For general light 20–30 cm below the ceiling, so the light can open up before reaching the ceiling. At the ceiling edge a sharp line appears at the top. For mood light and in a corridor, 30–40 cm above the floor works well.

A Z profile and a wall profile are easy without professional help — a drill, screws and a socket are enough. A light moulding needs basic woodworking skills. Electrical installations must not be done yourself.

Yes, and it is often the best solution. A curtain profile hides the track and lights the ceiling at the same time — two things with one structure. The light hits the top of the curtain and emphasises how the fabric falls.

Yes, but it is demolition work — ceiling open, cables, new plasterboard, filling, painting. It is a full renovation. If you do not want demolition, see the retrofit page.

Yes, and it is often neater when the glare shield corner needs to be precise. MDF needs painting depending on humidity conditions.

Yes, and it is worth painting it the ceiling colour so it blends in. An aluminium profile needs a primer. A timber light moulding paints normally.

Yes, but it takes 50–60 mm of room height and needs painting. For retrofit there are surface profiles that take only 18–29 mm and need no building work at all.

A straight profile cannot. There are dedicated curved profiles for curved structures, or a sideways-bending strip is used without a profile — then cooling has to be solved another way.

Yes, with a surface profile. It is screwed onto the finished wall and needs no plasterboarding or painting. A plaster-in profile, on the other hand, requires opening the wall.

Yes, with a recessed profile that goes into the ceiling surface. The profile is 78 mm wide on its visible part and 35 mm deep, so it needs space inside the ceiling structure. It is fixed with spring clips.

Yes. A surface-mounted profile is screwed onto a finished wall or ceiling and needs no building work. The slimmest retrofit profile is 18 mm. Plaster-in solutions require plasterboarding.

Yes, and it is the most popular solution. Indirect light from the edges gives atmosphere, spotlights along the centre line give task and general light. They are controlled as separate groups.

Yes. The drawings include dimensions and materials, so quantities can be taken from them. An electrical plan is still needed separately.

They do if the strip is too close to the diffuser or the LEDs are sparse. Dots appear when the light of an individual LED has not yet blended with its neighbour’s. The solution is a deeper profile, a denser strip or a dotless COB.

Whenever the driver is inside the ceiling. If the driver is outside the box or inside furniture, no separate hatch is needed. A group driver always needs an access hatch.

No. Interior lighting and dropped ceilings do not need a permit. Electrical work requires a qualified installer but no permit.

Yes, white. The inside of the box reflects light — the lightest surface gives the best result and the most light into the room.

It does if the profile is too close to the wall or the strip is dotted SMD. The wall surface reveals unevenness mercilessly, because the light hits it at a shallow angle. Choose a COB strip and keep the profile off the wall.

The profile is mitred at 45 degrees and the strip is cut before the corner. A small dark spot always remains in the corner, because the strip cannot be bent. The alternative is to leave the corner open and make two separate lines of light.

20–30 mm is enough with a low profile. The groove is made during plasterboarding, so it must be planned before boarding. A groove in a finished wall is not realistic — choose a surface profile then.

The space needed starts from 50 mm with a low profile. Traditional 48 × 48 mm battens and 13 mm plasterboard take about 61 mm. A deeper box evens out dots better, but 50 mm is enough with a COB strip.

A plaster-in profile does not project at all — it is flush with the board. A surface profile projects 15–33 mm from the wall depending on the model. The two-directional profile is 17 mm.

With screws into the battens or plasterboard anchors. Adhesive alone will not hold an aluminium profile and strip for years, especially if the moulding is long. Fixings every 40–60 cm.

48 × 48 mm battens at the ceiling edge, the profile in the bottom or edge of the box, plasterboard on top and the joints skimmed. The decisive step is finishing the edges and bottom before installing the profile — afterwards you cannot get in there.

A plaster-in profile is screwed to the battens before boarding, a recessed one with spring clips into the ceiling surface, a surface profile is screwed or glued to the finished surface. Tape alone is not enough for any of these.

Three ways: a corner profile that directs the light to the ceiling, a groove 20–30 mm deep at the top of the wall, or a curtain profile that also hides the curtain track. The corner profile is the quickest and needs no building work.

Two ways: at the wall-ceiling junction with a corner profile, or in the middle of the ceiling with a recessed profile. The ceiling edge is far more common, because the wall naturally directs the light to the ceiling. A recessed profile is the only way to get a line of light away from the walls.

