LED Strip Lights-The Latest in the World of Lighting
The LED strip lights allow for good experimentation with creativity, anywhere in the home. Their flexibility and versatility are responsible for the same. They can be used to add a vibrant dash of colour to any part of the house. Not only the rooms but also the furniture like wardrobes and cupboards and other decorative items can be adorned with the strip lights, to add a refreshing and classic appeal. The options available with the LED strip lights are limitless and a lot of permutations and combinations can be chosen to decorate the nooks and corners.
For achieving the most out of the LED strip lights some things should be kept in mind like the colour scheme, the length, the power supply and the installation.
What are LED strip lights?
An LED strip light, as the name suggests, is a tape or a long strip, of small LED lights. They are placed at regular intervals and depending upon the users’ choice and preferences they are of different depths and lengths. The best part about them is that they are narrow so that they can be used in a number of places.
Even areas where normal lighting is not possible can have LED lighting. This includes areas like cabinets, wardrobes, banisters and doorways. Depending upon the way the lights are arranged, the LED strips provide a stunning appearance when switched on. The lightings are also available in a built-in waterproof casing so that they can be used in places which are wet or which have chances of receiving rainfall.
The colour options are also available in a great variety making them perfectly suited to every kind of occasion, mood and event. The lengths available are also many in numbers, ranging from 1m to 5m.
The different types
There are two varieties of LED strip lights. The plug and play type and the mains wired are the two main types.
Plug and play LED strip lights: This variety is the perfect option when one wants a quick solution. They are installed within a few minutes without the intervention of an electrician. As the length of the strip is measured, they have to be cut down appropriately, the adhesive backing has to be peeled off and the strip has to be secured in place before being switched on.
They are shorter than the wired ones as a result of which not much versatility can be achieved when larger areas need to be lighted up. For a small area like a wardrobe or a door, the plug and play option is the best one.
Wired LED strip lighting: This variety offers a huge variety but they are difficult to install as compared to the plug and play varieties. The installation also requires the help of an expert electrician. The lengths available in the market range from 1m to 5m, which is perfect for permanent installation. An LED transformer is required to power them.
Installation
Let us talk about the installation of the strip lighting. Installing the LED strips can range from simple to very difficult, depending upon the purpose of the lighting system. Let us start with the LED tapes, consisting of a long piece of flexible and high impact circuit board with surface mounted devices or SMDs. Few things that need to be considered in this regard are LED chip size, LED per metre and the light, colour and length of the strip.
When the specifications of the strip lighting are looked at, a series of four numbers is noticed, which refers to the size of the individual LEDs on the strips. The smaller LEDs create a more jagged and inconsistent effect whereas the larger LEDs produces an even spread of light.
Colour
Another very important decision is to understand the colour of the strip light that has to be bought. Usually available in three main colour varieties, a lot of combinations can be arranged to produce the desired effect. The strip lights can be used for aesthetic enhancement of the appearance of a room by adding accent or layered lighting. They can add functionality to the kitchens, offices and bathrooms where they can be used as task lighting. RGB LED is also a direct substitute for the old fashioned trend of disco lighting and offers a huge number of programmable effects. They can also be controlled by a remote control which works in accordance with a red eye sensor attached between the transformer and the strip light.
A new category of LED strip lights is flooding the market now. These are the smart LED lights that can be integrated into a smart lighting system and can be controlled with the help of an app or a tablet. Some of the companies offer around 16 million colours in a single strip. LED strip lights price varies depending upon the choices of the lights made and genuinely offers a very good option to bring light into lives.