How to Install LED Strip Lights?

If you want to decorate your rooms or make them look different, LED light strips are a good choice. Led strip lights can be used in a wide range of places, indoor and outdoor. And it has various advantages, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, safe, and easy to operate. 

Today we will take you to understand the led light strip installation. Hope this article can help you.

• LED lights with indoor applications: ceilings, corridors, kitchens, bedrooms, cabinets, bathrooms, stairs, etc. 
• Outdoor applications of led light strips: gardens, parks, building outlines, advertising signs, outdoor steps, roads, swimming pools, etc. 

*Doubt about the waterproof IP rating of the LED strip lights? You can read this to understand: What does the waterproof IP rating mean?

Adhesive installation for IP20 and IP65 led strip lights

Led strip light has a 3M adhesive backing, bringing great convenience to the installation. You can also apply a adhesive tape to the strip light by yourself if it supports.

Installing led strip lights with adhesive is much simple. You just need to peel off the adhesive tape and press the led strip to the place where you want to install.

However, you should pay attention to keeping the installation surface clean, so as not to affect the installation effect and prevent the led strip light from falling off.

Adhesive installation for IP20 non-waterproof COB led strip

1. How to choose the right led tape?

Although the led light strips have a adhesive backing, different adhesive tapes have different functions. 

The backing of the led strip light is attached with adhesive, suitable for most working environments. For complicated installation, you need to choose a spacial suitable led tape.

►Blue adhesive (glass fibre cloth thermal conductive double-sided adhesive) is heat-resistant and can be used for high power led strip lights.

Yellow glue (double-sided adhesive) has good durability, high temperature resistance, strong adhesion, waterproof, and is generally used indoors. It is suitable for wood, paint and many plastics and fabrics.

The red glue (dark gray acrylic glue) is more viscous it is a solid foam and completely extruded to achieve seamless connection with the wall. It is used for waterproof led light strips.

►Transparent silicone sealant organic solvent has neutral, non-corrosive, non-polluting, anti-aging and electrical insulation properties. After the rubber is cured, it has good adhesion to metals and most plastics, and has excellent resistance to alternating cold and heat.

Check if there is something special about your led strip lighting. DC low voltage or AC high voltage? Do you want to use it indoors or outdoors? Do you want to install with a light diffuser? Find your answer according to the characteristics of different adhesives.

2. Can non-waterproof led strip lights be installed outdoor?

Led strip light with the low-profile LED channel has a very high degree of design freedom and strong decoration, and it is widely used in various creative designs. Suitable for ceiling, cabinet, kitchen, furniture and exhibition. 

The role of the led aluminum profile is to protect led strip lights from external force damage. It has greater heat dissipation, no light spot, and provide better and uniform LED lighting. The led strip light is inside and it has a good dustproof effect. 

If you want to put the led light strip to outdoor use, you have to choose waterproof led light strips placed in the LED aluminum channel, or choose the waterproof led light channel series. And you can also choose the flex LED neon tube which is IP67 waterproof rating to installed with your led strip lighting.

Click the picture to comprehensive understanding the LED strip aluminum channel. 

Mounted clip installation for IP67 and IP68 light strips

Why IP67 and IP68 led light strips don’t use adhesive? IP67 and IP68 are waterproof led strip lights, they are too heavy and teh adhexive backing is difficult to support the weight.

Using mounting clips to install waterproof led strip lights is more reliable than adhesive. And the installation is easy too.

  • Step 1. Fix the led strip.
  • Step 2. Put the mounting clip, the location of the clip is up to you. 
  • Step 3. Tighten the screw with a screwdriver.

In conclusion

Installing led strip lights successfully can bring you a great sense of accomplishment. You can choose adhesive installation, mounting clip installation, led profile linear installation, and flex silicone led tube installation.

Adhesive installation Mounting clip installation LED aluminum profile installation Flex silicone led tube installation
For IP20 and IP65 led stripsFor IP67 and IP68 led stripsFor all IP rating led stripsFor IP20 and IP65 led strips
Easy installationStable and reliable installation1. Linear and uniform light diffusion
2. Protect led strips
3. Dissipate LED heat
1. Soft light diffusion
2. Great flexibility
3. Outdoor waterproof

Each installation method has the characteristics of each installation method. If you don’t know how to choose which installation method, compare their respective characteristics and your needs to get your answer.

If you need led light strip accessories, click here

More LED strip wiring knowledge you can read:

How To Wire Single Color LED Strip Lights?

How To Connect LED Strip To The Power Supply?

How To Wire RGBWW LED Strips?

How To Wire RGB Color Changing LED Strip Lights?

How To Wire Tunable White LED Strip Light?

How To Wire RGBW LED Strips?