Modern interiors cannot be imagined without the use of lighting elements. And if quite recently the purpose of various lamps was only to illuminate an apartment or house, now light acts as the main designer and creator of the unique appearance and atmosphere of the room.

When creating the system, LED strips, duralight cords, and fluorescent lamps are used as a light source. The best choice in this case would be to use LED strip.

Advantages of using LED strip:

• they are flexible, thin, and can be cut. This allows you to reliably hide the tape from view in almost any design;
• most often the tapes are produced on an adhesive basis, which makes their installation extremely simple;
• it is possible to use tapes with special controllers for mixing colors and creating almost any shade;
• The light intensity can be adjusted using a dimmer;
• Along with conventional tapes, moisture-resistant options are available that can be used for pool or jacuzzi lighting equipment;
• LEDs have low power consumption, so you can leave the backlight on for a long time;
• do not require maintenance due to their long service life.

Why do you need lighting in the interior?

They are used in the interior of an apartment to achieve a variety of purposes:

• highlighting a certain area in the room or design element using light, for example, illuminating an apron in the kitchen area;
• decorating or decorating, for example, mirrors or pieces of furniture;
• giving the room additional volume and height due to lighting. Thus, installing an LED strip under the ceiling will visually make the room taller;
• creating the necessary atmosphere in the house: festive, romantic, etc.

Lighting helps to create a unique interior, implement interesting design ideas, hide layout flaws and focus on advantages. To refuse decorative lighting in a room means to deprive it of a fair share of attractiveness and functionality.

ADVICE!When installing lighting, you need to pay attention to the harmonious combination of the color of the tape and the materials present in the interior. Thus, blue, white and other cool colors go well with metal products, but wooden surfaces look better in warm lighting colors.

Main uses of backlighting

LED strips have found their application for illuminating various interior elements. This could be cabinets, shelves made of various materials, decorating a swimming pool area in a country house, installing LEDs on the wall behind the TV, internal lighting of drawers, or creating luminous compositions in a nursery. Among the main options for using LED strips, it is worth noting stairs and walls, pieces of furniture, kitchen area and curtain design.

Stairs

Illumination of the stairs with LED strip serves not only as decoration, but also ensures safe movement in the dark. There are several ways to install the LED strip: on the wall, on the side of the steps; under each step or every other one; along the entire length of the step or, for example, only in its middle part; built into the railing. Turning the staircase lighting on and off can be done either using a standard switch or using motion sensors. When using the latter option, electricity is saved significantly, since the light turns on only if a person approaches the stairs.

It is very important to correctly direct the flow of light onto the stairs. Otherwise, the shape of the steps may be distorted, which is unsafe when moving along them.

Walls

Wall lighting allows you to visually change the dimensions of the room, add “airiness” to the interior, and highlight various plasterboard structures, for example, niches, columns, arches. Using an LED strip, you can highlight a painting or photograph, highlight photo wallpaper or panels, or emphasize the texture of a wall decoration material, for example, artificial stone.

In addition to LED strips, LED wallpaper can be used to illuminate walls. They are panels with a pattern, between which LEDs are fixed. These wallpapers do not require gluing; they are attached to the wall using adhesive tape. Similar innovations are produced by OLED and Philips. The products are absolutely safe, easy to clean and allow you to create a unique and cozy interior.

Curtains

A modern design technique is the use of LED strip lighting for curtains. It allows you to achieve the effect of sunlight penetrating through the curtains, emphasizing the structure of the fabrics and visually “breaking” the boundaries of the room. The best effect is achieved when placing the tape in the niche for the cornice.

Furniture

You can also find application in any room for LED furniture lighting with LED strip. With its help, you can highlight the bed in the bedroom, create a romantic or, conversely, passionate atmosphere. A sofa or chair illuminated in the living room will seem to “float” in the air, which will add lightness and mystery to the interior. Glass shelves, both open and in cabinets, in combination with an LED strip will create radiant tints of color and add attractiveness to the objects located on them.

Kitchen

The following lighting scenarios are applicable to LEDs in the kitchen:

• illumination of the work area using LED strip installed under the upper cabinets of the kitchen unit;
• illumination of the kitchen apron from the inside. If the apron is made of glass or other transparent material, it turns into an independent lighting fixture. It looks very impressive;
• lighting inside cabinets with glass doors;
• creating the effect of a floating kitchen set by installing LED strips under the cabinets;
• highlighting individual elements with light, for example, glass holders.

