Almost every person has to do repairs on their own at least once in a lifetime. When the task is to beautifully and efficiently lay ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles, certain difficulties arise here. A qualified specialist will not be able to do such work. But what in this situation to do to a person without experience?
It turns out that there is a solution: the DLS system will come to the rescue. Laying tiles with its help allows you to create the most even tiled surface on the floors and walls, even for a novice. Unlike the classic version, the DLS system saves energy and significantly reduces the time for laying tiles.
Operating principle
The system includes:
- The basis. Plastic inserts with antennae 1.5 mm thick.
- Wedges. Made of high impact plastic. Their number should be equal to the number of bases. Wedges are pushed into the base eye and leveled with a clamp. Unlike warp, wedges are reusable.
- Clamp. This device is the main thing when working with the system.
What is the secret of the DLS system? Laying tiles, as a rule, is on the shoulder of professional masters. But not everyone knows why. The main problem is to get the same seams and even ceramic surface. The technology of laying tiles with the DLS system makes it possible to prevent subsidence and shear of the laid material during drying.
At the initial stage, an adhesive base is applied, on which the coating will spread. After that, the tile is laid on the surface and is fixed on all sides by bases, into which the wedges are inserted. Using the clamp, the surface is leveled. As soon as the glue dries, the wedges are knocked out with a hammer.
When laying the ceramic coating on the wall, it should be noted that the initial row must be as flat and even as possible, because in the future it will simplify installation and will not require an auxiliary tool.
Advantages and disadvantages
The DLS tile laying and leveling system was originally invented in order to make life easier for the average person. She provided the opportunity to perform such professional work as laying tiles, with her own hand.
Key benefits of DLS:
- Saves time. Using the system, you can lay tiles 4 times faster than in the traditional way.
- Even a novice can lay the tiles.
- In the process, there are no differences in level between the tile joints and they turn out perfectly smooth.
- Allows installation of tiles on the floor and on the wall. Thanks to the system, it is possible to lay the initial row as evenly as possible, ensuring the correct position of subsequent rows of wall covering.
- Using the system, you can simultaneously align 4 adjacent tiles, which significantly speeds up the laying process.
- Does not need to install crosses and remove them.
- Minimum garbage that remains at the end of work.
- Wedges and clamps can be reused, which significantly saves costs during subsequent installation.
As for the minuses of the system, there are not many. But still worth mentioning them.
The main disadvantage is the relatively high cost of components. Nevertheless, in the long run it will be cheaper than paying for the services of a specialist tiler.
Another disadvantage of the system is that you can only adjust the tile until the adhesive base dries. Although considering that DLS guarantees even stacking, this is not so important. But still, it doesn’t hurt to be sure of the quality of the laid surface before the adhesive mixture hardens.
In general, the DLS system for laying and leveling tiles has only positive reviews.
DLS or SVP: which one is better?
The SVP system is currently used no less actively. Both systems are similar in application, however, have some differences.
- Unlike SVP, the DLS tile laying and leveling system affects 4 tiles at the same time, which reduces the time it takes to complete work.
- When using the SVP system, the air temperature should not fall below 10 degrees. In the case of DLS, there are no such restrictions.
- DLS makes it possible to work with any material up to 1.2 cm thick; SVP is suitable only for ceramics and porcelain.
From this it follows that DLS is a more modern and advanced system than SVP. The developers retained in it all the advantages of their predecessor and at the same time eliminated its shortcomings.
Methods of mounting tiles with a DLS system
What else is a good DLS system for?
Laying tiles in this way can be performed in three different ways:
- Crosswise - 4 tiles are simultaneously fixed.
- T-shaped - work occurs with 2 tiles.
- Without intersection - 1 tile is fixed.
Using these techniques allows you to create a variety of patterns from the stacked material.
Thus, the universal DLS system provides tremendous assistance in the installation of tile surfaces. It justifies acquisition costs and is easy to operate. But the most important thing that the DLS system provides is that tile laying is now available not only to professional veneers, but also to everyone.