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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
    • 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
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  • Draining the basement with a new horizontal barrier – conclusion after 9 months

    A man with gray hair and a thoughtful expression stands in front of a textured beige wall with faded markings, while a large white arrow points to a spot where a horizontal barrier was installed for drying purposes. www.commaik.de

    It is now nine months since our old damp cellar was drained with a retrofitted horizontal barrier – time to take stock. In a building over 100 years old like ours, which was built without the foundation waterproofing that is common today, moisture in the basement is a real challenge. As the rising damp in our cellar became increasingly visible, I installed a new horizontal barrier with injection cream in the thick cellar walls to create a barrier against the ground moisture. In this article, I show in detail what effect the moisture barrier has had, where problems still exist and what other measures seem sensible to keep the cellar…

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    29. March 2026
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    Diesel parking heater for animal house, workshop and camper: My test of the Vevor 8kW heater

    3. January 2025
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    Install surveillance cameras yourself – IP camera network explained simply

    16. January 2026
  • Drainage – retrofitting a horizontal barrier yourself

    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

    In addition to draining the outside of my villa, which was built in 1900, some of the basement walls also need to be sealed from the inside. The horizontal barrier in the 36 to 80 centimeter thick walls is no longer in tact. This time I dared to install a retrofit horizon blocker and used the NovuSticks for this. Here I describe my approach and my experiences.

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    A man points to security camera equipment, featuring a Reolink Altas PT Ultra camera, solar panel, and hub, with a backyard pool and patio area in the background. The Reolink logo is displayed on the left. www.commaik.de

    Reolink Altas PT Ultra: The powerful 4K battery-powered surveillance camera in a test

    13. October 2024
    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 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

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  • 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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    Securing slopes with gabions – installing stones correctly

    19. August 2020
    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 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

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    15. November 2020
  • 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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    7. November 2021
    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 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

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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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