How to put up LED lights without ruining the paint: Instructions

LED lights are a relatively recent invention that has changed our understanding of comfort and the atmosphere of our homes. The color of the LED strips can vary a lot, so you have all the opportunity to decorate the house and provide it with a special ambiance.

That is why it is important to know how to not damage the wall and the wall paint while installing the LED lights. And there are certainly many ways to do it that you can apply to your situation, surely.

So, if you are interested in How to put up LED lights without ruining the paint, then this article is written for you. There are many methods that you can easily apply without a problem.

The LED strips: what you should know about them

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You know that LED light strips are made for decorating a room. But there is more information that you need to know before installation.  

This long LED strip light is a relatively small linear light with LED bulbs, which can vary in size and form, like a straight line and another one, so you can purchase the type that suits your needs best.

So, you should just choose your desired shape.

The LED chips of the LED strips are put on the printed circuit boards of the strips. This is one side of the LED strip light. The other side of the LED lights is covered with special double-sided strips adhesive backing. This is the adhesive that people usually use to get the lights on the wall. 

But everyone has their conditions and yours may be not suitable for the adhesive backing. And now you will be aware of why it is so. 

Can the adhesive backing hold the LED strips for a long time?

Generally, this glue is very useful because it lets you put the LED light strips in the preferred area. You just have to remove the cover paper on the back of the LED lights and put the LED strips where you want them.

But there is a certain problem that you need to know about to be fully prepared for an installation.

The problem is that this glue is not enough to fix the strip lights on the wall for a long time, and someday they may fall. Besides this, the surface of the wall may not be appropriate for the LED strip glue at all, and it will not be attached there.

This is why you get to know ways to attach it for a relatively long time so that you will not worry about the strip lights falling from the wall at an inconvenient moment. 

Can the LED strip lights ruin the paint on the wall?

Before we come to the ways to put the LED strip lights on the wall, you should also know if the lights can damage the wall and the paint.

Well, the quick answer is that it depends on the type of wall and the type of LED lights. Because if the LED lights and the wall fit one another, the lights will not cause any damage, but if the adhesive backing or the wet level of the room are not made for each other, the lights are most likely to fall very soon and may cause some damage. 

So, you need to keep in mind these factors when you want to decorate the room with LED lights. Because if you forget them and make no measurements before the installation, you may face many problems in the future and lose your time and money.

Installing the LED light strips without damaging the wall

Here are the ways to put the light strips on the wall with no risk of damaging the surface. According to your circumstances, choose the preferred method that will be appropriate for your conditions and follow the instructions carefully.

Use the adhesive backing of the lights

The first way is the easiest if you make sure that the light strips you bought are appropriate for the surface where you are going to put them. You can start the installation process only with these conditions. 

Before putting the light strips on the wall, you get to make some measurements of the wall and calculate how many lights you need. Use the tape measure. After you did this, cut the LED light strips according to the measurements with the tape measure. 

After this step, you get to prepare the wall and to do this, you get to clean it so that it is free of dust and moisture and the surface is even. You can clean the wall with a damp cloth and hot water. 

When this step is fulfilled, you can install the LED light strips. Remove the cover paper from the lights and then put them on the wall and hold them there until they are stuck there. 

Use hot glue guns to stick LED strips

If you think that the adhesive of the lights is not strong or can damage the wall, you can use hot glue guns instead of adhesive, and the LED lights will stick on the wall for a long time. And it will be absolutely safe for the wall because this hot glue has no dangerous chemicals at all. 

So, all you should do is put the hot glue gun on the backside of the LED light strips and then carefully put the lights on the wall. If the lights on the wall are long, get some help.

Use double-sided tape for LED strips

This option is the low-cost one and one of the easiest. If you don’t like the adhesive of the LED strip lights and want to put them on the wall using something else, then the double-sided tape will be just fine. 

Before putting it on the wall, you get to clean the wall and make sure the wall is even and there is no moisture or dirt.

Otherwise, the tape will not be stacked firmly, and the wall may be damaged. Do not forget the measuring tape.

You only get to carefully put one side of the tape on the back of the LED lights and then put the other side on the wall, where you want to see them. 

But first, you have to make sure that the tape you use is safe for the wall’s surface.

A 3M adhesive tape for LED strips

If you would like to put the LED strips not inside the house but outside of it, then the 3M adhesive tap is just for you since it is very firm and relatively immune to outdoor conditions. 

