Is a Profile Light Just LED Strip in an Aluminum Channel?
A profile light is LED strip in an aluminum channel behind a cover: what the cover costs in output, how deep it must be, the parts list, when bare strip works.
Technical articles
Specification, power, installation, troubleshooting, code and cost guides for contractors, distributors and lighting designers who already know LED.
All articles
All 203
Certification 44
Installation 40
Project Delivery 35
Channels 27
Drivers 27
Dimming & Controls 26
Outdoor 17
Troubleshooting 17
Neon Flex 13
COB 12
Cove Lighting 12
Sourcing 12
Tunable White 12
Color Temperature 9
Wet Location 9
Signage 7
SMD 7
Voltage Drop 7
Wall Washer 6
Lumens 5
RGB & RGBW 5
Addressable 4
120V 3
CSP 3
High CRI 3
Dim-to-Warm 2
SCOB Beats COB on Lumens per Watt, Not on How the Line Looks
SCOB vs COB LED strip compared on our spec tables: 130–140 lm/W vs ~90, driver count per run, unlit and lit looks, bending, color bins and channel fit.
How to Find the HS Code for LED Strip Before the Broker Asks
LED strip has landed in three HTSUS headings. The CBP rulings behind 9405.42, 8539.51 and 8543.70, how drivers are treated, and what the invoice must say.
When a T5 Fixture Should Become LED Strip, and When It Should Stay a T5
Three things are called T5: the fluorescent fixture, the LED tube and the LED bar. Three gates decide which one stays and when LED strip takes over the run.
LED Chip Brands in LED Strip: What the Name on the Datasheet Proves
A chip brand on an LED strip datasheet names the packager, not the strip. What the name proves, what it cannot, and the five asks that verify it on a submittal.
Cove, Recess or Shadow Gap? Hide LED Strip by the Ceiling You Have
Hide LED strip by the ceiling you have: cove, trimless recess or shadow gap in gypsum, a pocket or cloud edge in a grid, a flange in exposed structure.
3000K vs 4000K LED Strip Is a Zone Decision, Not a Building One
3000K where people dwell, 4000K where they work: a zone schedule for a six-floor mixed-use building, the kitchen and vanity exceptions, how to order two whites.
Will a Hospital or University Ask for an HPD or EPD on LED Strip?
What an HPD, an EPD and a Declare label are, why a reel of strip is not a finished fixture, and a three-line honest answer when a LEED coordinator asks.
Is a Surface-Mounted LED Channel a Protruding Object Under the ADA?
The ADA's 4 inch limit reaches a surface LED channel only between 27 and 80 inches. Five channel positions, hung clearance, clear width and what to ask the AHJ.
What a Late CCT, Length or Finish Change Costs After an LED Strip Order Is Released
A CCT swap strands built reels, a length change strands cut pieces. Four order stages with real suppliers' terms, a change-request template and six questions.
Can an LED Driver Sit in a Plenum Ceiling?
Can a Class 2 LED driver sit above a ceiling that carries return air? Plenum or air-handling space, metal or listed cases, wiring, heat and what to ask the AHJ.
Why the Brand-Color Swatch Never Matches an RGBW LED Strip
A Pantone number and its RGB value do not fix the color of an RGBW strip. Why swatch and strip differ, which brand colors are risky, and a four-step approval.
Putting LED Strip on a Hospital Headwall Without Fighting the Bed Services
Where LED strip can sit around a hospital headwall without touching gas, power or nurse call, what one nurse-task study found at night, and who owns what.
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