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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
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  • Build your own garden kitchen – worktop and jamb for the outdoor kitchen

    Partially completed garden kitchen with unfinished wooden cabinets, a dark worktop, an open window, and power tools on the counter. Trees and buildings can be seen outside. www.commaik.de

    After completing the electrics and water supply in my outdoor garden kitchen, it was now time to install the worktop. I wanted to build the work area of the outdoor kitchen in such a way that I would have individual zones to work in for the barbecue, the bar and also the washbasin area. In this post, I describe in a step-by-step guide how I used OSB boards and Fermacell boards to create a stable and moisture-resistant base for the vinyl tiles. These measures were necessary to make the worktop robust, scratch-resistant and easy to clean, so that it meets the requirements of an outdoor kitchen.

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    A person in dark clothing stands by a white counter, holding a metal tube and a small rectangular device. Behind the counter is a white and black parking heater machine labeled Motour with various attachments and a red button. www.commaik.de

    Heating optimization: How to make your diesel parking heater quieter – pump and silencer in the test

    20. December 2025
    On a sunny day, a sprinkler waters a dry, patchy lawn in front of a blue shed, illustrating why it's important to plan for garden or lawn irrigation, with sunlight and green plants in the background. www.commaik.de

    Planning automatic garden irrigation: step-by-step instructions for efficient lawn irrigation

    21. February 2025
    A patch of grass with a hole dug in the soil, exposing underground cables for a robot lawn mower. Nearby are an orange cable locator tool, wires, a white hose, and two blue wire connectors. www.commaik.de

    Robot lawn mower – Find and repair a broken control cable easily

    19. January 2024
  • Reolink Duo 3 PoE surveillance camera tested against 2 RLC 810A

    A man stands thoughtfully next to a large question mark, with three Reolink security cameras and the Reolink logo displayed on a gray background, highlighting Reolink’s commitment to smart security solutions. www.commaik.de

    In my latest smart home project, I replaced my two Reolink RLC-810A cameras with the Reolink Duo 3 PoE surveillance camera with dual lens. I was particularly interested in whether the 180° detection of the Duo 3 PoE could actually improve the monitoring of my driveway and carport. With its 16-megapixel resolution and 2-way communication capability, the Duo 3 PoE promised superior technology and more comprehensive security. But would all the effort and financial investment really be worth it or were the two old camera models better? I would like to explore these questions in this blog post.

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    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

    Removing and extending a gabion wall on a slope

    15. November 2020
    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

    Optimally illuminate carport with LED light – install camera and motion detector

    27. September 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
  • Designing a smart and efficient garden kitchen – installing lights, sockets and water connections

    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

    The development of my garden kitchen has made significant progress, particularly in the areas of electrical installation, water installation and the integration of smart technologies for lighting and control. I’d like to give you some insight and practical tips on how I overcame these challenges, from carefully planning the lighting to installing smart sockets and light switches that enable flexible and efficient use.

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    Partially constructed wooden aviary with a small building at the back and an open wooden frame extending in front, set on a gravel and dirt foundation, surrounded by trees and a fence. www.commaik.de

    Build your own bird aviary – outdoor enclosure for rabbits, birds and guinea pigs

    2. September 2021
    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
    Various X-Sense smoke detector products, their packaging, mounting stickers, and a fire extinguisher are arranged on a wooden table with tools hanging on a pegboard in the background. www.commaik.de

    Network wireless smoke detectors across several floors: How X-Sense Link+ protects your whole house!

    21. July 2025
  • Build your own garden kitchen – solid half-timbered roof with OSB and welded sheeting for the outdoor kitchen

    Partially constructed garden kitchen with unfinished concrete block walls, a wooden roof, and a grill inside. The structure sits in a backyard, surrounded by trees visible in the background. www.commaik.de

    When building my garden kitchen, the next priority was to construct a robust wooden roof to create a sheltered area for the gas barbecue and work surfaces. The roof was to consist of solid wooden beams which I wanted to screw directly onto the walls made of glued aerated concrete blocks. The covering should be made with sheet piling and OSB boards. My plan also included fitting the guttering, the end plates and gluing the welding membrane to make the roof weatherproof. In this entry I will show you step by step how I carried out the individual installations and what I had to pay particular attention to. Of course,…

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    Two Anthbot robotic lawnmowers stand side by side on green grass, the sunlight illuminating their wheels and sensors in a backyard or garden. www.commaik.de

    Robot lawn mower without boundary wire in test: LiDAR vs RTK in comparison (ANTHBOT M5 vs M9)

    14. April 2026
    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
    An air conditioner is mounted on the exterior wall of a light-colored building, with a vertical pipe running alongside it. In the background, nearby houses and trees can be seen against a partly cloudy sky. www.commaik.de

    Installing Air Conditioning Yourself in an Older Building – Heating and Cooling in Practice

    27. June 2026
  • Build your own garden kitchen – plan and install the electrics

    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

    When building my garden kitchen, the electrics were one of the biggest challenges. In addition to the right cables for the power supply and the perfect positioning of the sockets, proper fuse protection was of course also necessary. It should also be possible to use a TV and a sound system in the garden kitchen at a later date. So I also had to plan for network and audio cables and install them in the garden kitchen.

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    A portable hcalory diesel heating unit sits inside a metal box with an open lid, next to a light gray wooden wall. Various hoses and a fuel tank are visible, along with ventilation pipes extending from the box. www.commaik.de

    Hcalory TB MAX 8 kW diesel heater in a practical test – compact all-in-one heater for camping, workshops and motorhomes

    9. November 2025
    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
    Open trench in a paved area with exposed cables, pipes, and a water pipe in the garden, surrounded by loose soil, bricks, and paving stones—signs of ongoing underground utility or lawn irrigation work. www.commaik.de

    Laying the water pipe in the garden: tips for connecting the water supply to the garden irrigation system

    10. March 2025
  • Renovating the garden terrace: switching from wood to WPC and aluminum profiles

    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

    The renovation of our garden terrace has been in the pipeline for some time. The larch wood of the substructure could no longer withstand the loads and slowly disintegrated. So after ten years under the open sky, it was time to give our terrace a fresh update with WPC boards. In this article, we take you on a journey of renewal – from the initial idea to the finished result.

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    A red and black portable parking heater is displayed on a table with its components, including hoses, wires, a remote, clamps, a silver exhaust pipe, a vent, and a small black bottle in a wooden workshop setting. www.commaik.de

    Diesel parking heater for animal house, workshop and camper: My test of the Vevor 8kW heater

    3. January 2025
    A man thoughtfully poses in front of images of the Argus Eco Ultra cameras, a solar panel, and a backyard pool. The Reolink logo is at the top right, with "Argus Eco Ultra" displayed prominently in bold text. www.commaik.de

    Reolink Argus Eco Ultra review: 4K rechargeable surveillance camera without subscription

    17. February 2025
    A Lymow One Plus robotic lawnmower with tank-like tracks sits on green grass, slightly dirty from use, in an outdoor area. www.commaik.de

    Lymow One Plus in test: RTK robot mower for large areas & difficult terrain

    29. March 2026
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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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