Are you stuck trying to figure out just how to install LED lighting in a tiled surface? If you are you'll be pleased to hear that there is an easy solution!
The solution goes by the name of LED channels for tiles. These aluminum channels are designed to accommodate LED strips, protect them, and blend seamlessly into tiled surfaces!
Using Tile-in LED Channels
There are a ton of different LED tile channels to accommodate for the various use cases required. We have quite a selection ourselves which you can check out here. Otherwise, no fret, we'll reference relevant products as we move through the article.
If you don't know what LED channels are, bear with us for a second while we get you up to speed!
LED channels are generally made with aluminum, which keeps them light, and makes for excellent dissipation. Although LEDs generate far less heat than traditional light sources, it's still enough to damage vital components. LED channels prevent this, ensuring your strip lives a long and healthy life! Besides this, they also protect your strip from physical damage, and allow for more creative installations, such as in tiles!
Learn more about why you need to use a channel for your LED tile lighting project in this video.
There are a ton of different types of LED channels, but the channels made for tiles generally have side wings, which allows them to be mortared in place, under the tiles.
Ensure Your Channel Matches The Thickness of Your Tiles
You'll also want to make sure that you get a channel designed for the thickness of the tile you plan on using. For instance, a channel designed for half-inch thick tiles will sit lower than the surface of the floor if used with 1-inch tiles. Or worse yet it could protrude if it sat higher than your tiles!
Always aim to have the channel sit flush with your tiles. We highly recommend you test out your channel with your tiles before starting a project to ensure this!
Different Tiled Surfaces That Benefit From LED Lighting
If you are approaching an LED tile lighting project it's likely to be a little more specific than what we have covered this far. Hopefully one of the applications listed below matches yours. If not, and you're still feeling lost, contact us. We'd love to help you out!
Tiled Floors
The most simple LED tile installation is in your floor. It's also the most commonly tiled area so we have several products to help you out with it!
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The Uni-tile 180deg LED Channel is a great choice. Its simplicity gives it versatility! You can install it anywhere in a tiled floor. The large pre-drilled holes in the wing allow it to sink into your mortar, which prevents it from raising the tile above! It's designed for 10mm thick tiles
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The Floor12 is another LED channel well suited to tiled floors. It's designed for slightly thicker tiles.
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The Floor8 is another option for those using 10mm tiles. Like the Uni-tile 180deg and the Floor12, it is completely walk-safe.
Tiled Stairs
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Wanting to include LED lighting in a tiled staircase? You can use the Uptile10 to illuminate your steps with ease! Uptile10 is a tiled stair nosing LED channel that fits snugly into the step and shines light downwards, bathing the step below in light. It also fits your standard 10mm tiles.
Learn how to install LED lighting in tiled staircases in this article.
Tiled Walls
Installing LED lighting in walls is absolutely possible. The process is much the same as installing LED lighting in tiled floors, just slightly more difficult, thanks to gravity. Use the same channels we recommended for flooring.
Shower Niches
One application for tile LED channels that is becoming immensely popular is shower niche lighting! Once again our 180deg channel is commonly used for this. Another channel you can use is the Uni-Tile 90deg. It projects the light out at a 45-degree angle, which might be the best option in some cases.
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Shop for, and learn more about shower niche lighting here.
Installation Guide and Best Practices
So how do I actually install LED lighting in tiles? If you have some experience in tiling, it shouldn't be difficult at all!
Channels can be placed between tiles, or you can cut the tiles to fit around them. Make sure you push your channels into your mortar to ensure they're held in place. Focus on having the channel sit flush with the tiled surface, while the diffuser is on!
For more detail give this video guide a watch.
Pre-Built Corners
We've pre-assembled corner joints with several of our tile profiles. You can use these to save yourself time on site!
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Pre-Built Custom Fixtures
We admit the whole process can feel a little complex! you'll need a channel, and you'll need to cut it to length. You'll also need to get an LED strip and have it soldered. On top of this, you need to select a suitable power supply, add end caps, find suitable wiring, and pick the right diffuser.
Putting all of this together can take up valuable time on site, that you might not have to spare.
That's why we'd be happy to build you up complete plug-and-play ready-to-go light fixtures in our warehouse! This simplifies the whole process for you, saves your time, and ensures a successful installation!
Interested? Contact us, we're excited to work with you on your tile project!
On top of this, we're happy to power coat our channels to any color you wish and cut them to length.
Oh, and if you want to install lighting outdoors, or even underwater we can resin-fill the light fixtures!
Recommended LED Strip
We suggest using a COB strip to prevent spotting.
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Recommended Power Supply
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For help selecting a transformer with a sufficient power output see this article.
Conclusion
Interested in lighting up your tiled areas? Give us a call, we've got years of experience doing just that! If you have any other questions regarding tile lighting, don't hesitate to ask, we'd love to help out, whether you're looking to buy or not!
P.S. Consider reading this article explaining why you should be using a commercial-grade LED strip.
FAQ
Is it easy to install LED lighting in tiles?
With the help of LED tile channels installing lighting in tiled surfaces is easy, as long as you have some basic tiling experience!
Is LED tile lighting expensive?
If your project is one of a large scale, then the costs of the LED lighting can add up, but if you're just doing something small, like lighting a shower niche, it shouldn't be more than $100.