When planning decorative lighting in a room, you should definitely take into account the type of interior being created. The use of colors in apartments decorated in classic, ethnic or country styles is unlikely to be appropriate. Lamps that emit warm yellow light will look most advantageous here.

On the contrary, in minimalist interiors, with elements of futurism and hi-tech, you can give free rein to your imagination and experiment with different color combinations. Although, it should be noted that white LEDs will best highlight the coldness and beauty of the metal.

The most important rule when creating a lighting scheme is a sense of proportion. You shouldn’t make a Christmas tree out of your apartment and light up everything that is possible. At the planning stage, you need to analyze all possible lighting scenarios, understand what is really necessary, what can be abandoned without damaging the appearance of the room, and what will generally interfere with rest and relaxation.

ADVICE!To optimize the operation of the lighting circuit, you can use special devices - time relays. With their help, the backlight will turn on and off at a preset time.

The use of LED strips in an apartment allows you to create an exclusive look for the room, expand its boundaries, and create the necessary atmosphere and mood. The possibilities for its use in decorative interior lighting are virtually limitless. And the ease of installation, variety of color options and durability leave all competitors far behind.

LED strip is most suitable for suspended and plasterboard ceilings.

What is LED strip

LED strip, or, as it is also called, duralight, has the form of a flexible conductive board with LEDs and resistors placed on it that are responsible for resistance.

This tape has a width of 8 to 10 mm and a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. If we are talking about a multi-color tape (RGB), then it also comes with a controller that will allow you to adjust the intensity of the glow and switch the lights, creating an environment in the room that suits the mood.

How to make LED lighting with your own hands

When installing an LED strip, in addition to the strip itself, you will also need a power supply and connectors to connect the strip.

When choosing a power supply, you need to focus on its power. To do this, you need to make the appropriate calculations using the data given in this table:

To calculate the required power, you need to multiply the power of one meter of LED strip by its total length:

W/m x L tape = W

After calculation, it is necessary to add another 20% to the result obtained, because for a power supply “back to back” it will not be enough and some reserve is needed for its full and safe operation.

And now a little about connectors. As mentioned above, they will be needed to connect the tape to the power supply, as well as with other tapes, since many users are not limited to the standard tape size of 5 meters and add the same or even several tapes to it.

To connect to the connector, you do not need to resort to any tricks; you just need to move the clamp, placing the connector on the edge of the tape and returning the clamp to the reverse position. After this, you just need to correctly connect the wire from the connector to the power supply.

In some cases, the soldering connection method can be used, which, by the way, is much cheaper than buying connectors. The connection is very reliable and durable.

Important! When soldering contacts, it is very important to heat the soldering iron to a maximum of 250 degrees and solder for no more than 10 seconds.

Connecting LED strip

There are two types of LED strips:

Single color ribbon

Multicolor (RGB)

The principle of their connection is somewhat different, so it makes sense to consider their installation separately.

How to connect a single color LED strip

To connect a regular tape 5 meters long, you need to connect the wires of the power supply to the wires of the tape. The standard wire markings apply here, indicating “+” in red and “-” in black. If there is no marking, you can measure the polarity with a multimeter, however, even if the polarity is not observed, nothing will happen to the tape, it simply will not glow.

If you need to connect more than one tape, then you need to place them not in series, but in parallel, because when connected in series, the tape may overheat and burn out.

This is what the connection diagram for one LED strip looks like:

This is what a parallel connection of two tapes looks like:

You can also use two power supplies and connect two tapes:

In some cases, when there is a need to connect a small piece of tape, it can be connected in series. But you must definitely check whether the voltage drops or not; if the readings remain unchanged, then such a connection will be safe.

The tape is cut in places specially marked for this purpose, where scissors or something similar are drawn.

Info! The tape is cut every 3 LEDs; if it is cut incorrectly, not just one LED is damaged, but an entire section of the tape is damaged at once.

A piece of tape is attached using connectors or soldering.

How to connect LED multicolor RGB strip

A multi-color LED strip differs from a single-color LED strip in that it requires a controller, which becomes another link in the connection between RGB strip - controller - power supply.