Three options: a plaster-in wall profile recessed behind the board, a surface profile screwed onto a finished wall, or a two-way profile that lights both up and down. The slimmest standalone solution is a 15 mm skirting profile.

Inside the Z-profile the cable runs hidden. The short cable from the socket to the profile is covered with a cable strip or wall duct. A white strip, or one matching the wall colour, blends in best.

With a 14.4 W/m strip and a 100 W driver, about 6 m (0.8 safety factor). On runs over 7 m, feed from both ends because of voltage drop.

For an SMD strip, 120 LED/m is the minimum for indirect light and 240 LED/m gives a clearly more even result. For a COB strip the figure does not matter, because the light surface is continuous — LedStore’s SOLO strips have 280–512 LED/m.

Most commonly 200–350 mm. At minimum 50–100 mm with slim panel lights. For indirect light, allow 150–300 mm so the light has time to open up evenly.

At minimum 12 mm with the thinnest surface profile. A plasterboard box takes 50–61 mm and a dropped ceiling 100–200 mm. The thinnest plaster-in solution leaves the light surface 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling.

35 mm depth behind the ceiling surface. With a concrete ceiling that means a dropped ceiling, but in a timber-framed ceiling 48 mm battens are enough.

The thinnest surface profile is 9 mm high, and the thinnest plaster-in profile leaves the light surface 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling. Thin profiles do, however, need a COB strip, because SMD would show dots this close to the diffuser.

30–50 mm is enough for indirect light. A narrower slot restricts the beam too much, a wider one exposes the strip from a seated position. Slot width and lip height together decide whether the strip is visible.

For a small room 120–160 mm, a normal room 150–200 mm, a large or tall room 180–250 mm.

The drawings on this page are for web browsing. More detailed CAD details are available with LedStore’s lighting design service.

With DECO and INDIRECT-1 profiles, yes. A low furniture light strip or thin wall moulding can be mounted closer to the ceiling, but the light then comes almost directly and does not spread evenly onto the ceiling. The result is more a line of light than indirect general lighting.

Yes, but it needs enough power. A 14.4 W/m COB strip on a white ceiling gives enough general light in a room of normal height. For a dark ceiling or a tall room, add power or use more lines of light.

It shows as a thin light slot, not as a luminaire. The slot is 68 mm wide and the profile sits flush with the ceiling. Switched off, it reads as an architectural detail.

A Z-profile and wall profile leave only screw holes. They can be removed and the holes are easy to fill. Check your tenancy agreement and ask the landlord if needed.

Yes, especially in a low room. In a low structure glare is a bigger risk, and a warm tone (2700–3000 K) reduces the feeling of glare. A CCT strip gives both: neutral for task light, warm for mood. CCT LED strips →

A strip above 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.

A corner profile shows as a thin moulding, but it reads as a decorative trim rather than a luminaire. A plaster-in profile is not visible at all. The choice is between appearance and amount of work.

A light moulding is installed in a day and takes 20–30 mm. A plasterboard box needs battens, boarding, skimming and painting, but the result is seamless. The moulding shows as a trim, the box is not visible at all.

Opal evens out the dots but takes 10–20 % of the light. Clear lets all the light through but reveals the dots. In indirect lighting a diffuser is often not needed at all, because the ceiling surface does the same job.

Light aimed at the ceiling gives soft general light across the whole room. Light aimed downward is accent light and no longer indirect lighting. A two-directional profile does both.

A Z profile is fixed to the ceiling and the light goes up against the ceiling surface. A wall profile is fixed to the wall at the ceiling edge and the light goes upward. The low Z takes 20 mm, the wall profile 18–24 mm. The IP44 wall profile also suits bathrooms.

Bulkhead depth, light slot width, glare shield height, profile position and distance from the wall. These five dimensions are enough for the structure to be built correctly.

Chip on Board: the LED chips are bonded directly to the circuit board and covered with a continuous phosphor layer. The light surface is a continuous line, not dots. That is why COB works in a low profile where SMD would show dots.

48 × 48 mm is standard and suits most situations. 48 × 98 mm gives more room for the driver and the shelf. With curtains, 100 mm or more is recommended.

A ready-made moulding with an LED strip hidden behind it. It is screwed or glued at the ceiling edge and needs no building work. In practice it is the quickest way to get indirect light in a finished room.

It depends on whether you build a structure. Without building work, the thinnest light aimed at the ceiling is the 17 mm two-directional wall profile, ready as it is. The skirting profile is 15 mm but lights down onto the floor. If you build a plasterboard structure, the light surface of the LOW Z profile sits only 7.5 mm from the finished ceiling and the minimum batten depth is 17 mm — but then the space needed is set by the battens, not the profile.

