Aluminium LED profile lighting has really taken off all over the world. It’s at the nexus of the contemporary look and affordability. Read this article to find out more about how to achieve this popular effect and applicable use cases below.
Aluminium LED profile is usually composed of 4 items:
- Aluminium Profile – An extruded aluminium used to house the LED strip. A wide variety exists for all kinds of surfaces such as floors, ceilings, walls, corners, and even tiles! It also acts as a heatsink to dissipate the heat generated by LED strips.
- Diffuser – Used to even out the light coming out of the LED strip. Most popular option is the Opal (milky white diffuser) but others exist such as clear, black, flowery.
- LED Strip – A variety of LED strips exist. The choice is primary limited by the strip width that will fit into your profile.
- LED power supplies – Directly dependent on the strip chosen. High power strips require more current and consequently larger power suppliers.
Aluminium profile lighting comes in a bewildering array of options. You’d be hard pressed to find a use case for profile light that hasn’t been addressed before. The main factors to consider before getting a profile is:
- The profile, which defines the lighting light dispersal characteristics – a deeper profile will have a narrower beam width. Commonly available in lengths of 2 or 3 M
- The thickness of the materials used – thicker gauge is needed for floors, concrete and tile use cases. Typical width of a profile is about 1 MM
- The dimensions of the profile – deeper profiles have less glare while wider profiles can accept wider LED strips and are generally brighter.
- Target installation – surface profiles don’t have a lip vs recessed profiles which need a lip or are trimless.
- The colour of the profile – Some surfaces may prefer dark or anodised profiles as opposed to white or metallic profiles.
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Installation Options
The surface to install the LED profile dictates the type of profile to use. Using the wrong profile can result in a bad customer experience. For example, it’s very common to find a recessed profile meant for wood work being installed in a gypsum ceiling. Over time, the gypsum ceiling finish will detach from the LED profile (heat expansion) and cause gaps which become unsightly. An example of a bad profile installation is shown below. The chief mistakes in the image below are:
- Dirt entered into the profile and was stuck between it and the diffuser and left to cake in.
- The wrong profile was used.
- The wrong light – colour temperature – was used.
To mitigate such issues, ensure that you use the correct profile for the right. Here are the main profiles available for residential and commercial uses.
Surface Mounted Aluminium LED Profile
Surface-mounted LED profiles are a popular choice. They are easy to install and have multiple use cases. They can be mounted on any surface such as wood, concrete, gypsum, brick and masonry surfaces. They are perfect – and usually the only possible choice – for hard surfaces. Wide profiles can be used as a linear ceiling light on concrete ceilings and commercial spaces. They typically come in sizes from 8mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up to 3M per segment.
Corner Aluminium LED Profile
Corner Profiles are a variant of surface mounted LED profiles. They are a popular choice for installations where you have a corner such as ceilings to wall interfaces or walls meeting at 90 degrees. They are also a popular choice for retrofitting old cabinets or kitchen counters with lighting and wooden staircases. They are easy to install and can be mounted on any surface such as wood, concrete, gypsum, brick and masonry surfaces. Fancy variants exist such as ones with the LED mounting surface canted at 45 degrees for wall washing purposes. They typically come in sizes from 10mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up-to 3M per segment.
Recessed Aluminium LED Profile
Recessed profiles are normally integrated into surfaces that are workable such as wood, plastic boards. The artisan typically grooves the wood with the outer width and height of an aluminium profile, then uses either friction or super strong glue to bond the profile to the wood creating a seamless look. It is important that the grooving be accurate to prevent a jagged look. Avoid using recessed profile with gypsum as the profile and skimmed surface do detach over time to leave cracks. They typically come in sizes from 8mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up-to 3M per segment.
Trimless or Plaster-in Aluminium LED Profile
Perfect option for those desiring a completely flush installation on a gypsum or concrete surface. The wings on the trimless profile can be screwed into a supporting surface such as wood and then skimmed to create a continuous light line without any visible edges or border. Trimless profiles are typically the best option for a clean look that results in an ultra-modern clean aesthetic. They typically come in sizes from 8mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up-to 3M per segment. They can also come in an antiglare option that will reduce glare for lounges and spaces that required reduced glare.
Cabinet Aluminium LED Profile
The modern home now incorporates embedded aluminium profiles that fit 18mm MDF boards. These profiles sit flush at the back of the cabinet, and have an up and down groove for lighting the cabinet resulting in a streamlined appearance. They have a two fold advantage over recessed profile in that.
- They require less work. It’s easier to reduce the shelving depth by 5-10mm than to groove.
- They provide more light – a single installation provides light up and down
- They have better aesthetics.
They typically come in sizes from 8mm to more than 12mm inner width and lengths of up-to 3M per segment.
Cornice Aluminium LED Profile
Cornice aluminium LED Profiles are a variant of surface mounted LED profiles. They are perfect for ceilings to wall corners. They provide two main benefits, firstly, they are light producing luminaries, secondly, they are also installed for aesthetics. They can be installed in wall washing mode or ceiling washing mode. Cornice profiles are perfect for linearly aligned spaces such as corridors or lounges. They typically come in sizes from 10mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up to 3M per segment.
Skirting Aluminium LED Profile
Skirting aluminium LED Profiles are a variant of surface mounted LED profiles that are floor mounted. They act as metallic skirtings that also do light up. They typically come in sizes from 10mm to more than 60mm width and lengths of up to 3M per segment.
Pros of Aluminium LED Profiles
Here are some pros of using aluminium LED profiles:
- Durability: Aluminium is a robust building material that will withstand daily wear and tear. It will not flex nor rust over time.
- Heat Dissipation: Aluminium, being a metal, has an excellent thermal dissipation property that helps in dissipating heat from LED strips, prolonging their life and maintaining performance.
- Variability: Aluminium LED profiles are available in various sizes and shapes meeting any practical lighting use case.
- Aesthetics: Aluminium profiles – when installed correctly – do provide a polished, professional looke. Their wide range of design options allows for a wide range of both residential and commercial applications.
- Cost: Aluminium LED profiles are typically very affordable per linear meter. The typical cost for an installed system is about KES 1000 per meter or more depending on the choice of profile and strip used.
I am interested, What next?
Give us a call on +254 752 03 03 03, email us using contact@incredible.co.ke or use our contact form to start on your incredible journey to a stellar lighting system. We typically respond within 24 hours. We have wholesale prices and accounts for resellers available on request. We have the in-house expertise to help you design, purchase and execute your project with confidence. We have executed a variety of LED profile projects across East Africa and have sold many kilometres of profiles. You are in good hands.
We source high quality strips in a variety of PCB widths and capabilities. Whether you want profiles for your staircase steps, banister, ceiling or cabinetry, we have you covered.