Connecting the controller to the power supply is similar to connecting a single-color tape: the wires are connected in accordance with the polarity. But connecting the tape to the controller is somewhat more complicated, since the connection involves not 2, but 4 wires, 3 of which control the color intensity, and the 4th is responsible for the power supply:

B - blue

R - red

G - green

V+ - general

The general connection picture looks like this:

As in the case of connecting a single-color tape, when using several tapes, a parallel connection is necessary. However, since RGB strips consume more current, in addition to the controller and power supply, you need to use an RGB signal amplifier. This device allows you to regulate the intensity and uniformity of the LED glow.

A second strip is connected to the RGB amplifier, and the amplifier, in turn, is connected to the power supply. It is advisable to use a separate power supply unit for the amplifier, because if there is only one, then its power supplying both the amplifier and the controller should be higher.

The ideal connection diagram for 2 RGB strips looks like this:

And this is what it looks like in practice:

Advice! Having understood the diagrams and connection principles, you need to assemble the tape on the floor and plug it into the network to check its functionality. If everything is in order, then you can begin installing it on the ceiling.

DIY LED lighting installation

Most often, to install duralight, a special niche made of plasterboard is erected on the ceiling, which will hide the LED strip itself, and then the light from it will not enter the room directly, but will be reflected from the ceiling. It is because of this soft glow that LED strips are so successful.

Installation of a plasterboard niche

A plasterboard niche looks like a cornice that runs along the entire perimeter of the room or along the edge of a multi-level ceiling. This cornice, consisting of plasterboard sheets, is attached to a lathing made of metal profiles.

Before installing the sheathing, you need to make the correct markings: first you need to step back 70-100 mm from the ceiling along the wall and draw an even horizontal line. To do this you need to use a level. Then you need to attach the profile along the drawn line.

To attach the second profile, you need to step back from the wall about 20 cm and also draw a line on the ceiling parallel to the first. A profile is attached to it and thus the internal perimeter is formed.

Then, retreating from the starting profile by 40 or 50 cm, you need to begin installing the sections of the profile that form the sheathing. The length of such segments should correspond to the distance between the base profile and the profile lying at the base of the ceiling.

It looks like this:

The main profile is connected to the starting one using small sections (up to 300 mm), and the supporting cornice will lie on the protrusions that are visible in the photo.

Sheathing with plasterboard sheets

After the profile is ready, it is covered with sheets of plasterboard: first its vertical part, which allows you to hide the wiring. After this, the lower part is also closed, and this is the result:

Installing a cornice is a rather labor-intensive process, so you can take the easier route and install a plinth (fillet) on the ceiling for LED lighting.

It looks like this:

Here you can see that it does not completely cover the space between the wall and the ceiling; this is necessary so that the light from the backlight is visible.

And here is the diagram of its placement:

The plinth is attached very simply, sometimes even with putty or glue. It all depends on the surface to which it will be attached.

Attaching tape

When absolutely everything is ready, you can start attaching the tape. To do this, be sure to clean the surface with alcohol and apply tape. Usually, to do this, it is enough to peel off a special strip from the back of the duralight and carefully press it against the wall.

Important! If the tape covers the entire perimeter of the room, then it cannot be bent too much (no more than 2 cm).

To mount the controller, amplifier and power supply, you need to provide special niches in advance.

Installing LED lighting with your own hands requires responsibility and some knowledge, which can be easily gained by watching several videos and carefully reading all the instructions regarding the duralight installation process. It doesn't take much effort to decorate your home with one of the best design ideas.

Video description of the LED strip design and principles of its control:

Installing a plasterboard niche for illuminating the ceiling with LED strip:

Correct connection of LED strip:

Glass shelves with LED lighting are not only beautiful, but also convenient. By choosing the appropriate brightness of the LEDs, you can get a purely decorative effect or use the shelves as night lighting. Interior designers widely use such shelves in their practice to visually increase the space of a room.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the design, truly high-quality and beautiful lighting requires a number of technical solutions.

Installation materials

To make LED strip lighting for shelves with your own hands, we will need:

• Glass shelf;
• the tape itself;
• 12V power supply;
• soldering iron, installation wires;
• drill or screwdriver;
• aluminum U-shaped profile.