For a low profile (under 20 mm) a COB strip — dotless, even light. In a deeper box an SMD strip also works. 14.4–22 W/m for general lighting, 7.2 W/m is enough for mood lighting. See LedStore’s LED strips →

A light cove is a box built at the wall-ceiling junction that lights the ceiling; a dropped ceiling lowers the whole ceiling so that a light slot is left at the edges. A dropped ceiling takes more height but gives a more unified result.

The DECO profile takes 29 mm and INDIRECT-1 only 18 mm from the wall. With less space, the only option is a very thin light moulding or a furniture light strip mounted directly on the wall, for example under a shelf.

This page has cross-sections of the most common structures with dimensions. The drawings can be given as they are to a contractor or building company as work instructions.

The choice starts from the structure: a plaster-in profile for a plasterboard box, a recessed one for the ceiling surface, a surface profile for a finished surface and a corner profile for the ceiling edge. The other decisive dimension is the strip width — a 10 mm strip will not fit an 8 mm groove.

The choice starts from the constraint, not from preference. Is a renovation under way or is the room finished? How much ceiling height is available? A finished room only suits a surface-mounted profile or a light moulding.

For a profile under 20 mm COB is the only choice that works, because the strip is too close to the diffuser and the dots have no room to even out. In a profile over 20 mm dense SMD gives the same even result more cheaply. The decisive dimension is not the box size but the profile depth from strip to diffuser.

A plaster-in profile whose edges go under the board, or a low surface profile in the bottom of the box. The plaster-in profile gives a seamless result where no profile is visible at all.

An IP44-rated wall profile. Standard profiles are not suitable for damp rooms. The strip must also be at least IP44. Damp-room LED strips from LedStore →

Light aimed at the ceiling gives soft general light across the whole room. Light aimed at the wall emphasises the surface material and makes the room feel taller. At the ceiling edge both are possible — the profile shape decides.

The profile is too shallow: at a depth under 20 mm, the dots of an SMD strip have no distance to blend. Switch to a COB strip or use a deeper profile. In a profile over 20 mm, today’s dense SMD works well.

The strip ends before the end of the profile because the cut point fell in the wrong place. Use a strip with a short cut interval, or LedStore’s “cut anywhere” strip so the length is exact.

The cooling surface is small and the heat cannot escape quickly enough. More than 14.4 W/m in a closed low profile shortens the strip’s life from 50,000 hours to 10,000–20,000 hours.

Yes, with a Zigbee driver — you replace the driver and add a battery-powered button. Wired dimming (TRIAC, 0–10 V) needs a control wire that has to be run at installation.

Yes. With a retrofit profile (17 mm wall profile or wall profile) no building work is needed. In a finished room in 2–4 hours. See the retrofit guide.

Technically yes, if the sizing is right and the ceiling white. But indirect general light alone makes a room flat — accent or wall lights add a sense of depth.

Yes, but not in the same line of light. Two different tones in the same profile show immediately. In different areas or at different heights the difference does not disturb, and it can be deliberate — warm light for relaxing and neutral task light.

At the ceiling edge, 40–60 mm gives the light room to spread before the ceiling. Under 30 mm creates a sharp band at the top of the wall. Over 100 mm starts to waste light inside the structure itself.

Rule of thumb: the shield hides the strip when the viewer stands 2 metres away. In practice 30–50 mm is enough when the strip is at the ceiling edge and viewed from below. The closer the strip is seen from, the higher the shield must be.

Three ways: the strip hidden behind a lip, the strip aimed away from the viewer, or the profile’s own glare shield. The best result comes when all three combine — then only the lit surface is visible.

The order is: what the light hits, how much light is needed, which structure fits, which strip and profile suit it, and finally the driver and control. The wrong order leads to a structure that does not fit.

A quality strip lasts 50,000 hours, about 17 years at 8 h/day. Its life is shortened by overloading (more than 80 % of the driver) or poor cooling (no profile, a closed box without ventilation).

From a white ceiling with a 14.4 W/m strip, typically 150–250 lux on the floor in a room of normal height. 300–500 lux is recommended for reading, which needs extra light or a more powerful strip.

Calculation: the room’s perimeter × how many walls. A small living room (3×4 m) on all walls: (3+4)×2 = 14 m. In practice corners, doors and windows shorten it — 70–85 % of the perimeter is realistic.

