Ceiling lighting: a stylish design element

Advantages and possibilities of this type of lighting

LED room lighting has many advantages:

• long service life of diodes (high-quality products will last up to 50,000 hours);
• ease of installation;
• relatively low cost of materials;
• large selection of colors;
• the possibility of installation together with a suspended ceiling due to the absence of heating of the lighting fixtures during operation;
• strength;
• low electricity consumption.

With the help of LEDs you can radically transform a room. They can be used for installing “starry sky” ceilings, shaped lighting and other solutions. In the photo you can see only a small part of the design options with LED strip in the apartment.

Types of lamps

Bathroom lamps are available with all the usual types of lamps. But not all types are well suited to wet rooms.

Incandescent

Not the best solution for a bathroom. Suitable for use only in the last zone, farthest from water, splashes. A sealed protective cover is required.

pros

• low prices;
• widespread in stores;
• resistance to voltage surges.

Minuses

• fragility, mechanical instability;
• strong heating during operation: up to approximately 250⁰ C and higher. Accidental entry of moisture will result in an explosion;
• short service life (1000 hours);
• They only shine with warm light.

LED

Most suitable for damp areas. Available in the form of lamps, spots, and strips of different designs. Their use is possible in all areas of the room.

pros

• moisture resistance;
• efficiency, energy saving;
• environmental Safety;
• absence of strong heating of the lamp: LED heats up to approximately 60-80⁰С;
• variety of glow colors, color temperatures;
• long service life (approximately 30,000 hours and above);
• Possibility of programming lighting modes.

Minuses

• high price;
• decrease in brightness over service life due to physical degradation of LEDs;
• reduction in manufacturing quality due to high competition among manufacturers and the desire to reduce prices.

Halogen

Can be used as spotlights with the appropriate protection class. In areas directly in contact with water, it is better to install a low-voltage version of lamps: with a supply voltage of 12 V. Acceptable, but not the best option.

pros

• relatively low price;
• good quality of light;
• variety of shapes and appearance of lamps.

Minuses

• short service life (2000-4000 hours);
• sensitivity to voltage changes in the network;
• strong heating during operation: up to 300⁰С.

Luminescent

The worst option for use in the bathroom. Fluorescent lamps are afraid of high humidity and frequent switching on and off, which is typical for the bathroom. Other disadvantages worth noting:

pros

• long service life (10,000-15,000 hours);
• save energy;
• have a variety of color temperatures.

Minuses

• environmental hazard due to the presence of mercury vapor in the composition;
• difficulties with recycling used lamps;
• sensitivity to voltage changes in the network.

LED lighting options

You can organize LED lighting in a room in various ways:

• figured (the tape is mounted in small lampshades);
• spot (devices are installed so that the light is directed downwards);
• scattered (the diodes shine upward onto the ceiling, so the light is scattered);
• directional (devices are placed on slopes, directed along the plane of the ceiling).

You can study the photo to understand what scope for creativity the use of LEDs in the apartment gives. The least amount of skill and effort will be required to install directional or contour lighting.

Track spots for the kitchen in an apartment or residential building

The kitchen in most apartments simultaneously combines several zones: working and dining. Each zone must be properly lit; this is the only way to create comfortable conditions for both cooking and eating.

It is best if the design project of the track lighting system and its installation are carried out by professionals who will take into account the peculiarities of the room layout, color scheme and interior style. Of course, if you wish, you can do everything yourself, but in this case you need to know a few nuances:

• The kitchen should have main and accent lighting. The main thing is that it serves as a background, fills the room, and creates an atmosphere of comfort. Accent lighting allows you to separate the dining and work areas, and is also necessary to ensure safe working conditions while preparing food.
• To illuminate the work area, it is best to use LED lamps , in which the light beam is directed straight down. These can be built-in spotlights, Downlight models or linear LED lamps from the TRV-L series, which can be purchased in our GreenLED online store.
• To illuminate the dining area, both lamps on a busbar and a variety of chandeliers, which are located directly above the dining table, are suitable.

Wall lamps and sconces look great in the kitchen interior. In addition to the main lighting system, you can use LED strips that are attached to the bottom of hanging cabinets to illuminate the work area, or directly in the cabinets themselves.

Tape selection

LED strips are selected for a specific room, focusing on the following characteristics:

1. Diode color. Depending on the interior and the effect they want to achieve, choose the right color. The ideal option is a full-color tape with a controller.
2. Diode density. On one meter of the product there can be from 30 to 120 diodes. For directional lighting, it is recommended to choose high-density stripes (60–120), and for contour lighting – 30.
3. Belt power. For high-quality directional lighting, in most cases, luminaires with a power of 5 W/m are sufficient, and for contour lighting – 8 W/m.
4. Backlight power. You can calculate it by measuring the required length and multiplying the obtained data by the power of the tape.
5. Controller and power supply. It is chosen based on the power of the band.
6. Moisture-proof. To avoid troubles if water gets on the lighting fixture (for example, when there is a flood in the apartment on the floor above), it is advisable to choose a product marked IP44 - it does not fail when in contact with water.