Features of LED lighting for glass shelves

External edge processing

Since glass has a low refractive index of light, it acts as a light guide. If you install a diode strip on the back side of a glass shelf, the LEDs will be projected onto the front edge. When using high-power LEDs, a shelf located at eye level can even be blinding.

For a beautiful, uniform glow, the outer edge of the glass shelf should be frosted. The simplest way to matt is to sand the edge with fine sandpaper, which will create a lot of scratches. Light reaching this area will be reflected many times, providing a uniform glow over the entire surface.

Installation of LED strip

You can attach the LED strip directly to the back wall using double-sided tape. The disadvantage of this installation method is the illumination of the surrounding space. To focus the light, a U-shaped aluminum profile is used. In hardware stores you can purchase a special profile for such shelves.

As a budget solution, it is acceptable to use an ordinary U-shaped aluminum profile.

Such a profile will also serve as an additional heat sink. There is no need to fix the profile to the body. If desired, you can attach the structure directly to the glass shelf by applying a drop of glue or liquid nails at two or three points.

Business design

The use of lighting in display cases and retail cabinets can significantly change the conversion of potential buyers.

How to make LED lighting in a trade cabinet with a unique design? In addition to the classic luminous edge, you can apply a pattern on the glass surface itself that will glow, attracting attention.

By combining reflective materials with a piece of diode tape and ordinary glass, you can create creative solutions.

Interior lighting

In addition to illuminating glass furniture elements, diodes are widely used to illuminate the interior of cabinets. For LED cabinet lighting, the recommendations for choosing LED strips remain the same.

Features of installing light on the interior of furniture - the need to automate the switching on of diodes when the door is opened. This can be achieved using a simple button built into the end of the door leaf. The only condition is that the button must be a trip type. That is, when pressed, the contact opens.

Choosing the right LED strip

If you plan to make glass shelves with LED lighting in the bathroom or kitchen, it is not recommended to use an ordinary LED strip due to the risk of condensation and short circuits.

There are three main classes of protection for lighting strips:

IP 33– ordinary, for indoor use.

IP 65– has a silicone coating for conditions of high humidity, for example in the kitchen.

IP 67/68– complete waterproofing, can be used even in showers and swimming pools.

Matrices are well suited for decorative light cmd 3528. Low power allows you to power such a tape from any 12V power supply with a power of 1-2A, saving on an expensive power driver.

Making shelf lighting yourself not only significantly saves your budget, but also allows you to apply individual design and technical solutions.

In the end it will look like this:

So, given: cantilever steel shelf, a cabinet is installed under it, a cable is laid to the installation site of the shelf to power the LED strip (shvvp 2x0.5mm.sq.), from the installation site of the transformer, which will be located in one of the compartments of the cabinet.

Also, in advance, even at the repair stage, a 220V power cable was laid to the installation site of the transformer, going through the switch.

If you haven’t planned the layout for shelf lighting in advance, it doesn’t matter. A small switch can be installed directly on the wire going to the LED strip, and the transformer can be powered from the outlet.

The wiring diagram for the backlight is like this:

The shelf itself is made of steel, with a slight bend in the front, installed between the decorative wall panels. But in its place there can be a console or shelf of any type, the installation order does not change. The shelf looks like this:

For illumination we purchased:

- LED strip arlight 24V, the power of which is 19.2 watts/meter

- arlight 24V power supply, maximum power 50 Watt

- profile for arlight LED strip with diffuser and plugs, black

Let's start installing the LED strip

First of all, we measure the length of the shelf and cut off the corresponding length profile and LED strip. It is very convenient to cut the profile with a regular hacksaw; it is necessary to take into account the reserve for the end plastic plugs - a few millimeters on each side.

LED strip, as you know, is segmented, all possible cutting lines on it are marked and located at a certain frequency. We shorten the LED strip to the closest possible mark to our size.

Next, we solder the pre-laid wires to the LED strip. Remember that the LED strip is supplied with direct current (24V in our example), so It is very important to observe the polarity of the connection; do not confuse plus and minus. Therefore, we remember what color the wire is and what pole it is soldered to.

In our case: brown is a plus, blue is a minus. The polarity is indicated on the tape at each possible connection point, in the form of a small plus or minus.

