LED strip outdoor lighting is a versatile and stylish solution, creating both practicality and aesthetic appeal. Properly installed, LEDs create a pleasant mood lighting, improve safety and enhance the architectural features of a yard or building.
Advantages of LED strip for outdoor lighting
LED strips have become more versatile and their popularity has grown with it. LED strip outdoor lighting is a good solution in many ways:
Longevity - High quality LED strips can last up to 50 000 hours, reducing the need for maintenance. This means when LED strips are installed carefully, the products will last for a long time. Finland has light summers and dark winters, so the products are usually used between September and May.
Weather resistance - LED strips for outdoor lighting are water and dust resistant (high IP rating). The LED strip is mounted on a aluminium profile with a cover to provide additional protection for the LED strip. In some cases, where the fixing is drilled through the profile, it is advisable to ensure that water entering the profile through the screw hole has an outlet and to drill a hole, for example in the profile edge.
Versatility - LED strips are available in different shades of white and RGB colours. LED strips come in a range of wattages, making them suitable for a variety of outdoor uses; for steps, dimmer light because the illuminated surface is close by, and for summer kitchens, brighter light to see the food being cooked.
With RGB led strip you can create different atmospheres in your yard; creepy red for Halloween, blue for Independence Day and green for harvest festivals. Connected to a smart controller, the led strips can be set to work as desired: when the motion sensor detects movement in the carport, it flashes the light red a few times and then turns on in normal colour or whatever functions you want to use.
Outdoor lighting and installation sites
LED strip lighting for eaves
Installing an LED strip on the eaves of a house will highlight the building's shapes and improve visibility in the dark. Eaves lighting helps to increase home security by providing light evenly around the yard areas. In addition, LED strips installed in eaves can highlight architectural details of a building, such as roof structures. Eaves lighting is a spectacular outdoor lighting solution.
LED strip as a patio step light
Illuminating stairs and passageways with LED strips increases safety, especially when walking in the dark. The LED strip can be installed at the bottom of steps or on handrails, providing a smooth, soft light without glare. Stairway lighting is particularly important in areas where there is a lot of movement at night, as it reduces the risk of tripping. In addition, step lights can act as a visual effect, giving a finished look to an outdoor space.
Guard lighting with LED strip
LED strips integrated into the railings improve visibility on terraces, balconies and for courtyard lighting in general. This solution is particularly suitable for outdoor lighting in areas where you want to make use of existing structures, but with a minimum of effort to get more light. Railing lighting creates soft light, delineates space and highlights any differences in height, creating a safe passage.
Lighting of challenging sites
LED strips can also create impressive lighting effects in various masonry structures, with light reflecting beautifully along the surface to be illuminated. LED strip can often be installed in areas where other lighting would be challenging to install.
On the roof terrace in the photo below, LED strip lighting was the obvious choice, as wall and bollard lights were excluded. The amount of furniture and the possibility of moving it excluded spotlights mounted on the surface of the terrace.
Summer kitchen and pergola lighting
Atmospheric outdoor lighting for summer kitchens and pergolas is easy to implement with LED strip lighting, even for old buildings. LED strips can be used to accentuate the shapes of structures or to create soft and pleasant light in seating areas. In pergola lighting, a correctly positioned LED strip makes the space comfortable and functional without being too bright or glaring. In addition, in a summer kitchen, LED strips can serve as a practical working light, making cooking comfortable even in dim conditions. By adding a dimmer to the strips, there are more possibilities for creating a mood.
Outdoor lighting - choice of LED strip and accessories
LED strip with moisture and UV protection
Choose an IP-rated ribbon that is resistant to moisture and dust. Outdoor lighting is most often implemented with IP65 rated LED strips. We recommend protecting low current connections and cut points from water, for example with an adhesive, clear shrink sleeve or silicone.
Weather resistance does not only mean water resistance - UV radiation can also affect the plastic parts of the LED strip. An outdoor LED strip should be UV protected to prevent the material from becoming brittle over time. The aluminium profile protects the LED strip, preventing UV radiation from reaching the surface of the LED strip directly.
LED strip voltage for outdoor lighting
Outdoor lighting should be mainly implemented with low-current strip lighting. Of the low-current strips, 24V led strip is more popular because it can withstand longer, continuous feeds than 12V led strip . In some cases, such as long eaves, 230V led strip can also be used . It is worth noting that the installation of 230V led strip is electrical work and requires adequate qualifications.
