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  • The Villa
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  • COMMAIK
    • Contact Form
    • Imprint
    • Privacy Policy
  • 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 Policy
  • Imprint
  • Contact Form
  • 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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    Exposed wooden beams and metal pipes of a building under construction or renovation, with a partially demolished wall near the future terrace and scattered debris on the ground. Sunlight casts shadows across the scene. www.commaik.de

    Building a new pool – dismantling BPC decking and pool technology

    12. March 2021
    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
    Black pipes on a rooftop pool heating system in the foreground, with a backyard swimming pool, lawn, stone wall, blue shed, and covered seating area in the background on a sunny day. www.commaik.de

    Pool heating with ribbed pipe systems – Build your own solar heating for the pool

    13. April 2025
  • 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 modern house stands behind tall gabion walls filled with rocks under a sunny sky. The ground in front is scattered with wood chips and construction materials, while trees and blue sky frame the scene in the background. www.commaik.de

    Securing a 30-meter slope with gabions – setting up and aligning the stone baskets

    1. May 2020
    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
    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
  • 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 person holds a trencher, creating trenches in a grassy yard for irrigation. Several orange buckets filled with soil are placed around the dug areas, with a brick path on the right and a stone building in the background. www.commaik.de

    Installing a lawn sprinkler: Step-by-step instructions for watering your garden

    21. March 2025
    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
    Sprinkler system components and hoses are laid out on a bin next to a green lawn and a hedge, ready for irrigation installation in the garden. www.commaik.de

    Build your own automatic hedge watering system

    11. June 2020
  • 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 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
    Sprinkler system components and hoses are laid out on a bin next to a green lawn and a hedge, ready for irrigation installation in the garden. www.commaik.de

    Build your own automatic hedge watering system

    11. June 2020
    Modern garden kitchen with a wooden roof, barbecue grill, counters, and bar area illuminated by soft yellow and purple LED lights, set against a twilight sky for an inviting light-filled outdoor retreat. www.commaik.de

    Designing a smart and efficient garden kitchen – installing lights, sockets and water connections

    5. April 2024
  • 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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    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
    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
    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
  • 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 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
    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
    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
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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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