We must insulate the connection point; I usually use a piece of heat-shrinkable tubing for this, but you can also use electrical tape.

At this stage, it is better to immediately check the performance of the tape before continuing installation. To do this, you need to connect a transformer.

At the LED strip power supply, 220 Volt AC power is connected on one side, and 24 V DC is already output on the other.

The power input of the adapter is a three-wire cable:

Phase - brown wire

Zero - blue wire

Grounding - yellow-green wire

The output to the LED strip is a two-core cable:

Plus - red wire

Negative - black wire

The connection diagram and color marking of the voltage source are indicated on the case; it is quite difficult to confuse them.

For ease of connection, we use terminals. It is better to install them on the transformer conductors in advance:

Further connections must be made only on a completely de-energized network! To do this, be sure to turn off the circuit breaker of this power supply group, and then additionally make sure that there is no current before continuing with installation.

We connect a transformer for the LED strip. On the one hand, we connect the 220V power cable by color, on the other hand we connect the cable going to the LED strip, plus to plus, minus to minus, in our case brown to red, blue to black, this is how we connected the LED strip.

Now you can turn on the power - the LED strip should light up. If everything is fine and it lights up, then we continue installation; if not, we check all components and connection points.
The next step is to attach the LED strip to the profile; for this we use the method I described earlier, which helps securely fix the strip, because the adhesive layer that every LED strip has, unfortunately, does not always cope with its task.

After this, we install a white matte screen on the profile, which will make the glow uniform and completely hide the tape. This screen, which scatters light, must be handled very carefully; it is fragile; you can shorten it to length with the same hacksaw.

Now all that remains is to attach the profile with the LED strip to the bottom of our shelf. If it were wooden, then there would be no problem; it could simply be fixed with self-tapping screws. But fortunately, modern construction technologies make it possible to brilliantly overcome such situations - we will simply glue the profile with the LED strip in the console shelf.

For this purpose, there are various adhesive compositions on sale, in particular, this one has proven itself very well - FixAll, it holds very securely, while remaining plastic and does not crack over time.

We apply glue to the back side of our profile in a neat thin layer. Don't use too much glue, it will still come out and you will have to scrub it off.

After the glue is applied to the profile, we press it to the bottom edge of the shelf and secure it with supports. The drying time for the adhesive composition to completely dry is about a day, during this time it is better not to touch, move, etc. anything. We just leave it like that and wait.

Then we remove the selections and admire the result. You don’t have to worry that the tape with the profile will fall off, the glue holds it very securely.

This kind of shelf lighting is very effective, especially in the overall interior of the room. In addition, in our case, we used a fairly powerful LED strip, which often has diodes, and when using a screen, the glow turned out to be completely uniform. The aluminum profile significantly increases heat dissipation; you don’t have to worry that the tape will overheat and fail.

If you decide to illuminate the shelves and have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments to the article.

In addition, it is very interesting to look at the results of your installations, how shelves with backlighting of a different configuration look in a different interior. To find out what difficulties you encountered during installation and how you resolved the situation - write and attach a photo.

Glass shelves are an excellent interior decoration. Everything that stands on them is clearly visible. And if they are also illuminated, the room takes on a luxurious, but at the same time, mysterious look. Sometimes owners have a question: where can they get such furniture? Now we’ll talk about how to do-it-yourself lighting of shelves with LED strip.

What are LEDs?

Do-it-yourself illumination of glass shelves with LED strip certainly looks great. But what are LEDs and why is it better to choose them? Any such element is a conductor. Current passes through it, electrical energy is converted into light, and the lamp glows. Brightness depends on the chemical composition.

Important! Sometimes shelves are illuminated with other devices - halogen or incandescent lamps. But this is very inconvenient and to some extent even dangerous.

The advantages of LED strips are obvious:

• the lighting system is absolutely safe;
• works equally well both at room temperature and in a hot or cold room;
• LEDs are much less sensitive to mechanical stress than other lamps;
• Such lighting will serve for years - the strips practically do not burn out;
• on sale you will find lamps of various colors and shades;
• the lighting is bright, and the maximum intensity is achieved immediately after switching on - the LEDs do not need to warm up;
• if desired, you can use infrared and ultraviolet lamps;
• there are options with four outputs, when you can get the main, red, blue or green color from one lamp;
• you can place the lamps at different angles;
• affordable price.