It depends on the room and the ceiling tone. A light ceiling reflects about 80 % of the light, a dark one under 40 % — so a dark ceiling needs almost double the power. The sizing calculator works this out.

3000 K is warm and calming, 4000 K neutral and refreshing. At home 3000 K is the safer choice for living spaces. 4000 K works in the kitchen and utility room where precision is wanted.

CCT costs about 50 % more but lets the same strip be warm in the evening and cool during the day. It pays off in living spaces and bathrooms. Fixed is enough where the light’s role does not change, such as a plinth or stairs.

Cabling and junction boxes need an electrician. If you use a socket (retrofit, Zigbee driver), you can install it yourself. Cabling inside the ceiling is electrical work.

For general light yes, if the sizing is right (14.4+ W/m, white ceiling). But layered lighting — indirect + accent + mood light — makes a room much livelier. Indirect alone is even but flat.

Not if the lip is high enough and the strip is behind it. The most common mistake is a lip that is too low, so the strip shows from a seated position even though not standing. Always test sitting where the sofa will be.

0–10 V is an analogue control voltage for the driver. 0 V = off, 10 V = full power. It needs its own control wire run at installation. Read about dimming and control →

Correlated Colour Temperature, i.e. tunable white. The strip has two LED circuits, warm and cool, and adjusting their ratio changes the colour temperature steplessly. On LedStore’s strips the range is 2500–7300 K.

The colour rendering index tells how naturally light renders colours. Below 90 makes skin and wood look grey. In indirect lighting CRI is especially important, because the light reflects off a surface and any tint error is emphasised.

A glare shield that is too low, so the strip shows from a seated position. Another common one is placing the driver in a box that is plastered shut.

Structure depth, profile position, cable routes and driver location. These four are fixed once the board is in place — afterwards they cannot be reached without demolition.

When the room is unusual or high, or when the project is a commercial space where standards apply. LedStore’s design starts from €199 and pays for itself if it prevents one wrong purchase.

Living room and bedroom 2700–3000 K, kitchen and utility room 3000–3500 K, office and workspace 4000 K. Indirect light always feels slightly cooler than the same figure in direct light, because the ceiling surface does not warm the tone.

2700–3000 K warm white is the most recommended. A CCT strip (tunable) is the best choice — warm in the evening, neutral for everyday light. Read the colour temperature guide →

A bright reflection from the ceiling can dazzle just as much. If the ceiling is painted in gloss, the light reflects like a mirror. Use matt or semi-matt paint.

24 V almost always. The voltage drop is half as large, so the strip can be longer and the light stays even to the end. 12 V is only justified in solar panel systems and vehicles.

Yes, in one plane. The bending radius is typically 3–5 cm. It does not bend sideways, i.e. against its edge — that needs a separate sideways-bending model.

Yes, at the marked cutting points. The interval is typically 5 or 10 cm, so the length does not always come out exactly. LedStore’s “cut anywhere” strip solves this — it has a cutting point every centimetre.

An IP20 strip cannot, IP65 withstands splashes and moisture. For bathrooms, saunas and the splash zone of a utility room always choose IP65. Outdoors IP65 plus a protective profile is needed.

Yes, but compatibility is then your own responsibility. The strip width, profile groove, driver voltage and dimmer type must all match. Bought from one place, compatibility is assured.

IP65 models withstand a covered location. The silicone jacket protects well, but the ends and joints must be sealed separately.

A strip above 10 W/m needs a profile for cooling. Without one the strip overheats, the luminous flux drops and its life is shortened considerably. The profile also gives a straight line and protects the strip mechanically.

Indirect light loses about 75 % of the light to the ceiling surface, so the power is higher than for direct lighting. 14.4 W/m for a living room, 17 W/m for a kitchen and office, 7.2 W/m for mood light. A dark ceiling needs almost double the power.

It does, but it is a different thing. LED neon is a visible light element, not a hidden light source. In indirect lighting it works as an accent in curved structures a normal profile will not bend to.

In practice yes. Indirect light is usually sized brighter than you want in the evening, and without a dimmer the room has only one light level. A dimmer is the cheapest way to get two moods.

An LED strip coated in a silicone jacket that looks like a continuous tube of light. It replaces a traditional neon tube and bends into shapes, so it can be used for lettering and curves.

Four parts: LED strip, aluminium profile, driver and control, i.e. a dimmer. All four must be chosen to work together — the wrong combination shows as flicker or uneven light.

Profile depth and strip technology together. A profile under 20 mm takes COB, a deeper one can take dense SMD. This one decision determines whether dots show on the ceiling.

