How to make floor lighting in the apartment with your own hands

Floor lighting in an apartment is an original design technique that makes the room unusual and at the same time serves as lighting that allows you to move around safely at night. You can do it yourself if you follow simple recommendations.

If you buy a plinth for LED strip, the installation work will be much easier.

floor lighting requirements

Regardless of the installation method and the light sources used, the backlight must meet several requirements:

1. Protection class no less than IP65. Even for dry rooms, it is necessary to select moisture-resistant equipment, since moisture can accidentally get on it when installed on the floor.
2. Luminaires must have a shock-resistant housing that can withstand a fall of a not very heavy object, a kick and other similar impacts. Do not use fragile models.
3. Bulbs must not become hot during operation, as this creates a fire hazard and may cause warping or discolouration of the finish.
4. The light should be diffused so as not to create discomfort for the eyes.
5. Take into account the energy consumption of equipment: the lower this figure, the better.

Use LED equipment, it consumes the least electricity.

You can use special fixtures, or you can adapt universal equipment if you follow the advice from this article.

The choice of fixtures for lighting the floor

There are several options, but floor lighting in the apartment is done using two types:

1. Spotlights. This type is only suitable where the equipment can be built into the floor or the bottom of the walls. Previously, halogen lamps were used, but now they are almost never used, as they get very hot and do not last very long. LED models are much better, as they heat up much less, give good light and have a lifespan 20 times longer than the first type.
2. LED Strip Light - the most convenient solution for today, it is easy to install. You should use waterproof options that can withstand even direct contact with water. The tape can be positioned in different ways, it all depends on the room and installation features. It can be glued to the bottom of the furniture, which is very convenient. It consumes little electricity and lasts a long time.

LED strip is much easier to install.

Where in the apartment you can make the backlight

Floor lighting can be used in different rooms, depending on the location, it performs different functions. Here you need to remember the following:

1. The use of outdoor lighting in the hallway makes it much more attractive, visually expands the narrow space and looks original. Such a solution in the corridor will be appreciated by all guests.In addition, it will ensure the safety of movement even without turning on the light at night.
2. In kitchens, most often the LED strip is glued to the bottom of the kitchen set. This highlights it and makes the environment more modern. You can also use lighting around the perimeter, it is more suitable for a large kitchen.
3. In the bathroom and bathroom, many use such lighting to visually enlarge the room. The main thing is to use moisture resistant materials.
   In the bathroom and bathroom, such lighting looks great.
4. In the nursery, soft lighting can be used as a night light if the child is afraid to sleep in the dark. It is good because it does not interfere with rest and allows the child to move around safely if he needs to get up at night.
5. For a living room, this option can be an excellent decorative design, which looks especially impressive in the twilight. Here you can use both the illumination of the baseboards, and the option of mounting the LED strip on the bottom of the furniture.

Floor lighting is more suitable for modern interiors.

How to make floor lighting, basic design options

First of all, you need to choose the appropriate installation method, it depends on what you have to buy and how to organize the work. There are several main options:

1. Spotlights built into the wall along the floor surface. This solution is suitable for apartments in which the walls are sheathed with plasterboard. In this case, when installing the ceilings, it is necessary to lay the wiring in advance and make holes according to the diameter of the fixtures. The light spreads along the surface, which allows you to well illuminate it, this solution is suitable for stairsif the apartment is two-level.
2. Light in the floor using spotlights can only be equipped if the design is made on wooden logs. In this case, holes are cut in the floor board and lamps are installed, but it is important to lay the wiring in advance so that you do not have to raise the floor later. The light should be subdued and diffused, most often models with frosted glass are used.
   If there is a laminate on the floor, you can embed the diffuser into it.
3. LED strip in plinth. A good solution that will provide uniform illumination and achieve a good effect. But the most important thing is no need to drill holes in the floor and walls and lay wiring in advance.

Installation of lighting in the plinth

In this case, it is possible to use two options - a standard plinth with a cable channel or a special version made of aluminum, which was originally designed for LED strip. The step by step installation process looks like this:

1. Buy a plinth in the right quantity. It is best to choose options in which, instead of a regular plug, they sell an insert made of matte plastic, which serves as a diffuser. If you can't find one, you can get out of the situation by buying translucent plastic from any advertising company and cutting it into strips of suitable width.
2. The plinth is attached to the walls as usual, there is no need to put plugs. Next, you need to take measurements and cut the LED strip into pieces of a suitable size. Cut possible only along the marked lines.
3. If plastic plinth is used, do not use a tape with a power of more than 14 W per linear meterbecause it will overheat. There are no restrictions for the aluminum version.
4. Tape to wire connections are best solder, this is more reliable than using a connector. Choose a wire according to the power of the equipment, a flexible copper cable is best suited.
5. Ribbon glued inside the cavity, if the adhesive layer on it is unreliable, you can additionally use double-sided tape. Some people glue aluminum tape inside the cavity to improve heat dissipation.
   The plug should be put on only after checking the operation of the tape.
6. After installing the tape and laying the wires, they are attached to power supply. For it, you need to choose a place in advance, most often they use a cabinet or a shelf so that the element is not in sight. There should be an outlet nearby.
7. After checks system, you can install diffusers, they simply snap neatly into the grooves.

To improve the heat dissipation of the LED strip, you can cut a strip of aluminum to fit the baseboard recess and glue it to the sealant.

At the end of the video: Do-it-yourself plinth lighting.

It is not difficult to make floor lighting yourself if you use high-quality equipment and follow the instructions. It will take a little time, but the result will be excellent. The main thing is to use safe equipment that does not heat up during operation.