How To Install LED Strip Lights On Ceiling

With the continuously growing popularity of LED lights, it comes as no surprise that no matter what kind of lighting purpose you need fulfilling, LED lights will probably be one of the options out there. 

What started off as a popular alternative for decorative lighting is now also taking over the market for utility lighting. With so much research and development happening in the lighting industry, the LED lights just keep getting better and better in terms of quality and usefulness.

Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that we’re talking about how to install LED strip lights on ceiling, as LED lights can be just as useful as ceiling lights compared to other ambient lighting options. 

Is It Possible To Install LED Strip Lights On Ceiling?

Using LED strips for room lighting has become one of the most common choice when it comes to interior ambient lighting. This is because they come with an extensive set of LED light colors as well as variable brightness and low electricity consumption.

So it wasn’t long until consumers started wondering whether LED lights could be installed on ceilings as well.

From what we have tried and tested, its safe to say that you can definitely install these strips on your ceilings. All you need to do is have the correct tools and materials and follow our instructions correctly.

Where To Install LED Strip Lights On Ceiling?

The location of your LED lights on your ceiling really depends on your preference of ambient lighting. 

Firstly, if you want equally distributed lighting around your room, the best option is to wrap the strip around the entire outer perimeter of your ceiling. Strips directly placed along the adjacent line between your walls and ceiling would likely be the most aesthetically pleasing. 

However, if you want to play around with the ambience you may try installing the strips a little bit lower along the wall. Knowing how to stick LED strip lights on wall would help you in this process.

Some ceilings come with a partially extended overhang, and some other ceilings have drop down ceilings. These ceilings have obscured grooves or channels designed for ambient lighting. 

The best thing about these grooves is that they prevent the light from directly shining into your eyes. Instead they soften the light and increase its ambience, which is suitable when you’re relaxing or trying to sleep. 

The ambient lighting combined with LED light colors that are best for sleeping can really improve your sleeping experience. 

Required Materials To Install LED Strip Lights On Ceiling

1. LED light strips
2. LED strip connectors (optional)
3. Measuring Tape
4. Electrical tape
5. Scissors/utility cutters
6. Double-sided tape
7. Drill (optional)
8. Screws (optional)
9. Screwdriver
10. LED strip power supply

Step by Step Guide to Install LED Strip Lights On Ceiling

Step 1: Choose The Strip Lights

It is extremely important that you choose the correct strip lights that suit your purpose. If you’re looking to use the LEDs on your ceiling for general lighting purposes, you may want to opt for LED lights that have a high lumen output. 

Also take a look at the voltage requirements for the LED lights on the manufacturer website. 

Step 2: Measure The Ceiling

If you’re installing the LED strips all around the ceiling, the best way to go about it is to measure the entire perimeter of your room.

If you have a rectangular room, just measure the lengths of two adjacent walls and multiply their combined lengths by 2. For rooms with irregular dimensions, it is best to manually measure the length of every wall. 

Step 3: Unpack The Strip Light

Carefully remove the strip light from the packaging. Make sure that you have long enough of an LED strip to cover the desired length. 

Step 4: Cut The Strips Into Appropriate Sizes

This is one of the steps where you need to be extra cautious. For multiple reasons, it is not safe to wrap a single piece of the strips around the entirety of your ceiling.

The best option is to cut the LED light strip into multiple pieces. For getting the best and equal lighting, cut the strips according the length of you walls. 

In this way the individual strips will be the exact length of one side of your ceiling and you won’t have to worry about your strip ending in the middle of a wall, giving an imbalanced look. 

Using a sharp pair of scissors or another cutting tool, carefully cut along the cut lines that are marked on the strips. Cutting along these lines makes sure that connection points on both ends remain exposed for connectors. 

Step 5: Install The Power Source 

Take out the power source from the packaging. Make sure the starting point of your LED strip is close to the power source to avoid additional dangling wires.

Step 6: Connect All The Strips Together

Even though you can connect the separate strips using wire connections, it is extremely unsafe and complicated, and you can easily damage the products if not too careful. 

We recommend using connectors to connect multiple LED light strips together. For corners, back to back or 90 degree connectors can be considered.

Step 7: Prepare the strip for installation

Depending on how your LED strips are supposed to be set up, prepare them accordingly. 

If the strip comes with adhesive tape, carefully peel off the protective covering from the tape.

If you’re strip is supposed to be installed on the walls via screws, identify the locations on the strip where the screws would go in.

Step 8: Point Out and Drill Holes In Ceiling

Once you’ve identified the location of the screw holes on the strip, mark and drill holes on your ceiling and carefully drill them using a power drill. The holes on the ceiling should be the exact same distance apart as the holes on the strip. 

Step 9: Place Your Led Strip Lights In The Desired Location

Now carefully place the strip where you want to install them. Make sure you line them up with the screw holes or tape locations.

Step 10: Attach Your Led Strip Lights To The Ceiling Carefully

If you’re using adhesive tape, carefully stick the strip gradually to the tape. Press along the length of the strip firmly with your fingers to make sure the strip has attached properly.