For general light 14.4–17 W/m and CRI at least 95. Dot-free COB for profiles under 20 mm, dense SMD for deeper ones. 7.2 W/m is enough for mood light and 3.6 W/m for a sauna. 24 V, because the voltage drop is smaller than at 12 volts.

Yes, and CRI is decisive here. Below CRI 95 the colours of objects look flat. In a display cabinet it pays to choose CRI 96–97 even though it costs more.

Yes, but only under the benches or behind the backrest where the temperature stays below 60 °C. The strip must not be installed at the ceiling edge or near the stove. IP65 is a requirement.

Yes, with an IP65 strip in a protective profile. What decides it is not the strip but the joints and end caps — water always gets in at a joint. Use proper IP65 connectors.

Yes, if cooling is right. In a shop the lights burn 3,000–4,000 hours a year, so an aluminium profile and a long warranty pay off. The 7-year warranty of the SUPREME range is sized for this.

IP65 can. What matters is that the strip’s ends and joints are sealed — water always gets in at the end, not through the surface. Use proper IP65 connectors, not tape.

Yes. Cold does not harm LEDs; if anything it improves their efficiency. The problem is moisture and freezing in the joints — which is why sealing decides it, not temperature.

With a quality dimmer, yes. Cheap dimmers leave the strip with a faint glow or flicker at the lowest settings. If a night light is wanted, choose a dimmer that goes below 5 %.

Not if the colour temperature is 2700 K or warmer and the light is dimmable. Cool light suppresses melatonin production. A dimmer is practically essential in a bedroom.

It removes most of them. Reflections come from bright sources in front of the screen; when the light comes from a large area of ceiling, no single reflection forms.

It can if the light points upward or onto the neighbour’s plot. Indirect light is better than accent light here, because it does not create a glaring point source. Always aim the light at your own surface.

Headboard light is moodier and glares less. Ceiling light lights the room more evenly but hits the eyes when lying down. Both together give the best result.

A hole drilled at the back of the furniture and a cable duct inside the carcass. Plan the cable route before assembling the furniture — in a finished cabinet the route is almost always awkward.

Strip under the eaves or behind a facade feature so that the light washes the wall surface. The texture of the material stands out when the light comes at a shallow angle.

In a recessed profile at the edge of the shelf or cabinet, or in a shelf-edge profile. A recessed profile is the only way to hide the strip in a structure as thin as a shelf board.

Behind the mirror cabinet, at the edge of the dropped ceiling or in the vanity plinth. Around the mirror indirect light is most effective, because it lights the face without shadows — which is the whole point of mirror light.

Behind the headboard or at the ceiling edge. Headboard light is the most effective, because the light rises up the wall and does not hit the eyes when lying down. At the ceiling edge it is best to leave the strip out above the bed.

At the ceiling edge or in the cabinet plinth. Indirect light works especially well in a hallway, because the space is often narrow and direct light makes it cramped. Light rising to the ceiling opens up the space.

Three places: on top of the wall cabinets, under the cabinets and in the plinth. On top of the wall cabinets the light rises to the ceiling and gives general light; under them it lights the worktop.

Three structures work: a light cove at the ceiling edge, a dropped ceiling in the middle of the ceiling or a surface profile on a finished wall. The choice depends on whether a renovation is underway. In a finished room a surface profile is the only realistic option.

At the ceiling edge around the whole perimeter, or in a dropped ceiling above the table. In a meeting room what matters is that faces are lit evenly — that is critical for video meetings.

At the ceiling edge, in a dropped ceiling or in the backs of bench seats. In a restaurant indirect light creates the atmosphere and table light makes the food appetising.

At the ceiling edge for general light and in the shelves for product light. In a shop indirect light creates the base level and accent lights bring the products forward — two light levels are a sales tool.

In the handrail or on the landing walls. In a stairwell indirect light noticeably reduces the echo — not acoustically but visually, because the space no longer feels bare and hard.

On top of the wall cabinets or at the ceiling edge. In a utility room indirect light is always combined with task light, because checking stains and ironing need direct light.

A dropped ceiling edge or suspended profiles above the workstations. Indirect light removes screen reflections, which is its most important benefit in an office — not the atmosphere.

Three ways: a strip under the step front edge, in the handrail or on the wall at landing height. Light installed under the steps is the safest, because it lights exactly the surface you step on.

Strip in a profile behind the plinth board, light aimed at the floor. The profile is fixed to the inside of the plinth so the strip stays completely invisible — only the lit floor is visible.

