carport, and a fence in the background. The machine is operated by a person inside the cab. www.commaik.de

    Build carport yourself – prepare building site

    26. August 2020
    A metal wire gabion cage is positioned on muddy ground next to soil, with black cylindrical planting trays and other gabions nearby, likely at a construction or landscaping site. www.commaik.de

    Securing slopes with gabions – building corners and curves

    19. August 2020
    A yellow spirit level rests on top of an upright orange PVC pipe in a muddy trench, with a green string line stretched nearby for alignment and a post anchor ready for secure installation. www.commaik.de

    Build your own carport – embedding post anchors in concrete

    26. August 2020
  • Drying basement – pump sump | build septic tank yourself

    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

    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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    A red pump, an orange bucket, two plastic bottles and a hose stand in front of a rough, stained concrete wall with visible drops of water and pipes. www.commaik.de

    New submersible pump defective – draining the cellar

    27. January 2021
    A compact kitchen countertop with a black round washbasin, black faucet, sponge, dish soap, stainless steel electric kettle, and a Bosch dishwasher below, set against a gray textured wall with two power outlets. www.commaik.de

    Install granite washbasin with tap yourself

    3. February 2020
    Plastic bottles attached to a pipe run along a brick wall in a basement or garage, probably part of a drainage system. Nearby is an easel or a whiteboard on blocks with several cables hanging above it. The floor is made of concrete. www.commaik.de

    Dry out the cellar yourself – infrared heating is used

    23. February 2021

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.

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