If you’re using screws, place the screw through the wholes of the strip and screw them into the ceiling using a screwdriver. 

Step 11: Check All Things Again

Now that everything has been installed, carefully check the entirety of the strip. Look closely at the connection points to make sure nothing is loose. 

Once that is done, connect the strip to the power supply and check if the lights are working properly.

Things to Think About When Installing Ceiling Led Strip Lights

1. When considering how to install LED strip lights on ceiling, it is most suitable to stick them to a firm and sturdy surface. Even though adhesive tape works just fine, using clamps, clips and screws would provide additional support to your strips.
2. Pay attention that the length of your LED strip is sufficient to cover your desired length.
3. As you’re likely going to go for LED strips with high lumen output, this will cause the strips to generate a fair amount of heat. This may damage the paint on your ceiling. To avoid this, consider installing a heat sink.
4. Make sure your power supply is capable of handling the requirements of the strip. If you’re connecting additional strips to your existing strip, you may want to purchase a power supply that can handle the additional voltage.

Why Should You Install Led Strip Lights on the Ceiling?

1. LED lights that are bright enough can replace traditional light when it comes to general room lighting. The best part is LED strips are much cheaper compared to those options.
2. LED light strips use the latest technology when it comes to conserving as much energy as possible. As a result, they are extremely energy efficient, meaning that you will also save money on your electricity bills.
3. You may be wondering about how long LED light strips last. Well you would be surprised to know that as long as they’re properly taken care of, these strips can easily last upwards of 25,000 hours to almost 50,000 hours. 
4. LED lights are versatile in terms of brightness and colors. A standard color changing LED light can generate around 16 million shades of different colors. This means that you can change the colors of these lights depending on your mood.
5. You can always increase or decrease the amount of lighting by adding or removing parts of the LED strip. One neat thing about how to install LED strip lights on ceiling is that you’re not bound by any limitations in terms of amount of lighting.
6. In addition to utility lighting, these lights can also be used for general ambient lighting purposes. If you want to gently light a corridor or have some ambient lighting on your garden, LED strips can perfectly do that too.
7. In addition to plainly attaching them to the ceiling, you can also use covings or grooves to scatter the light a little bit more. This will help you maintain a more ambient and soft light.
8. These days, most LED lights come with a remote control. So when you’re considering how to install LED strip lights on ceiling, know that you’ll be able to control these lights from anywhere in your room including the comfort of your own bed.
9. LED lights also generate very little heat. In addition, the chances of electrical malfunctions are very low, so these lights are very safe.
10. As these lights are very good at conserving energy, they are very environmentally friendly.

Moreover, a lot of manufacturers are implementing more sustainable manufacturing options.

How To Hide LED Light Strip On Ceiling?

If you want a softer and more ambient lighting, you may want to hide your LED light strips behind some fixtures like covings or grooves. Doing this prevents the lights from shining directly on your eyes.

If you don’t have covings or grooves instead of wondering how to install LED strip lights on ceiling, consider placing the strips behind your appliances and furniture to get that ambient look.

How To Hide LED Light Connectors? 

A lot of back to back and wireless pin connectors come with plastic covers that can be used to conceal them.

For wired connectors, consider purchasing cord covers or electrical tapes of colors that are similar to your wall. This well help them blend with your wall better. 

Is It Possible To Install Led Strip Lights Without Coving? 

Covings are mainly used to reduce the glare from LED lights. In the absence of a coving, you can achieve a similar effect just be lowering the brightness setting of your LED strips. 

Do I Need a Transformer for Led Strip Lights?

Generally for internal use, you do not need a transformer. However if you’re thinking about how to install LED lights on ceiling, chances are your LED light strips will be very long.

For longer strips, using a transformer may be a safe option. Look online for a transformer appropriate for the wattage of your strip. 

Do Led Lights Use a Lot of Electricity? 

LED lights are extremely energy efficient, thus they don’t use a lot of electricity. However, some LED strips use more electricity. For example, between an RGB and RGBIC strip, the RGBIC uses more electricity as it used more components. 

How to Choose the Best Led Strip Lights for Ceiling 

As said earlier, the best LED light strips will vary based on your need. If you want to replace your traditional lights, go for a strip with a high lumen output.

If you’re thinking how to hang led strip lights on wall or ceiling for decorative purposes only, consider a strip with more color and brightness versatility. 

Read also: Can You Sleep with Led Strip Lights On

Conclusion

LED lights can easily replace the traditional lights you currently have on your ceiling. So if you were unsure about installing them before, this guide on how to install LED strip lights on ceiling should no longer keep you in doubt. 

No matter what you need your ceiling lights for, LED lights can do the job just as well if not better. 

Regardless of if you have covings, LED lights can still be used just fine. 

Make sure you perform thorough research before purchasing your LED strips. Carefully read the manufacturer information and customer reviews before coming to a decision.

Read Also: How Long Do LED Light Strips Last