The perimeter of a 20 m² living room is about 18 metres. Strip at 14.4 W/m and profile about €700–900 in total, driver and dimmer €150–250. A plasterboard box adds labour and materials, €1,500–2,500 in total.

€40–80 per square metre including strip, profile, driver and control. A 100 m² office is therefore €4,000–8,000. Dropped ceiling and electrical work come on top.

A normal strip withstands about 60 °C continuously. Under the benches the temperature is 40–60 °C when it is 80 °C on the benches. Above the stove the heat rises above 100 °C — the strip is not installed there.

Bedroom 50–150 lx, living room 150–250 lx, kitchen general light 300 lx and worktop 500 lx, office 500 lx, stairs 100 lx. Indirect light in practice delivers 150–300 lx.

50–150 lux is enough. The bedroom is the only room where too little light is better than too much. A 7.2 W/m strip is usually enough.

150–250 lux of general light is enough for relaxing. With a light ceiling that means about 14.4 W/m along the whole perimeter. A dark ceiling needs almost double the power, because it absorbs the light.

100–200 lux is enough. A hallway is a passage, but more is needed in front of the mirror — it is worth adding its own light there.

300–500 lux. In video meetings face lighting matters more than the table — size the light for the height of seated people, not the table surface.

In a dinner restaurant 50–150 lux of general light and 200–300 lux on the table. In a lunch restaurant clearly more, 300–500 lux. The same space needs different light at different times.

General light 300–500 lux and displays 750–1000 lux. The contrast between general light and product light guides the eye — light that is too even makes a shop flat.

100 lux on the step. Uniformity matters more than quantity — varying light makes the step edges unclear, and that is a fall risk.

100 lux on the steps and 50 lux in the corridors. In a public space the lighting must be even, so indirect light alone is not always enough — it is combined with general luminaires.

300 lux for general light and 500 lux on the worktop. This is clearly more than in living spaces, because precise work is done in the room.

A recessed shelf profile needs a groove about 12 mm deep, so a 16 mm board is enough. A shelf-edge profile fits shelves up to 17.5 mm thick.

Yes. In a hallway light is needed only briefly, and a motion sensor saves both electricity and effort. Combine it with a dimmed night light so the light does not come on at full power at night.

No. The worktop needs 500 lux of direct light, which indirect light does not deliver. The strip under the cabinets is direct light — a different thing from the indirect general light on top of the wall cabinets.

Usually not. Indirect light gives even general light but not accent light for reading or working. Combine it with a floor lamp or downlights — two light levels in the same room is a solution that works.

In living spaces yes, in workplaces no. Indirect light loses about 75 % of the light to the ceiling surface, so 500 lux of task light would be economically absurd. Combine it with accent light.

Not on its own. EN 12464-1 requires 500 lux at the workstation, and indirect light economically delivers about 200–300 lux. Combine it with a task luminaire.

It does, but it needs a decision by the housing company and an electrical plan. A stairwell is a common area where the lighting must meet safety requirements even during a power cut.

It is not necessary. A continuous strip in the handrail or wall lights the whole staircase evenly and is cheaper to install. Step-by-step lighting is an effect, not a necessity.

Yes. It makes the cabinets look as if they float and works as a night light without switching on the main lights. 7.2 W/m is enough, and IP65 is recommended because the floor is washed.

Not really. Plinth light is mood light that works in the evening and at night. In daylight it is lost, so it is not worth sizing it as general light.

Yes. It makes the cabinets look as if they float and works as a night light. Combine it with a motion sensor so the light comes on by itself when you get up at night for a glass of water.

Building regulations require adequate lighting on a staircase. Indirect light under the steps meets the requirement and is safer than a ceiling light, which leaves the steps in shadow.

Yes. During a presentation the light is lowered but not switched off, because people are still taking notes. A dimmer is practically essential in this room.

Yes, and it matters more than in any other space. Lunch and dinner need different light, and dimming is a cheaper way to handle it than two separate lighting systems.

Indirect general light from the front and sides, not from behind. Light from behind turns faces into silhouettes. CRI at least 95, so skin tone looks natural on camera.

In the living room and bedroom, where the aim is even, glare-free light. Also in a narrow hallway and corridor, because light rising to the ceiling opens up a cramped space.

Under the front edge of the benches or behind the backrest. The light is aimed down or at the wall, never into the eyes. The strip stays completely invisible and lights the floor and the wall.

At least 95. The colours of the food are a selling point in a restaurant, and below CRI 90 meat looks grey and salad yellowish.

