Hidden LED lighting conversion and dropped ceiling

Soldato
Joined
6 Mar 2008
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Stoke area
Hi all,

In the middle of redoing our hall, stairs and landing. We're looking for lights at the moment and struggling to find anything we really like.

The ceilings are really smooth, a few imperfections and it's annoying me so had an idea.

Has anyone put thin batons on a standard ceiling, added 2-4 mm painted board and then converted the standard house lighting to LED strip hidden above the boarding? I think it'd give a nice soft light overall but I'm unsure about the electrical requirements for converting standard house lighting to run warm white LED strips.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Oct 2009
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6,672
Location
Caerphilly
You'll need a 240v / 12v LED Transformer to sit inline with the existing wiring and the new led strip.

The LED Strip will determine what "size" led transformer you will require.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Jan 2018
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14,744
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Hampshire
but I'm unsure about the electrical requirements for converting standard house lighting to run warm white LED strips.

You just connect up the Live and Neutral in the ceiling to the corresponding terminals in the LED drivers. You can control them from a dimmer switch, or with a remote control or smartphone app/speaker.
 
Associate
Joined
20 May 2007
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Location
Bath, Somerset
Not completely sure what you're asking but; In my flat we had to have a false ceiling added to have spotlights as there was no easy way of adding them to the existing ceiling. Lost ~60mm in ceiling height
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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3,687
Location
Sussex
If I was doing that i'd go for RGBW but then I lover coloured lighting, that and a controller with the desire to have it come on to schedules or when movement is triggered :)

Be careful to pick a dimmer that works with the setup your thinking about, your going to need to ether build room to hide the transformer or poke it up in the ceiling. Do it in a way that you can get to it if you need to without wrecking the ceiling. The transformer size will depend on how long the light run is.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Jan 2006
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3,372
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Ive done this in the dining room and it looks good, I went with white rather than RGB as above but personal preference really. I nearly made the mistake or concealing the transformer in the false ceiling which would have meant chopping a hole in the ceiling if/when the transformer breaks. I ran the cables through the wall into the kitchen and the transformer sits on top of the kitchen cupboards out of sight.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
6 Mar 2008
Posts
10,078
Location
Stoke area
You'll need a 240v / 12v LED Transformer to sit inline with the existing wiring and the new led strip.

The LED Strip will determine what "size" led transformer you will require.
You just connect up the Live and Neutral in the ceiling to the corresponding terminals in the LED drivers. You can control them from a dimmer switch, or with a remote control or smartphone app/speaker.

Thanks for the info

Not completely sure what you're asking but; In my flat we had to have a false ceiling added to have spotlights as there was no easy way of adding them to the existing ceiling. Lost ~60mm in ceiling height

https://www.instyleled.co.uk/suppor...-ceilings-coving-plinths-kickboards-cabinets/

If I was doing that i'd go for RGBW but then I lover coloured lighting, that and a controller with the desire to have it come on to schedules or when movement is triggered :)

Be careful to pick a dimmer that works with the setup your thinking about, your going to need to ether build room to hide the transformer or poke it up in the ceiling. Do it in a way that you can get to it if you need to without wrecking the ceiling. The transformer size will depend on how long the light run is.

Ive done this in the dining room and it looks good, I went with white rather than RGB as above but personal preference really. I nearly made the mistake or concealing the transformer in the false ceiling which would have meant chopping a hole in the ceiling if/when the transformer breaks. I ran the cables through the wall into the kitchen and the transformer sits on top of the kitchen cupboards out of sight.


I've already purchased standard on/off light switches as it's for the hall/landing ring. I supposed I could fit a dimmer along the line and have it set and always on.
 
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