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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
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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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    Hardy palms for the garden – these 5 species can withstand frost down to -15 °C

    30. March 2025
    A man stands beside images of a backyard with a pool. A Reolink Trackmix PoE security camera is shown on the left, with the Reolink logo at the top right and smart home icons above the garden scene. www.commaik.de

    Reolink TrackMix PoE – 4K dual lens surveillance camera review

    20. July 2024
    A black Reolink NVR device is shown against a gray background. A large text in German reads "Hard disk retrofitting". The Reolink logo appears in the bottom left corner. www.commaik.de

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

    26. February 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 person stands on a rooftop with solar panels and a balcony power plant, pointing toward a graphic showing a Zendure SuperBase energy storage unit. A modern house and trees are visible in the background. www.commaik.de

    Optimize balcony power plant – New modules and 220V battery storage for maximum efficiency

    26. July 2024
    Close-up of an ALLPOWERS powerstation with a digital display showing 74% battery, 499W output, and several connected cables and outlets on the front panel. www.commaik.de

    LiFePo4 Powerstation – mobile storage for stand-alone PV systems

    5. January 2024
    A man points at a metal heating box containing machinery and a yellow fluid tank; a large white arrow indicates transferring liquid from a red fuel container into the parking heater. www.commaik.de

    Upgrading the diesel parking heater: Installing a tank extension for the mobile heating box

    19. January 2025
  • 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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    A large pile of broken concrete and rubble sits on the floor of an unfinished construction site, surrounded by concrete walls and building materials, hinting at future plans for a pool installation. www.commaik.de

    Converting the pool – demolishing the old retaining walls

    23. March 2021
    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
    An irrigation control system with pipes, valves, and wires is installed beside a stone-filled trench near a raised bed in the garden. Purple flowers and soil are visible in the background. www.commaik.de

    Building a raised bed on a slope with gabions and automatic irrigation

    2. August 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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    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 worn, empty concrete pit with rusty beams, exposed pipes, and draining buckets—one orange and one green—sits against stained, aged walls in a dimly lit basement-like area. www.commaik.de

    Draining and waterproofing basements: Effective measures against moisture and flooding

    24. November 2024
    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

    MSpa whirlpool for the sauna in the test

    20. December 2020

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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