At least 95, 97 in a clothing store. Poor colour rendering leads to returns, because the product looks different at home than in the shop.

At least IP65. It withstands splashes and moisture. Right next to the shower, in zone 1, IP65 plus a protective profile is required. An IP20 strip does not belong in a bathroom at all.

IP65 in the splash zone, i.e. near the sink and washing machine. IP20 is enough elsewhere. A utility room is a damp room even though it is not a wet room.

IP65 in a covered area such as under the terrace eaves, IP67 in an unprotected location. IP68 for installations in the ground or in water.

A low-power 3.6 W/m is enough and produces less heat. IP65 essential. LedStore recommends the SOLO TUNNELMA 3.6 W/m strip specifically for saunas, plinths and stairs.

17 W/m and CRI at least 95, so food colours are rendered correctly. Colour temperature 3000–3500 K. IP65 if the strip is in the splash zone near the sink or hob.

A CCT strip is best here: cool 4000 K for mirror light in the morning and warm 2700 K for an evening bath. If a fixed tone, 3000 K is a safe compromise.

3000 K. It is warm but not too moody — in the hallway you need to see what you are putting on. If the hallway continues into the living room, use the same tone in both.

3000–3500 K. A warm tone makes food appetising, but too warm makes it harder to judge colours. 4000 K is too clinical for a home kitchen.

2700–3000 K. A warm tone calms in the evening and makes the room inviting. A CCT strip lets you switch to a cooler tone during the day, which is useful if the room is also used for work.

2700 K for a dinner restaurant and 3000 K for a lunch place. Warm light makes food appetising and skin look healthy. Above 3500 K makes food look grey.

2700 K or warmer. The sauna is the only room where even 2200 K works — it resembles candlelight and is calming. Cool light feels clinical in a sauna.

3000 K in clothing and interior stores, 4000 K in electronics and groceries. A warm tone makes products appealing, a neutral one emphasises the technical.

3500–4000 K. Neutral light helps distinguish stains and judge colours. Warm light hides dirt, which is a drawback in this room.

4000 K. Neutral light supports alertness during the working day. 3000 K feels sleepy in an office and 5000 K clinical.

All of them, but the role changes. In living spaces it is general light, in workplaces a base level with task light on top, and in the sauna or plinth just mood light. The same structure does not work everywhere.

For public spaces it pays to choose a long-warranty strip, because replacement costs more than at home. LedStore’s SUPREME range has a 7-year warranty and a thicker copper base.

7.2 W/m and dot-free COB. In furniture the strip is seen close up, so dots would show immediately. A narrow 5 mm strip fits the thinnest profiles.

7.2 W/m is enough and IP65 is recommended, because the floor is washed. Dot-free COB gives a continuous line of light on the floor; SMD would create a row of dots visible on a glossy floor.

7.2 W/m is enough and glares less. IP65 if the staircase is outdoors or in a basement. Under the step a profile is essential, because the strip is exposed to dust and knocks.

An electrician. A bathroom is a wet room where fixed electrical installations are always professional work. The driver is placed outside the bathroom.

Yes. A CCT strip needs a CCT-compatible driver and controller. Colour temperature control needs a three-core cable (CW, WW, negative). LedStore’s guide to choosing a CCT driver →

Yes, if the total power stays within the driver’s limits and each strip is wired with its own cable from the driver. Wiring in series does not work — the voltage is divided and both strips stay dim.

Not advisable. The driver is the part that fails first, and a plastered-in driver means opening the ceiling. Put it behind an access hatch or on top of a cabinet.

Zigbee for a home. DALI is for professional use — more expensive, needs bus cabling and a control unit. Zigbee is simpler, cheaper and integrates directly with modern home automation systems.

The Zigbee signal’s range is shorter in concrete structures. In most detached houses it works perfectly. In apartment blocks or between concrete walls a repeater or a hub closer by may be needed.

The strip’s actual power draw multiplied by the metres, plus 20 % headroom. 17 W/m × 8 m = 136 W, so a 165 W driver. For CCT strips use the actual power draw, which is lower than the rated power.

Take the strip’s actual power draw multiplied by the metres and add a 20 % margin. Example: 17 W/m × 8 m = 136 W, driver 165 W or larger. The margin is not wasted — a driver running at full load heats up and shortens its life.

For a 24 V strip, 5 metres is a safe limit with 1.5 mm² cable. Over a longer run the voltage drops and the far end of the strip goes darker. The solution is a thicker cable or moving the driver closer.

