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

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    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

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

    29. March 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 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
    A surveillance control room with six security cameras surrounding a Reolink recording device on a desk, monitors displaying blurred Reolink footage in the background. www.commaik.de

    The best storage solutions for Reolink surveillance cameras: recommendations & experiences

    31. January 2025
    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

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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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    Bad surprise – cable thieves strike

    18. September 2008
    A metal heating box with hoses attached sits open next to a building, revealing machinery and a plastic container inside; the box appears to be an outdoor equipment unit or possibly a parking heater. www.commaik.de

    Installing a mobile diesel parking heater in the garden shed

    15. January 2025
    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
  • 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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    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

    Draining the cellar – 1 year later

    31. December 2021
    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

    Drying basement – pump sump | build septic tank yourself

    10. January 2021
    A close-up of a black plastic pipe connected to a rusted metal fitting, surrounded by wet, muddy soil and remnants of an old clay pipe—evidence of recent underground plumbing or pipe repair work. www.commaik.de

    A new HT drain is tied into the old clay pipe

    2. January 2018

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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