Important! In order for the tape to serve for a long time, it must be properly maintained, in particular, a stabilizer must be installed.

Choosing lamps

Before you make lighting in the closet with your own hands, you need to buy the LED strip itself. The most popular option is SMD LEDs. Their choice is quite large, and the following points must be taken into account:

• number of crystals;
• dimensions;
• character of the glow.

With the number of crystals, everything is relatively simple - there can be from one to four. As for the sizes, the situation here is somewhat more interesting. In the assortment of almost any electrical goods store you will find tiny diodes ranging in size from 1.06x0.8 mm, and giants 5x5 mm.

Glow can be of two types:

• colored;
• monochrome.

Why are you doing backlighting?

Before you go to the store, decide what you need the tape for. Do-it-yourself shelf lighting with LED strip can be:

• decorative;
• functional.

Important! Of course, light bulbs attached just for beauty also provide light. But its brightness in this case is not so important. Therefore, you can choose 35x28 SMD diodes with one crystal. If functionality is more important, it is better to buy more powerful light bulbs - for example, SMD 50x50 with three crystals. It would be enough.

What types of tapes are there?

LED strips differ from each other not only in the quality and brightness of the lamps, but also in several other parameters:

• the number of LEDs and the step of their installation;
• in relation to humidity.

How many lamps are there on the strip?

Having familiarized yourself with the assortment of an electrical goods store, you can make sure that the number of light bulbs on the strips is different. The number of pieces is calculated per linear meter, and you can see the following options:

Two words about humidity

LED strips are now used to illuminate a wide variety of rooms, including those where there is always a lot of water vapor - for example, kitchens or bathrooms. By the way, nothing prevents you from making a glass shelf with lighting in the bathroom; fortunately, tapes that are not affected by water are also available in stores.

Don't forget to read the label:

• IP20. Lamps on which you will see the inscription IP20 are not suitable for either the bathroom or the kitchen. They can only be hung in a completely dry room.
• IP65. A tape marked IP65 can be attached to kitchen cabinet shelves and has a medium level of protection against moisture.
• IP68. IP68 marking means that the lamps are completely insensitive to moisture and can even be placed in an aquarium.

Choosing a power supply

Having decided on the power of the lamps, you can begin to select a power supply. There are quite a lot of such devices on sale, and accurate calculations must be made. The power should be enough for the lamp to operate correctly, but no more:

1. Decide what length of ribbon you will connect to this power supply.
2. Multiply its power by its length and you will get the total power.
3. Multiply the result by a factor of 1.25 - this is the indicator you need for the power supply.

Let's talk about glass

In order for a DIY illuminated shelf to turn out beautiful, you first need to take care of the object itself to which you will attach the LED strip. Glass as a base material is now extremely popular. Transparent inserts have not gone out of fashion for many centuries, but glass cabinets in apartments appeared much later - twenty years ago they could be seen almost exclusively in medical institutions and museums.

Making shelves

Furniture stores, frankly speaking, do not indulge lovers of glass cabinets and shelves. Manufacturers are not very willing to produce such products, which is very easy to understand, because the risk of breaking or damaging such a locker during transportation or even directly in the cabin is extremely high.

Therefore there are two options:

• order a cabinet from a specialized workshop;
• do it yourself.

Custom-made shelves are reliable and high quality, but expensive. Do-it-yourself production will cost much less, but some skills in working with the tool are required. However, a person can only learn something through practice, so why not try?

Preparing the tools

Working even with such a fragile and, at the same time, hard material like glass will go better if you worry about a good tool in advance. You need:

• high-quality glass cutter;
• belt sander;
• skin with grain 120 units;
• ruler.

Test work

It is better to buy an oil glass cutter. To begin with, you will need a few more unnecessary large fragments on which you can practice. The most important thing is that your hands should not shake during the cutting process, even if you do not feel very confident.

Important! Keep in mind that the incision must be made immediately - repeated ones will only damage the matter. The glass is cut once, then broken along the intended line.

Practice cutting cuts as well. Your product should not pose a danger to you or the rest of your household. In addition, uneven cuts look unsightly. Grinding is performed using a special machine. You can, of course, do this simply with sandpaper, but it takes a long time, and it’s easy to cut yourself.