A driver with a plug is a DIY installation. A fixed connection to the mains, i.e. a driver wired to a junction box, needs an electrician. In a bathroom and sauna the installation is always electrician’s work.

A dimmable driver can reduce power steplessly and without flicker. A standard driver with a dimmer causes humming and flicker at the lowest settings.

In a serviceable place: on top of a cabinet, behind an access hatch in a dropped ceiling or in a technical room. The driver is the part that fails first, and a driver plastered in means opening the ceiling. It also needs air circulation.

24 V. Voltage drop is half as large, so the strip can be longer and the light stays even. 12 V is only justified in solar panel systems.

The most common cause is a dimmer that does not suit the driver. The second is a driver that is too small and runs overloaded. The third is the driver’s own switching frequency, audible in a quiet room — then the driver must be placed out of the bedroom.

A driver running at full load heats up, and heat shortens its lifetime quickly. At 80 % load the driver stays cool and lasts years longer.

At the same time as the ceiling structure, before boarding. Four things must be decided: structure depth, profile position, cable routes and driver location.

Yes, if the cable routes and box space are reserved now. A provision alone is cheap and keeps the option open. Without it, retrofitting is limited to surface profiles.

Installing the strip and profile is DIY work if the driver is plug-in. A fixed electrical connection, bathrooms and saunas need an electrician. Plasterboard work is worth outsourcing if you want invisible joints.

Materials €40–60/m. In a typical detached house with indirect light in four rooms, materials are €3,000–5,000. Building work comes on top if the structure is plasterboard.

Materials €40–60/m including strip and profile. The perimeter of a 20 m² room is about 18 metres, so €700–1,100. Driver and dimmer €150–250. A plasterboard box adds labour, €1,500–2,500 per room in total.

LedStore’s lighting design starts from €199. It pays for itself if it prevents one wrong purchase — the wrong strip or profile is a more expensive mistake than the price of the design.

More expensive per metre, but the result is different. Ten downlights cost €400–700 installed; the same room with indirect light €1,500–2,500. Indirect light, however, does not dazzle or create point shadows.

Yes, if the decision is made before the ceiling structure is fixed. Then it takes little height and the extra cost is small. Afterwards the same result costs many times more.

Roughly a third strip, a third profile and a third driver, control and labour. Building work, i.e. battens, boarding and painting, comes on top if the structure is plasterboard.

Living room and bedroom first — that is where the benefit is greatest. Kitchen third, but there it is general light that needs task light alongside. The hallway and corridor benefit because the space opens up.

Construction drawings are on the site as dimensioned cross-sections. More detailed CAD details and lighting calculations are available from LedStore’s lighting design.

A plaster-in profile goes into the battens before boarding. The bottom and edges of the box are finished first, then the profile, then the board. A surface profile is installed last on the finished, painted surface.

Yes. LedStore quotes contract projects, and lighting design starts from €199. Quantity take-off can be done from the construction drawings.

Traditional 48 × 48 mm is enough for most structures. In the lowest solutions the minimum batten depth is 17 mm. The battens are kept 14.5 mm off the finished surface when a low Z profile is used.

Decisively. A light painted ceiling reflects about 80 % of the light, dark wood under 40 %. A dark ceiling needs almost double the strip power for the same illuminance.

At the same time as the ceiling structure is decided. Indirect lighting is a structure, not a luminaire — if space has not been reserved for the box, it cannot be added later without losing room height.

LedStore’s strips have a 3–7 year warranty depending on the model. The 7-year warranty on the SUPREME range is sized for public-space operating hours.

Structure depth, light slot width and glare shield height. The minimum space is 12 mm with the thinnest surface profile, 50 mm with a plasterboard box and 100 mm with a dropped ceiling.

Three things decide it: batten depth, profile installation sequence and cable routes. The profile is installed before boarding, and the edges are finished before the profile — the wrong order means demolition.

Understanding the structure before choosing luminaires. Indirect lighting is a building detail whose dimensions are fixed when the ceiling is designed, not a luminaire chosen at the end.

Cable routes left open and the driver position ready but not closed up. The most common mistake is plastering over the driver position before the electrician has been.

In workplaces EN 12464-1 sets the illuminance and glare limits. In living spaces standards do not apply, but in staircases building regulations require adequate lighting.

The designer is responsible for illuminance and the contractor for the installation. LedStore’s lighting design produces calculations that can be relied on.

A fixed connection to the mains is always electrician’s work. Mechanical installation of the strip and profile is building work. The interface should be agreed in writing before starting.