LED strip lights are energy efficient, bright, and tend to last for a long time. When you are looking to buy the lights there are many types you can go for. The most common types are:
DC LED flex strips: These are flexible strips that feature a silicon covering that functions as a waterproof barrier. They also have an adhesive backing that makes it easy to install the lights.
AC LED flex strips: These are flexible strips that run straight from your outlet. For them to work you only need to plug them into a power source and you are ready to go.
Rope lights: These are encased, omnidirectional LEDs that come in a standard rope light packaging.
High power LED strips: From their name, these are lights of high power that are usually mounted to rigid strips using board drivers and circuits.
Factors to consider when buying strip lights
For you to buy the right lights you need to consider a number of factors that include:
Brightness: Brightness is measured in lumens and you should go for units that have enough brightness for your application. If looking for accent lighting, go for units with 150-250 lumens, for indirect lighting go for lights with 375-575 lumens and so on. If you are unsure of the lights you should go, you should ask a professional to help you out.
Color: This is another important factor that depends on the area you are looking to use the strips. There are two main types of lights you can go for: non-addressable and non-addressable RGB strip lights. The non-addressable units produce light of one fixed color while the non-addressable RGB strips display any red-green-blue color. You should choose the ones you feel will be right for your application.
The length of the strip: The length of lights that you should go for depends on the area you want to install them. As rule of thumb, you should go for lights that have the highest amount of LEDs per foot. This is to avoid spotty lighting that is common with lights that are spaced too far apart.
Conclusion
This is what you need to know about strip lights. When buying the units, ensure you buy them from a reputable store. This is to increase your chances of buying high-quality units. After buying them, ensure they are installed by an experienced professional so that you can have peace of mind as you know that they are properly put in place.