After you have practiced a little, you can start making the shelf. The first product can simply be in the form of a rectangle of given dimensions. The most important point is to make sure that all angles are right.

Important! During grinding, the surface is moistened with water to prevent dust. For the same reason, it is better to grind in a respirator.

Attaching the shelf to the wall

After the rectangle is cut out and all its cuts have become smooth and shiny, the time comes to hang it on the wall. You can do this in two ways:

• on special holders;
• using an aluminum profile.

Holders are a more convenient and versatile option. This way you can fix glass of any thickness. As for the backlight, it serves as a frame.

Important! If you are going to backlight with an LED strip so that the light comes from the inside of the structure, the profile will be more convenient because the strip can be mounted directly on it. The same applies to cases when you need to insert LEDs into the wall with your own hands.

We put holders

Special holders look quite simple. They consist of two parts:

• basic;
• top.

The main part is attached to the wall, a shelf is placed on it, and the whole thing is covered with a cover on top. To work you need:

• level;
• dowels;
• drill.

1. Separate the holder parts.
2. Using a level, mark the position of the two holders on the wall.
3. Drill holes in the wall according to the number of holes in the main part.
4. Use dowels to secure the main part.
5. Put down a shelf.
6. Secure the top parts of the holders.

Important! For a short small shelf, two holders are enough, but if the shelf is long, there can be three, four, or even more.

Attaching the profile

When purchasing a profile, it is important to ensure that it matches the thickness of the glass:

1. Cut the profile to the required size.
2. Remove hangnails.
3. Mark a strictly horizontal line on the wall or cabinet side - this is done with a level.
4. Mark the position of the shelf on it.
5. Mark the position of the holes on the profile.
6. Secure the profile with self-tapping screws and plastic plugs.

Important! Do not remove the plastic inserts that are found in almost any aluminum profile - you will need them later.

Making the backlight

So, the profile is fixed, it’s time to make sure that the shelf glows beautifully.

Important! If you are interested in lighting your closet with your own hands, the procedure will be the same, you just need long strips. In general, the use of LED strips allows even a novice designer to create something beautiful and interesting. For example, you can decorate shelves with ribbons of different colors.

Inserting a tape into a profile is not very pleasant, but the result is worth the effort:

• Plastic inserts are needed so that the tape does not touch metal parts - this will largely protect the electrical network from short circuits.
• If this is your first shelf, make sure that the ends are left open, this will make it easier to insert the tape.
• If the ends are closed, you will have to use improvised means - something thin, but not too sharp. For example, a nail file is suitable. With its help, the tape is pushed into the groove of the profile. A thin plastic ruler will also work; it is even more convenient - you can tuck the tape along the entire length at once.
• Once the tape is inside the profile, insert the glass.

Important! Get ready for the fact that the glass that you seem to have measured correctly will not be able to be inserted right away. You can try to hammer it in with a wooden hammer, but this must be done carefully, strictly perpendicular to the cut, the blows should not be strong. All that remains is to connect what you got to the power supply.

Lighting up a shelf in a closet

An LED strip is a wonderful thing that doesn’t have to be inserted into any grooves. One side of it perfectly sticks to any surface, be it glass, plastic, wood or metal. Therefore, it will not be difficult to arrange payment on holders in this way.

You need:

• the actual tape, preferably without a silicone sheath;
• design power supply unit;
• wires (you can take the usual ones that connect household speakers);
• soldering iron;
• rosin;
• solder;
• insulating tape;
• drill;
• drill.

Before soldering the tape, you can practice on something else. But if you are confident in yourself and know how to do it, you can start straight from the tape; in principle, there is nothing wrong with that:

1. Consider the tape - it must have segments 5 cm long, on which there are 3 light bulbs and there are icons where the tape can be cut.
2. Cut the tape into pieces of the required length.
3. Solder the lamp of the desired configuration (if you want the LEDs to be located around the perimeter, you can simply try bending the tape in the right places).
4. Connect what you got to the power supply and check.
5. Mark on the cabinet wall above or below the shelf where the tape will be attached.
6. Drill holes for the wire.
7. Insert the wire into the holes.
8. Put up a shelf
9. Apply the tape to the cabinet wall.

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