An LED strip without a profile overheats. The aluminium profile acts as a heat sink — it conducts heat away from the strip and keeps it below 60 °C. An overheated strip lasts 5 000–10 000 hours instead of 50 000 hours.
Its second job: controlling the light. A profile mounted at 45° directs the light up to the ceiling. The diffuser of a straight profile evens out a dotted strip into a smooth band of light.
Profile types
Here are a few example profiles for different indirect structures. There are many profile types, and it is important to remember that an indirect-light structure made of plastic or plaster alone is not enough for an LED strip. Always use aluminium for a neat and durable result.
Profile type
Placement
Space required
Use
45° corner profile
Inside a bulkhead
60–150 mm
Light cove, dropped ceiling
EPÄSUORA MATALA Z
At the wall-ceiling junction
22 mm
Integrated installation in a low ceiling
Wall profile IP44
On the wall
50 mm
Retrofit, bathroom
Recessed 45 SLIM
Recessed into a surface
25 mm
Furniture, shelves
EDGE profile
Plasterboard edge
30 mm
Dropped ceiling edge
LED neon / flex
Curves, shapes
—
Special shapes
Profiles → LedStore
Profiles by structure
The cards come from the profile register, so dimensions, prices and images stay up to date. Each card links to the product page at LedStore.
Profiles for this structure
Profiles for plasterboard boxes
Two ways: a low surface profile in the bottom of the box (cheapest, but the box must be finished) or a plaster-in profile that is skimmed over and forms a seamless light slot itself with no visible aluminium.
Screwed to the wall through the base, skimmed over when the wall is skimmed and painted the wall colour – the profile becomes a seamless part of the wall, only the light slot is visible. Light upward. Takes a 15 mm strip; a dot-free COB strip is recommended.
The lowest plaster-in solution: minimum batten depth only 17 mm, and the light surface sits 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling. Sized to go alongside a 22 mm timber batten or a 20 mm steel hat channel – keep the battens 14.5 mm off the wall, so a 12.5 mm plasterboard comes out flush. The plaster-in flange hides the profile in the ceiling board.
Screwed to the frame and covered with 13 mm plasterboard – the light emerges from the curved profile surface painted white. The curved inner part diffuses the light softly and removes the hard light edge from the box opening. Recommended strip 14.4 W/m.
Fitted to the edge of the plasterboard on the lip of a dropped ceiling or light cove. The 30 mm front strip hides the LED strip, mounting recess 13 × 8 mm. Gives a finished edge without a separate trim.
Designed for 48×48 mm ceiling battens: keep the battens 25 mm off the wall. The depth of the light surface from the finished ceiling is 20 mm. Takes a strip up to 23 mm, or two narrow strips side by side.
Prices include Finnish VAT of 25.5 % and are current LedStore.fi prices. Profiles include an opal cover and end caps; the LED strip is ordered separately.
Profiles for this structure
Profiles for retrofit
Surface-mounted profiles are screwed onto a finished wall or ceiling. No demolition, no plastering, no skimming – the installation is done in hours.
Screwed to the wall through the base, strip into the groove, diffuser and aluminium front panel clip on top. There is room for the cable behind the front panel – cables hidden without chasing. Takes a 15 mm strip. IP44 also suits bathrooms. White or black.
A slim surface-mounted wall profile, 18 mm from the wall. Exact dimensions from the drawing 17.9 × 41.7 mm, inner space 12.5 mm. The three-metre length reduces joints on long walls.
Room for two strips: light up to the ceiling and down along the wall. A two-directional curtain of light emphasises the wall height. Only 17 mm wide, so it stays an unobtrusive line. With a 17 W/m strip the line is completely dot-free. Brushed aluminium or black.
A curved glare shield and room for two strips. Fitted at the ceiling edge in place of a cornice, or vertically in the corner of a room. The closest equivalent to a light cove without plasterboard work.
Screwed to the ceiling in front of the curtain track: the profile hides the track and directs the light down along the curtains. Takes a strip up to 20 mm, so a powerful 14-30 W/m strip fits. One product solves both hiding the track and the lighting.
Works as a skirting board and a light moulding at the same time: screwed to the wall and the cover pressed into place. Light down onto the floor – evening mood in the living room, a night light in the corridor or the lower line of a staircase. Powder-coated surface withstands wear, IP44.
