7 Things You Need to Know Before Buying LED Strip Lights
Jan 24th 2018
Are you looking to switch up the look of your home? LED strip lights are a great way to make a major but inexpensive change to the look of your home.
Adding this kind of lighting is very versatile. You can place it behind, underneath, or around objects in your home to add a unique and multi-layered look.
If you’re considering buying a strip of LED lighting for any room of your house, first read these seven things you should know.
They’ll help you know everything you need to know in order to be prepared for adding a beautiful type of lighting to your home or office space.
1. Add Drama and Flair
The most common reason that people add LED lights to their home is to add a form of lighting that is unique and visually appealing.
It’s amazing what a difference these little lights will make. They are strong and powerful, so they emit quite a lot of brightness. Yet they are very small and compact, so they can be easily hidden when added to a room.
People use LED lights to add intrigue to any room.
Line your headboard in your bedroom for a nice lighting source that is unique compared to your typical lamp. Line the mirror in your bathroom for a beautiful glow.
Add LED lights to pieces of art, your home office, wall decorations, and more to add depth and dimension.
2. Easy to Install
LED strip lights add a major difference in the look of a room, and they are super simple to add.
Installing LED lights in your home is very simple. Most strip lights come with an adhesive backing. All you have to do is carefully stick them on wherever you want them.
By finding a clean, dry, and level spot to apply your lights, you can make the process as easy as possible. Usually, people choose to place the lights in a more hidden and subtle space.
For example, lining the underside or backside of furniture or appliances will hide the actual strip of lights but still display the lighting in a prominent way. Even if you line the backside of a TV or computer monitor, the lights will reflect off nearby walls.
Strips of LED lights add a nice glow to any room.
3. Dimmable
Before buying LED strip lights, you should be aware of some of their best features.
The fact that LED lights can be dimmed makes them all the more appealing. They can be turned up bright to shine, or take on a mellow brightness to just add a simple glow.
Dimming a room full of lights can create a very intimate atmosphere. Dimmed LED lights are ideal for a bedroom or bathroom, where you may prefer the lighting down low.
4. Energy Efficient
The biggest reason people love using LED lights is how efficient they are. They save quite a bit on energy costs and last extremely long.
Many people consider LED lights to be the lighting of the future since they are so effective.
It’s important to keep them out of landfills when they do finally expire, but other than that, they’re a great lighting choice if you want your lights to last forever!
Energy efficiency is one of the main reasons that LED strip lights are so popular. They are much more energy efficient than other types of lighting.
5. More Expensive
Though they are more effective, you should be aware that LED lights are more expensive than other lighting options. This is considered by some to be one of the only downfalls of LED strip lights.
However, when you consider how much more efficient LED strip lights are, the cost is more than worth it.
They last much longer than other types of lighting. You won’t have to replace them very often.
Because of this, you may pay more up front, but you’ll pay much less in the long run.
6. How to Choose
When picking out LED strip lights, you may notice that there are quite a few options.
You can choose lights with different voltage strengths, lengths, and even a varying number of lights per foot. All of these factors will play into how your lights look.
If you purchase a set of lights with low voltage and a few lights per foot, they will be much weaker than other kinds of lights.
There are even different types of LED lights which emit different wavelengths and colors. In addition, some trips are more flexible than others.
You’ll need to talk to a lighting expert or try to figure out what kind would be best for your needs. It all depends on where you want to install the lights, how bright you want them, and what you want the final look to be.
7. Color Temperature
The color temperature you choose for your LED strip lights will be one of the biggest factors in determining the look of your lights.
CCT, or Correlated Color Temperature, measures the color temperature of light in Kelvin degrees (K). The light can appear as anything from cool white to warm white depending on the CCT.
For example, a light at the low end (2000 – 3000 K) appears warmer. It has an orange or yellow feel to it.
Lights at the other end of the spectrum appear as a pure white light. The highest lights have a cool bluish hue to them.
Where to Buy LED Strip Lights
Wondering where you can buy LED strip lights? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Birddog Lighting is committed to providing the highest quality products. Our customers want the best in lighting for any of their projects or home improvement needs, and that’s what we are here to provide.
Our lighting design blog contains all you need when it comes to inspiration and suggestions for your own lighting projects.
Feel free to email us and submit your photos for a potential display in our gallery of the best lighting projects. We are happy to showcase your work and provide inspiration to other people looking to add LED lighting to their space.