When purchasing, you should also consider the cost of the product. Lighting fixtures that are too cheap may initially cope well with the task, but quickly burn out. A high-quality tape can be used for almost 10 years.

Types of LED strip

LED strips can be different, which allows you to choose the most suitable option for your specific needs.

According to its design, such lighting is a flexible strip with LEDs built into it. LEDs have become widespread today due to the great advantages mentioned above compared to alternative lighting.

LED lighting for plasterboard ceiling

So, LED strips can be divided into types according to lighting power. The lighting power depends precisely on the size and number of LEDs per 1 p/m of strip. Usually their number varies between 30-240 pcs/m, but the most popular options have 30-60-120 LEDs per meter.

Ceilings with LED lighting

As already mentioned, such ceiling lighting can also be organized in the bathroom, but for this it is worth choosing a special type of tape; the marking (numbers) must be no lower than IP 44.

LED ceiling lighting in the bathroom photo

LED lighting in the bathroom

LED strips can vary in the color of the light they emit; there are single-color options, and there are those that, due to the presence of diodes of different colors in the strip, can emit different shades. Plus, thanks to a special controller, the degree and color of the glow can be adjusted as needed.

LED lighting along the perimeter of the ceiling

Frame preparation

To illuminate a room with an LED strip in an apartment, the most commonly used method is installation in a plasterboard frame. Its popularity is explained by the effect produced by such lighting - the light seems to stream from nowhere. You can take a closer look at the ceilings where this method was used in the photo.

07-11-2018 With a competent approach to arranging lighting accents, you can transform any interior. LED lamps are popular today. Despite their high cost, they are gradually replacing other types of lighting devices due to their environmental friendliness, long service life and energy-saving functions. The latest LED models emit enough light to be used as the main source of lighting in an apartment. LED ceiling lights that provide natural light are suitable for residential premises and offices. Linear lamps, for example, Elektrostandard 9W 600Lm 53cm 3000K-12809 made of metal and acrylic, made in the form of a tube, are suitable for office premises.

We explain the demand for LED lighting by its advantages:

1. Allows you to create complex connection diagrams at minimal cost.
2. Long service life (on average 10 years), which does not depend on the number of switches off and on.
3. Uniform light without flickering.
4. LED recessed lighting fixtures, such as the Favorite Flashled 2067-3C-12809 with dust protection, consume half the electricity compared to conventional models.
5. Installation in a structure made of any material.

Recessed LED luminaires are suitable for installation on ceilings made of plastic panels due to minimal heating of the housing. The shade and intensity of the light can be adjusted to suit you. The variety of models on the market allows you to buy LED lamps that best suit your interior. Among the small lamps you can find real masterpieces. LED lamps can be used as decoration.

Ceiling LED chandeliers can be equipped with a control panel that simplifies the use of lighting sources and allows you to create several lighting scenarios depending on the time of day and events in your life. When choosing a light fixture such as the Paulmann 92805-12809 with a matte shade, consider the size of the room, design, height and purpose of the light source. If you install an oversized LED ceiling light in a small room, it will visually reduce the space. Small lamps and LED strips are installed in several rows in large rooms and areas where bright lighting is required.

During installation work, it is important to follow several rules:

1. Electrical appliances must have high-quality insulation so as not to cause severe overheating of the surface.
2. For the bathroom and kitchen, choose lamps with a waterproof housing.
3. Holes in the ceiling are masked after installation is completed.

Installation of ceiling LED lamps takes place in several stages:

• wiring is distributed along the ceiling;
• the future location of the lamps is marked;
• brackets are mounted;
• holes in the ceiling are fixed;
• lamps are connected to the cable;
• final placement of lamps, performance check.

Spot lighting type Lightstar ZOCCO 213840-12809 with a metal frame is installed together with the ceiling structure. Allow a gap between the base and new ceiling. A gap of two centimeters will provide the lighting fixtures with the ventilation necessary for their trouble-free operation.

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Work order

On the walls, mark a distance of 10 cm from the ceiling surface. A metal profile is installed at the indicated marks. Sheets of drywall are secured to this skeleton. Then the second level of the structure is installed, leaving the distance necessary to extend the LED strip from the wall to the ceiling.

They fix plasterboard sheets on the second level and make a shelf for installing a lighting fixture.

The wires for connection to the tape are brought out into the indentation, and they are fixed to the drywall using tape. Photos of the process will help you better understand how to proceed.

The next step is to putty the ceiling and its final finishing. Only after this they begin to install the tape around the perimeter.

It is not recommended to place LED strips directly on drywall, as the product may come off over time. It is advisable to install them on prepared slopes - PVC corners and secure them with self-tapping screws. You can see how it will look in the photo. Then attach the tape.

Stretch ceilings are fitted with special moldings, ceiling skirting boards or polyurethane cornices.