Led Strip Lighting

[-mick-]

Anyone ever installed led strip lights? I'm about to... out of necessity. Here's my little story... just sharing :wink:

I layed a beautiful slate floor in my kitchen recently, the first tiling job I'd ever done and I had no assistance whatsoever. The result is awesome and I'm proud as punch of the hard work I put in there, but of course being the first time I did something I miscalculated one bit and left a 40mm gap under one side/ cabinet :rolleyes: Once the glue dries they don't move so easy :B

No biggie its entirely under a kick panel recess and unless you're crawling around on the floor you don't see it. The problem is the rough edge indian slate tiles I used don't cut that thin, they shear into layers and crumble :doh:

So to fill the gap I've purchased 1.2m of led strip lighting on a flexible pcb ($30 ebay). Its 10mm wide and I'll put it between two 10mm strips of hardwood with 5mm silicon lines between wood and tiles and wood and cabinet. Then cover with a thin perspex so it can be walked on/ swept and mopped and all clear the ends closed so its a bit dirt proof.

Should provide an innovative and pretty lookin solution to my little oops :U

The tiles + underlay are about 12mm high and strip light is only 5mm.

I'll put up some pics of the result :) If they look good I'll probably add similar strips under some cabinets, I'm buying a transformer rated well above what I need for the floor strip as future proofing there and it was only $15

[atregent]

I think you're on to a winner there, should look awesome.

Miele do something similar, they call it Moodlight. There's pics in their UK catalogue, http://www.miele.co.uk/Kitchens/miele-kitchens-brochure.pdf, page 7.

I might do something like that when I get to doing my kitchen, so I'd love to see pics when you're done!

[martrix]

cool, love to see the pics when its done.

[rrich]

cool, love to see the pics when its done.

I'll second the request for pictures!

[-mick-]

The transformer arrived in the post yesterday so I have all the bits to get started now. Pics to come tonight/ tomorrow :D

[-mick-]

mmmkay. Here's the gap (oops)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_007.jpg


I tried the wood idea but no luck there because of the kind of tile I laid. Its a rough edge indian slate and the edge wasn't straight enough to lay wood against. If I knew how much trouble these tiles would be I would have bought another tile.... grouting these almost drove me around the bend!!!!!!!!!!!

So I ducked off to clark rubber and bought $10 worth of square rubber the right size and laid 2 runners with the led lights between >>>>>>>>>>

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_012-1.jpg


And there was light


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_009.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_015-1.jpg


and the gap now filled


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_011-1.jpg


Lastly I got a sheet of grey perspex from Bunnies and cut a couple of strips to go over and sit on the rubber. Chose grey over clear to diffuse the light a bit ( and hide my messy liquid nailing) Now it looks like this


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_023-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_020-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMAGE_021-1.jpg

Still have to silicon it all up now to finish but I'm going to add another short strip in first to go all the way to the entry threshold. Plus buy 2 more lengths to mount upside down under the overhead cabinets

These lights are seriously great! Cost of all the bits was

LED strip $30 from ebay for 1.2m
Transformer to run this plus 2 more strips $15
Rubber $10
Perspex $40 because I couldn't get a smaller bit...... I have a whole sheet leftover practically. Its a 600x900 sheet and I used 60 x 900

Recommend these lights to anyone, you can buy them from aus based online shops too. A very slick solution to my little hole in the floor.

I had to take all the smilies out of my message because they count as an image.... dang.......

these photos were taken with my phone because I think this fella might have ruined my camera!!! little bugger

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v391/Mick00/IMGP0254.jpg

[China]

-mick- That's a clever Idea, you may have started something

[atregent]

:2tsup:

That's come up really well, and I'll bet it one of those things where a photo doesn't really do it justice either. All you need now is the oxygen masks that appear from above, and you'll be as safe as houses. Well, planes at least...

Keep us posted when you get the overhead cupboard ones done, i'd love to see how that turns out too.

[rrich]

-mick-

Really looks good. You've got me to thinking that your solution might look good in my home.

[-mick-]

hey thanks everyone :)

absolutely right atregent the photos don't really do it justice, it looks really slick in person.

I'm ordering another 2.4m of the lights tomorrow and will be putting them under the overhead cabinets and possibly in them too. Since they run on 12v I can happily wire them into switches myself to turn on and off as the doors open and close.

I can think of dozens of places they might be useful now! I might have to try and find a wholesale supplier so I can get bigger lengths etc

[Beginner2003]

-mick-

Did you find any wholesale supplier yet ? I'm looking for one too.

[-mick-]

nope no leads yet. These guys are localish though and the price is about the same as ebay.

http://www.ledsales.com.au/cart.php?target=product&product_id=376&category_id=14&mode=out_of_stock

But with theirs you can buy any length and cut it yourself too which was my issue with the ebay ones. Think I'll buy off them from now on.