Slides over the edge of the shelf: mounting recess 17.5 mm high and 10.4 mm deep, so the shelf may be at most 17.5 mm thick. Fixed with double-sided tape or adhesive. The 30.7 mm front strip hides the strip and the light is directed under the shelf without glare.
A slim T-shaped profile for mouldings, stair steps and shelves. Only 14 mm high, screwed from above or taped. The light is directed indirectly, so the walkway is lit without glare. Also suitable for outdoor use. Note: on steps max 7.2 W/m – 3.6 W/m CCT is enough.
Prices include Finnish VAT of 25.5 % and are current LedStore.fi prices. Profiles include an opal cover and end caps; the LED strip is ordered separately.
Profiles for this structure
Profiles for the wall-ceiling junction
Profiles for the wall-ceiling corner – plaster-in models are recessed into the battens, surface models are screwed into the finished corner.
The lowest plaster-in solution: minimum batten depth only 17 mm, and the light surface sits 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling. Sized to go alongside a 22 mm timber batten or a 20 mm steel hat channel – keep the battens 14.5 mm off the wall, so a 12.5 mm plasterboard comes out flush. The plaster-in flange hides the profile in the ceiling board.
Screwed to the frame and covered with 13 mm plasterboard – the light emerges from the curved profile surface painted white. The curved inner part diffuses the light softly and removes the hard light edge from the box opening. Recommended strip 14.4 W/m.
Designed for 48×48 mm ceiling battens: keep the battens 25 mm off the wall. The depth of the light surface from the finished ceiling is 20 mm. Takes a strip up to 23 mm, or two narrow strips side by side.
A curved glare shield and room for two strips. Fitted at the ceiling edge in place of a cornice, or vertically in the corner of a room. The closest equivalent to a light cove without plasterboard work.
Screwed to the ceiling in front of the curtain track: the profile hides the track and directs the light down along the curtains. Takes a strip up to 20 mm, so a powerful 14-30 W/m strip fits. One product solves both hiding the track and the lighting.
Prices include Finnish VAT of 25.5 % and are current LedStore.fi prices. Profiles include an opal cover and end caps; the LED strip is ordered separately.
Profiles for this structure
Profiles for furniture
Recessed furniture profiles for shelves, display cabinets and worktop edges.
Slides over the edge of the shelf: mounting recess 17.5 mm high and 10.4 mm deep, so the shelf may be at most 17.5 mm thick. Fixed with double-sided tape or adhesive. The 30.7 mm front strip hides the strip and the light is directed under the shelf without glare.
Recessed into a groove routed in the furniture: tight groove 22 × 10 mm, glued 23 × 11 mm. Light at a 45° angle towards the shelf or wall, so glare is minimised. Also suits the riser of a stair step. Only for the 5 mm SOLO SLIM strip. Brushed aluminium, black or matt brass.
Prices include Finnish VAT of 25.5 % and are current LedStore.fi prices. Profiles include an opal cover and end caps; the LED strip is ordered separately.
Frequently asked questions
Which aluminium profile for indirect light?
The choice starts from the structure: a plaster-in profile for a plasterboard bulkhead, a recessed one for the ceiling surface, a surface profile for a finished surface and a corner profile for the wall-ceiling junction. The second deciding dimension is the strip width – a 10 mm strip does not fit an 8 mm groove.
Is an aluminium profile always needed?
A strip over 10 W/m needs one for cooling. Below that a profile is still recommended, because it gives a straight line, protects the strip and makes the result look finished. Tape alone will not hold a strip for years.
How slim can an aluminium profile be?
The slimmest surface profile is 9 mm high and the slimmest plaster-in profile leaves the light surface 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling. Slim profiles do, however, need a COB strip, because SMD would show dots this close to the diffuser.
How is an aluminium profile fixed?
A plaster-in profile is screwed to the framing before plasterboarding, a recessed one is held in the ceiling surface with spring clips, a surface profile is screwed or glued to the finished surface. Tape alone is not enough for any of them.
Can an aluminium profile be bent?
A straight profile cannot. There are dedicated bent profiles for curved structures, or a sideways-bending strip is used without a profile — then cooling has to be solved another way.
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