How to make LED backlight

LED backlighting does not just look spectacular, it allows you to literally transform the interior, give it originality and chic. In addition, you can draw a LED tape not only in the ceiling structure, it can be framed by the head of the bed or niche in the wall, decorate the podium or highlight the wardrobe cabinet. The backlight of this type has a wide color scheme, and also uses a minimum amount of electricity. In this article, we will tell you how to make a LED tape with your own hands and how to make its installation.

What is LED tape, and how to make it yourself

The LED strip is a soft flexible strip made of transparent plastic. Inside such a strip, LEDs are placed at an equal distance from each other. The brightness of the backlight directly depends on how many such diodes are contained in the tape. The number of diodes can vary in the range of 30-240 pieces per 1 m strip.

The dimensions of the standard LED tape are as follows: its width is from 8 to 10 mm, and the height varies between 2 and 3 mm. The ribbons are distinguished not only by brightness, but also in the color of the glow. In addition to monochrome and color tapes, there are those that can change the shade of rays during use.

Power supply of LED tapes is direct current, the voltage for such illumination is most often 12 V, occasionally 24 V. In order to convert alternating current to 220 V, during the installation process it is necessary to connect a power supply for the LED tape. In addition to the transforming unit, during such lighting, it is also necessary to install controllers that will be responsible for changing the brightness of the rays and the color of the backlight. To use controllers, it was more convenient, they can be equipped with a control panel.

Installation of the LED tape is not difficult, because the adhesive composition is applied to one of the sides of the plastic strip. Since the tape itself is slightly weighty, the glue is quite enough for it to be reliably attached to the surface.

Sometimes LED lighting is decorated with bathrooms, saunas or other rooms in which there is constant humidity. For such cases, manufacturers produce special moisture -proof tapes. As a rule, IP 30 or IP 65 are on such products.

The plus of LED backlighting can be considered not only the simplicity of its installation and the variety of shades, but also environmental safety, because the LED tape in their composition does not have mercury - the mandatory component of energy -saving lamps.

A tape of this type can be bought in the finished form, or you can make it yourself. We will talk about how to solder LED tape. First, consider a list of necessary materials. Here's what you need to work:

• sheet gutinax;
• enameled wire;
• lEDs with a voltage of 3 V and an angle of illumination equal to 20-30 °;
• rosin and solder;
• green plastic bottle;
• construction hair dryer;
• colorless heat -shaped tube.

The process of making LED tape with your own hands is as follows:

1. Lay out the sheets of the gateinax on the desktop and cut them into stripes about 1 cm wide.
2. Cut the neck and bottom from the plastic bottle, and then cut the body to make a flat plastic sheet. From this sheet, also cut stripes with a width of 1 cm.
3. In the stripes of Getinax, make holes at an equal distance from each other. These holes are designed for fastening LEDs, the diameter of which is 5 mm. On a strip of 0.5 m long will be located 16 LEDs.
4. Insert the LEDs into the obtained holes, and then solder 4 diodes into one circuit, which will be designed for 12 in tension.
5. Using an enameled wire, solder all chains in one common chain.
6. When this work is done, be sure to check the LEDs for serviceability by connecting them to 12-volt voltage.
7. If all the bulbs are burning, a layer of green plastic can be applied to the manufactured strip and put on the heat -musted tube.
8. Warm up with hot air from the construction hair dryer until, under the influence of high temperature, it will shrink.

As a result of the work done, you should get a LED tape with a green glow.

Features of lighting suspended ceilings

LED backlighting is most often used to decorate suspended ceiling structures. There are 4 main ways to install the tape on such a ceiling:

1. Contour scattered lighting involves placing LED tape on a special shelf. At the same time, the rays of the diodes are directed upward, as a result, a continuous strip of light is formed on the ceiling.
2. Directed backlight means that the tape is installed on the slope, and the light from the diodes is directed along the surface of the ceiling. The effect of such lighting will be rays diverging in different directions.
3. Point backlight is done so that individual LEDs are located along the surface of the ceiling one by one, as a result, the effect of the so -called starry sky is created. It is quite difficult to make the backlight of this type yourself, so it is desirable to seek help from specialists.
4. Figure backlight suggests that the LEDs are placed in small spaces of the size of the plaphipers, which are subsequently installed on the ceiling. Such lighting is also quite difficult to do with your own hands, without having technical knowledge and practical skills.

LED tape, photo:

DIY backlight arrangement and directed backlight

Having decided to decorate the suspension ceiling with LED ribbons, you should first choose the appropriate option. Let us consider in more detail what subtleties are desirable to consider when buying LED tape:

1. First you should decide on the color of the tape. If you decide not to do your own backlight and buy the finished one, it is better to prefer an RGB tape with a controller. Such a tape will make it possible to change the shade of rays and regulate their brightness. The backlight of this species will soon get bored with you, besides, you can always choose the color of the glow in your mood. By the way, this tape costs almost as much as its one -color analogues.
2. The density of the emitters is another important characteristic. This indicator is different and is 30, 60 or 120 pieces per 1 m strip. The larger the density, the more saturated and brighter the light. For installation of contour backlight, it is recommended to choose tapes with a large density of diodes, from 60 to 120 pieces. For directed lighting, this indicator can be smaller and amount to 30 or 60 diodes. If the niche of the suspended ceiling is large enough, install 2 ribbons in it at once with different density of emitters. Such illumination will allow you to do many interesting light effects.
3. The power of the LED tape should also be considered before buying goods. As a rule, tapes are marked with SMD letters, as well as four digits. Of these four digits, the first two will indicate the power consumed. In addition, the backlight power can be found from the instructions that are attached to the product. When creating contour backlighting, the power should be about 8 W/m, for directed light, this indicator can be smaller and equal to 5 W/m.
4. The calculation of the LED tape will depend on its length, so this indicator also needs to be taken into account before buying.
5. During the purchase of LED tape, you should also purchase a controller and a power source. When choosing these elements, pay attention to the tension. The operating voltage of the tapes has 3 indicators: 5 V, 12 V, 24 V. And the controller, and the power source must support the appropriate voltage.

Installation of LED backlight is schematically shown in the figure:

In the process of installing the tape in the design of the suspended ceiling, pay attention to the following subtleties:

1. The LED strip is fixed on the surface using the adhesive composition, which is applied to one of its sides. On the new tape, the sticky layer is covered with a special film, which prevents it from drying or contaminated. Since the strip is not very reliable on the drywall surface and has the property to peel off over time, it is advisable to use a special profile for the LED tape during its installation. Such a profile is made of polyvinyl chloride and its surface holds the tape for many years.
2. Solding the wires to the tape should be very carefully and with great caution, since the plastic, and the LEDs themselves do not tolerate high temperatures. For such work, it is recommended to use the flux passage and solder PO-61, the melting temperature of which does not exceed 160 °. It is advisable to solder the details with one touch. If you do not have sufficient experience of such work, seek help from the master.
3. It is not recommended to connect more than 3 m of the tape, since the backlight simply cannot withstand high voltage. It is better to attach to the controller every 3 m using individual wires.
4. Pay attention to the polarity of the wires and their purpose.
5. If in the process of operation the LED ribbons will need to be divided into parts, cut them exclusively on the lines that are provided for by the manufacturer. If the tape is the last and you need a segment of a certain length, take sharp scissors or special bites and cut strictly between the diodes.

Scheme of LED tape:

DIY LED tape. Video