Stairs lighting with LED strips is a modern way of lighting, allowing to increase the safety of movement on the stairs by good backlighting of each stair steps. Stairs lighting with LED strips also emphasizes the shape of the stairs and brings out the beauty of the materials used for their construction. Also possible intelligent control of lighting brightness by the PWM method over time significantly affects the final visual and decorative effect of stairs. Thanks to the LED backlight, safe, comfortable, energy-saving stairs are created, and at the same time extremely effective, being its showcase. LED stair lights not only reduce the chances of accidents but can even add value to the home, raising the prestige of the house and its value.
Safely stair lighting with LED strips
The LED strip is usually mounted under the stair tread. The LED strip can be freely divided into sections and thus adjust its length to the individual needs and size of the stairs. When assembling, please remember that the light beam should be directed to the stairs and provide good vision of each step, but it must not cause glare that can dazzle the person walking up the stairs. Well-made LED strips lighting illuminates the stairs better than traditional top lighting, making individual stair steps more visible to people moving on them. Better lighting of each stair step significantly increases the safety of movement on the stairs, which is important especially for children and the elderly.
Dimmable LED strips
LED strips generally have a dimmable quality by the PWM method, which, unfortunately, can not be said about all LED stair luminaires of the spot type. Therefore, LED strips can be easily controlled using PWM dimmers or intelligent LED stair controllers. Thanks to these devices, the maximum brightness of LED strips can be limited if the strips illuminated too much. Stair lighting should be more discreet and the light level lower than in such interiors as the living room or kitchen. With the help of intelligent stair controllers, you can also control the brightness of LED strips over time by performing effective animations.
Gentle lighting of stairs with LED strips
The delicate lighting of stairs with LED strips is a particularly decorative way of lighting stairs after dark. This is an extremely visually effective way to liven up this part of the house at a time when no one directly uses them. The stairs do not disappear in the dark, but are lightly illuminated, usually 2% of maximum brightness is enough. The soft backlight will emphasize the shape of the stairs and enable safe communication at night.
LED backlight in various colors
LED lighting for stairs is increasingly appreciated by decorators and interior designers, because it allows the transformation of a regular staircase into the most representative part of the house. There are many ways to make decorative stair lighting using LED strips, and everything depends on the construction of the stairs and the imagination of the designer. Depending on the color and nature of the interior, white (cold, neutral or white) or one-color LED strips are most often used, or one-colored LED strips in any color and controlled by an intelligent LED stair controller. The variety of colors of LED strips allows you to freely arrange the stairs. You can also use a multi-colored RGB strip, but to choose a color it requires the use of a special RGB driver.
How to check and how to install LED strips on stairs?
After purchasing the LED strip, and before any cutting into sections of the desired length and gluing to the mounting surface, it is worth checking the correct lighting, including the correct color and uniformity of lighting. This will allow possible advertising of a damaged strip disc.
After preparing the sections of the strip of the appropriate length (cutting the strip, soldering the appropriate connecting wires (red to + 12V, black to GND)), provisionally lay the installation and check the correctness of connection of each section of the tape and the correctness of the installation. To this end, to a suitable 12V or 24V necessarily with short-circuit protection, consecutive sections of the strip should be connected in turn.
If the power supply turns off, it means that there is a short circuit in the installation that must be located and removed. If the strip does not light, it may have been reversely connected, the installation has an open (e.g. cold solder) or a section of the tape has been damaged, e.g. by soldering. If the episode lights up, we think it is connected correctly.
To achieve the desired decorative effect, the right way to install LED strips is also important. It is best to place them just at the end of each step, about 5 cm from the edge. Sections of LED strip can be glued or hidden in an aluminum profile. Another way is to stick the LED strip or LED tube (in the picture above) along the handrail or along the stairs. There are many ways to make decorative stair lighting with LED strips, and everything depends on the construction of the stairs and the imagination of the designer.