LED strip power selection
Outdoor lighting should be implemented with LED strips that are significantly dimmer than indoor lighting. Outdoors, LED strips installed in different locations work best, rather than a bright LED strip placed in one spot. The eye becomes more accustomed to low light when there is not one point that is too brightly lit. Outdoors, by far our most popular strip is the 7.2W/m, 24V led strip in 3000K.
LED strip shade selection
LED strips are available in a choice of different light colour temperatures, as well as RGB LED strips. Depending on the installation site and the desired effect, the appropriate LED strip is selected. Most often, outdoor lighting is implemented with warm white light tones, for example 3000K. Warm light tones are perceived as more atmospheric and cosy than colder light tones.
Outdoor lighting with RGB LED strip can also be pleasant. For example, you can illuminate a greenhouse, which acts like a lantern in the darkness of the evening. By changing the RGB lighting, you can add flair to different holidays; red for Halloween, green for harvest, blue for Independence Day and yellow and purple for Easter!
Driver selection for led strip
Make sure that the transformer can withstand the outdoors, i.e. is at least IP65 moisture-proof. In some cases, a transformer with suitable characteristics is not available and dry-rated models are used. In this case, the transformer is placed in a moisture-proof enclosure, which prevents it from being exposed to rain and splashing water.
Choose a driver with the right power for the LED strip you are using . The power consumption of LED strip is calculated by multiplying the metric consumption of the LED strip by the size of the LED strip and adding 10-15% clearance. For example, four meters of 7.2W/m LED strip requires a minimum of 33W driver. The power requirement of the driver should always be rounded up to get a sustainable solution.
If your strip has more than one tone, choose a driver and control button to change the tones of the led strip. LedStore offers Zigbee, DALI and RF drivers to control CCT and RGB led strips.
Outdoor lighting and lighting control
It's worth checking out our home automation and smart controls, which allow you to adjust the brightness and colour tones as required, depending on the characteristics of your lights. Smart lighting allows you to schedule your LED strips to turn on and off automatically at the desired time. Home automation also allows you to pre-create different lighting scenarios that are easy to "run" at the touch of a button. Brightness and colour temperature control automation is particularly handy if you want to create lighting that changes according to the light of the day. Smart control of LED strips can be achieved using wireless controllers, a mobile app or even voice commands (Alexa), as in the Tuya software.
Some garden LED strips can be combined with motion detectors, which turn on the light automatically when motion is detected. In most cases, we recommend using this solution for garage lighting, for example, but we do not recommend it for living areas. In sparsely populated areas, you should consider whether you want the light to react to a rabbit moving around in the yard, for example, or whether intelligent programming is more convenient anyway.
It is always possible to turn lights on and off with a standard wall switch if automation is not required. LedStore has a way for everyone to control their lights.
How to make a permanent fixture for your LED strip outdoors
Use high quality mounting materials such as aluminium profiles to protect the LED strip and ensure longevity. Aluminium profiles conduct heat away from the LED strip, provide a flat mounting surface and protect the strip from UV radiation and rain. In addition, the profile protects the LED strip from dirt and mechanical damage such as impact. The aluminium profile can be fixed to the structure using the fasteners supplied with the profile, eliminating the need to drill unnecessary holes in the aluminium profile.
If it is not possible to use an aluminium profile for the installation of the LED strip, we recommend using the models already inside the protective rubber cable, the so-called NEON LED strips, of which we have a few different types in our range. The NEON strip is particularly dense, so it can be embedded in the surface of the staircase without breaking in use.
During installation, make sure that the connections and transformer are protected from moisture and dust to ensure that the lighting remains functional in all weather conditions.
With our made-to-measure service at LedStore's Workshop, we make the LED strips ready for installation, so that all installation details are taken into account and the installation result is durable. We also provide tips and design assistance for all your LED projects.
Lastly
Outdoor lighting with LED strip is easy when it plans well and chooses the right products for the right places. Consideration should be given to factors such as the power and shade of the LED strip, the protection and the desired control characteristics. When all these factors are in place, LED lighting will add both ambiance and practicality to your yard for years to come.
Check out the products mentioned in the article below:
Welcome to Lamppukauppa LedStore's showroom to explore lighting possibilities and design the perfect solution for your space. We serve a wide range of customers-consumers, resellers, and businesses alike.
You'll find us at Mesikukantie 16, 01300 Vantaa (Koivuhaka).
Feel free to contact us by phone at +358 45 251 4510 or by email at myynti@ledstore.fi.