We’ve seen many interiors with lights in strategic places, like behind a mirror or under a bed. This type of accent lighting can be achieved with LED strip lights. The LED strip light is a ribbon with LED strips along the length. Strip lights usually come with adhesive so they can be stuck in small crevices, highlighting certain fixtures.
LED strip lights are bright, reaching 100 lumens/metre. This makes them effective in drawing attention to a focal point. Most strip lights are also dimmable and easy to adjust based on mood and atmosphere. Furthermore, LED strip lights can change colour, from cold to warm, depending on your need.
At AL Lighting, we have an LED strip light collection with various colours and shapes. They are highly versatile and controllable with a remote or a switch. We have outdoor and indoor strip lights, with an IP rating ranging from 20-65.
Different Ways to Mount LED Strip Lights
- With mounting clips: Mounting clips, (white brackets) help secure LED strips to any surface with screws, like walls or wood.
- With mounting channel: These aluminium channels make the ribbon portable and easy to install.
- With adhesive back: The adhesive in the back of the ribbon is the easiest way to mount strip lights. You can stick it anywhere. The ones that don’t come with an adhesive side can easily be glued on any surface.
What are LED Strip Lights for?
LED strip lights are versatile lighting solutions for both indoors and outdoors. Most homeowners and businesses use strip lights as accent lighting, drawing focus to a particular fixture in the space. Hence, many interior designers use LED strip lights to light up a mirror, frame the ceiling, light up the stairway, and illuminate a pathway.
Other than that, LED strip lights make good decorations, too. Put them inside a painting or photo frame and you get yourself a customised decor. The light ribbon is also flexible and shapable into various shapes for decoration.
They are also great for lighting up small crevices. You can stick the LED ribbon inside wall slats and in-between tile. Strip lights are also great for bedrooms. For example, if you own a small bedroom, you can put the strip lights above the headboard or under the bedframe, eliminating the need for a lamp.
Indoor and Outdoor LED Strip Lights
Optimal lighting is important inside and outside, so AL Lighting has indoor and outdoor LED strip lights. However, pay attention to the IP rating before you buy. Indoor LED strip lights don’t require much protection against wind and rain, so IP20 would suffice. However, outdoor strip lights must be weatherproof. Therefore, choose the ones with a high IP rating, preferably IP65.
What You Should Look For in LED Strip Lights
LED strip lights are available in all lighting stores, but that doesn’t mean that the quality is equal. Hence, pay attention to these before you buy.
- Brightness: LED lights are bright (10 times brighter than other type of lighting). Good strip lights shine bright with consistent light. Search for ones that have at least 100 lumens per metre.
- Cuttable: Most LED light strips are cuttable, but pay attention to how many mm per cut it can take (increments).
- Dimmable: Some strip lights are dimmable and some don’t. Consider what you need and read the description before buying.
- Colour change: If you are looking for style, search for the ones that change colour.
- IP Rating: Lower ratings (like IP20) are great for indoor. For outdoors, search for IP43-65.
Tips for Installing Strip Lights
Before installing LED strip lights, make sure the area you’re installing them in is dry and clean. This is important because crevices can get dusty and moist after some time. If you are new to lighting it’s best to let a registered electrician handle it. They have the expertise to install it safely and aesthetically.
The strip lights shouldn’t be directly visible, too. Their lighting effect works better when they are a bit concealed. That’s why they work so well when put under beds, behind cupboards, and in the ceiling outline.
