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  • COMMAIK
    • Contact Form
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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
    • Build & Renovate
    • Irrigation
    • Carport
    • Gabions
    • Garden
    • Garden kitchen
    • Pool
    • Smart Home
    • Drying
    • Tutorials
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  • MSpa whirlpool for the sauna in the test

    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

    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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    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

    Inflatable whirlpool MSpa Alpine Tekapo – experience after 1 year

    7. November 2021
    A rectangular outdoor swimming pool with clear blue water is surrounded by gray tiled paving and pool edge stones. There is a small palm tree, green grass, and hedges in the background. Some tiling work appears unfinished on one side. www.commaik.de

    Laying pool edging stones and building your own pool terrace for the perfect pool surround

    8. December 2024
    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
  • Removing and extending a gabion wall on a slope

    A gabion retaining wall made of wire baskets filled with stones provides effective slope stabilization on a gravel-covered courtyard. Trimmed shrubs and small plants thrive behind the wall, framed by a wooden fence in the background. www.commaik.de

    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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    A close-up of gabion wire mesh panels forming a fence or retaining wall, with a black cable looped through the grid. Gravel and dirt are visible on the ground, and a white material lines the inside of the structure. www.commaik.de

    Securing a slope with gabions – fleece water conduits

    11. June 2020
    Several green plants grow in a gravel garden with purple flower spikes. Some are surrounded by black landscaping fabric and gray rocks arranged in wire mesh grids, forming a modern raised bed. A stone wall completes the background. www.commaik.de

    Secure raised bed on a slope with gabions and honeycomb fleece

    2. August 2020
    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
  • Perfect winterizing of lawn and irrigation system

    Three lawn mowers and a bag of lawn fertilizer lie on green grass next to a green area with white stones and a small palm tree. www.commaik.de

    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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    A close-up of a sprinkler spraying water over a lush, green lawn on a sunny day showcases the benefits of planning lawn irrigation, with a stone wall and some trees in the background. www.commaik.de

    Plan and install lawn irrigation yourself 2 – Calculating the water connection

    13. May 2020
    An outdoor Rain Bird irrigation control box with wiring is surrounded by gravel, drip tube, and plants, indicating the installation or maintenance of a garden watering system. www.commaik.de

    DIY ornamental bed with automatic Rain Bird drip tube irrigation

    2. February 2024
    Close-up of a Rain Bird mechanical irrigation control box with exposed cables, pipes, valves and connections, surrounded by gravel. The sunlight illuminates the area and highlights the various electrical and sanitary components. www.commaik.de

    Lawn Irrigation – Connect 4 Rain Bird Valves to Hunter X-Core Computer

    31. January 2021
  • Renovate basement ceiling yourself – safely replace steel beams

    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

    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.

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    A sturdy gabion basket filled with large rocks forms a retaining wall along a garden bed, with gravel on the ground beside it and plants growing nearby. www.commaik.de

    Slope stabilization with gabions – Building raised beds with gabions

    12. June 2020
    A yellow excavator is digging earth along a muddy construction site, creating a steep dirt slope next to trees and residential buildings, where gabion baskets may soon be installed for added slope stability. www.commaik.de

    Securing the slope with gabions – preparing the ground with the excavator

    25. April 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
  • Optimally illuminate carport with LED light – install camera and motion detector

    A modern, white carport is illuminated at night with bright electric lights. Behind it is a stone wall, and in the background a crescent moon hangs in the dark sky. Building materials and equipment can be seen in the surroundings. www.commaik.de

    The carport was finally finished. The roof was tight and the protective coating was also applied several times. Now I could devote myself to the electrics. In addition to lighting that had to be activated by a motion detector but also had to be switchable for continuous operation, at least 2 sockets also had to be accommodated in the carport. Of course, I also need the right cables and connections to be able to connect the amplifier’s speakers in the basement. After all, the carport should also serve as a shelter for celebrations in bad weather. Finally, of course, one of my surveillance cameras should also be installed on the…

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    A construction site with a foundation of concrete blocks, crushed stone flooring and wooden beams laid over the base, indicating the early stages of building a carport structure. www.commaik.de

    Build your own carport – calculate and adjust post lengths correctly

    26. September 2020
    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 gabion filled with stones forms a small retaining wall next to an evergreen bush and concrete blocks in a sloping, leaf-covered garden. The sunlight casts soft shadows on the scene. www.commaik.de

    Build your own carport – safely stabilize slopes with gabions

    4. October 2020
  • Build your own carport – calculate and adjust post lengths correctly

    A construction site with a foundation of concrete blocks, crushed stone flooring and wooden beams laid over the base, indicating the early stages of building a carport structure. www.commaik.de

    The kit for the carport was delivered and the weather was getting better every day. The construction of the carport was now within reach. In order for the construction to run smoothly, the work had to be well planned. As well as catering for the construction team, I had to make sure that I had the tools I needed in stock. I also had to check my preparatory work, especially the height of the post anchors, to avoid any nasty surprises when putting up the carport. In the following article, I write everything you need to know about the necessary tools and how to calculate the correct post lengths.

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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
    Concrete blocks are laid in a straight line to form a shuttering stone wall foundation, with a spirit level, wooden plank, and hammer on top; yellow guide lines ensure alignment. Soil and rocks can be seen in the background along the gentle slope. www.commaik.de

    Build your own carport – secure slope with shuttering blocks

    26. August 2020
    Two cars are parked under an elegant, modern carport made of white wood with a flat roof, which stands on a gravel surface next to a concrete wall. Trees and shrubs provide greenery in the background. www.commaik.de

    EasyCarport kit – delivery and accessories

    20. September 2020
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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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