LED strips are renowned for their flexibility. But can you safely bend or fold them at sharp angles to install around corners? Or are there better methods to mount them on corners without damaging the strips?
The good news is, with the right techniques, installing LED strips around corners is totally achievable. You can either carefully fold the strips to fit the desired angles, or use specialized LED strip connectors to seamlessly wrap corners. Both approaches work, but connectors typically provide more even, consistent lighting around the bend. That said, manually folding is a great beginner method too, requiring no extra tools or skills.
CREELUX as an LED expert, understands the potential issues when mounting strips on corners. Those areas can be deceivingly tricky. If you bend or fold strips incorrectly, you risk permanently damaging the LEDs or strip. Read on as I reveal the step-by-step process to flawlessly install LEDs around any corner. With just a bit of knowledge, you can expertly light up even the most awkward angles and intersections. Let’s dive in!
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4 Pro Tips for LED Strip Installation Around Angles
Installing LED strips around corners can be daunting, with the proper approach, you’ll avoid damage and enjoy uniform corner light. I’ll overview each method so you can determine the ideal one for your unique situation. Follow these tips and transforming awkward corners with smooth LED illumination will be a project you can tackle with confidence. Let’s get started!
Way 1: Use L-Shape Connector:
For the cleanest, most seamless corner lighting, L-shape or back-to-back connectors are a superb choice. These small, L-shaped solderless connectors join LED strips at right angles. Compared to bending strips at 90 degrees, connectors provide superior light continuity around corners.
The process is simple:
- Measure and cut LED strips to appropriate length for each side of the corner.
- Attach the connectors to the strip ends, ensuring polarity matches on both sides.
- The strips will now fit snugly around the corner, supported by the connector.
- No need for tapes, glues or risky strip bending.
With L-shape LED connectors properly installed, you’ll enjoy consistent, uniform light wrapping beautifully around corners. The joint is sturdy and leaves no dark spots. For clean, professional corner lighting, L-shape connectors are an elegant solution.
Way 2: The Accordion Fold Method for Gradual Bends:
For round corners or angles wider than 90 degrees, the accordion fold technique can create beautiful curved LED strip lighting. By making progressive small folds, you can achieve smooth gradual bends beyond sharp corners.
Here’s how:
- Accordion-fold the LED strip at regular short intervals, like pleats in a fan. Space folds a few inches apart.
- Use strong adhesive to set each fold at the desired angle along the bend. This secures the strip in a curved shape.
- Continue accordion folding and gluing until the full curve is formed by the sequential folds.
With careful accordion folding and adhesive application, you can install LED strips in sweeping curves to accentuate rounded architecture and fixtures. The small folds prevent kinking and maintain strip flexibility around broad bends.
(However, please note that bending low-quality LED strips this way can damage the PCB and cause the strips to stop working. Be sure to choose high-quality LED strips – CREELUX is your best option. Not only are CREELUX strips made with premium materials,but also come with a 5-year warranty for peace of mind! You can shape CREELUX strips without worrying about failures down the road. With CREELUX’s reliable LED technology and long warranty, you can create the perfect lighting curves with confidence.)
Know more about CREELUX: https://www.creelux-ledstrip.com/about-us/
Way 3: 90 Degree Corner Fold or Ribbon Bend
The corner fold, also known as the 90-degree fold, gives a professional approach to your LED strip installment in corners. You will not need any additional tools or cutting hassles for this process. All you need to do is fold the strips at 90 degrees, giving it a neat finish. The process is as follows:
- Fold one end of the LED strip at a 90-degree angle.
- Lay the folded strip flat, with the fold line parallel to the wall.
- Grip the middle of the fold line with your fingers.
- Gently lift up the fold line so the strip stands vertically.
- Pinch the top end of the fold line with your thumb and index finger, pressing down slightly.
- Then use your index finger to gently glide across the fold line, bending the strip at a 90-degree corner.
- Adjust the fold angle for a clean 90-degree corner installation.
With this simple 90-degree folding method, you can install LED strips around corners professionally and beautifully. No extra tools needed, very convenient and practical.
The ribbon bend, also known as 90-degree pitch, is easier than the corner fold for beginners installing LED strips around a corner for the first time. However, the bending does not affect the lighting quality. The process of the ribbon bend is as follows:
- Place the LED strip on a flat surface.
- Identify the bending point and twist the strip in a looping style.
- Curl the strip tightly to change direction.
- Use superglue or adhesive tape to attach the looped strip to the surface.
With just these four simple steps, you can use the ribbon bending technique to easily install LED strips around corners. It does not require any special tools or complicated folding. The looping style curl gives a natural 90-degree bend that secures neatly to the corner surface. Though simpler than the corner fold method, the ribbon bend still creates a professional LED strip corner installation without impacting lighting performance.
Way 4: Choose The S-shape LED Strip
S shape bendable LED strip, also called Zig-Zag LED strip, has excellent anti-bending performance that allows 90-degree maximum angle bending, better than traditional LED strips. S shape bendable LED strip can be curved and formed into shapes, widely used for signage and advertisement applications.
The advantages of S shape bendable LED strips include:
- Can bend 90 degrees for smooth horizontal bends.
- Can curve along irregular surfaces like letters and patterns.
- Strong anti-bending ability for repeated use.
- Allows creative lighting shapes to enhance advertisement appeal.
- Thin design for easy installation.
- Long lifespan.
- Perfectly solves corner installation problems, which is an essential area.
With the S shape bendable design, these LED strips achieve superior anti-bending abilities to flexibly curve into ideal shapes, making them an excellent choice for signage and advertisement identification.
Conclusion
In light of the four installation methods for LED strip lights at bending points discussed above, high-quality LED strip lights are imperative regardless of the approach taken. As a manufacturer, we have witnessed many low-quality LED strips that cut corners in materials, leading to inconsistent quality. Whether you are an LED engineering contractor, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer, please look for and trust in high-quality LED strip lights. Look for and trust in CREELUX.
Our Sales Manager Victoria has 15 years of industry experience and can recommend the optimal adhesive solutions based on your specific application and needs. Please contact CREELUX for custom guidance to find the best mounting method for your LED strip installation.
E-mail: sales10@creelux.com
CREELUX is a professional LED strip manufacturer dedicated to producing high quality LED strips for 11 years. Our products include COB LED Strips, SMD LED Strips, LED Strip Kits, and LED Flexible Neon Strips. With over a decade of experience specializing in LED strip lighting, CREELUX is committed to delivering premium LED strips to meet any lighting application.