To put it there, use the previous instructions. 

Use transparent tape for LED light strip

If you want to attach the LED lights to the wall without damaging the surface or spending much time and money, and at the same time you do not want the tape to be visible, then this option is what will help you, for sure.

The see-through tape can assist you in making your room special: the LED lights will cover it in the preferred color, and nobody will see what it is attached to.

If you want to get this effect, you should consider this method.

Apply the LED mounting clips to hang LED lights

This way to mount the LED lights is also appropriate for situations when the adhesive is not the way to mount the lights in your case.

This way is easy and doesn’t require much money and effort, you just get to put the lights line through the clips and then make them stuck on the walls by removing the cover paper of the clips.

Attach the non-adhesive LED strips

This is one of the most comfortable ways, since by buying non-adhesive LED lights, you have everything you need for installing the lights.

It is useful because the non-adhesive lights have a special surprise: the built-in hooks, clips, or even the mounting brackets, which is helpful with attaching the lights to the wall.

Select what suits you best and what is most appropriate for the wall you have, and install it without spending much time or money. Do not forget to use a tape measure to make measurements.

Use magnets to attach an LED light strip

If there are metal screws or other metal details inside the walls of the house, then you can use magnets to attach the LED strip lights to the wall without damaging the walls.

But it is important to mention that the magnets must be screw-sized and strong to be able to connect to the metal details that are inside the wall. 

So, when the magnets are bought, you get to apply them to the adhesive of the LED strip lights and then attach the magnets to the spot on the wall where supposedly there must be a metal detail. 

It is recommended to mark beforehand where you will put the magnets to make the process of installation quick and easy. You should also ask a friend who can assist you with the installation.

Use the mounting putty to attach the LED light strip

Another alternative to the adhesive of the LED strip lights is mounting putty. It is useful, low-cost, and safe for a wall. You just have to put the mounting putty carefully on the side of the LED strip lights, and then put the lights on the wall. Hold it until it is stuck.

Now, you can enjoy the lights of the LED strip lights without damaging the adhesive. 

Mount LED strips to the channel to stick LED strip lights

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Another way to put the LED strip lights on the wall carefully is to use the LED strips channel, which doesn’t cost much money and is relatively easy to install.

The channel is aluminum-based, and it is typically stuck on the wall by nails, so you can say that this way can be done once and for a very long time, for sure.

You get to install the lightweight aluminum placement channel by using nails, and then you get to apply the LED strip lights to them by using the adhesive of the lights. The bond between the adhesive and the aluminum is firm, so you also do not have to worry about it.

Apply the LED U channel diffuser

If you like the previous idea and desire something similar, this is what you need. The channel diffuser is U-shaped and easy to install. The way to install the LED channel diffuser is the same as installing the LED strips channel and the same power strip. 

By the way, it is important to mention that if you desire to decorate some small spaces, then this way may be the most suitable for you.

Cabinets, staircases, bookcases — all of these places can be easily decorated with the LED channel diffuser.

Use the clear cable ties to hang LED strip lights

If you desire to put the LED strip lights on the wall but do not want them to be firmly attached to the wall, then this way is for you. The clear cable ties can be used everywhere there are things in the room.

You can attach the LED strip lights to the furniture by using the clear cable ties to hang LED strip lights, and therefore the lights will have no strong connection to the wall, which means that there is no chance to cause damage to the surface because they are hanging LED strip lights.

Use the pushpins to hang LED strip lights

This is another comfortable way to install the LED strip lights without using any adhesive or nails if you do not desire to leave a hole in the wall. The pushpins can be useful here.

The holes that they leave after themselves are not huge and noticeable, so you do not have to worry about them at all.

Besides this, you may be sure that the LED strip lights will not fall at some point because they are lightweight, and the pushpins can hold the LED strip lights without any problem.

So, just buy a bunch of pins, put them in the wall where you want to get the LED strip lights, and attach the lights to the pushpins. And that is it; the room is decorated. 

Use the staples to hang LED strip lights on wall

This option is quite similar to the previous one. It also includes little holes in the walls that can be invisible, for sure.

The installation of the LED strip lights by using staples is low-cost, and besides this, you may not spend any effort and definitely not much time.

So, if you desire to attach the LED strip lights quickly, this option may be just fine for your needs. 

The LED strip lights: instructions to remove LED lights

There are situations when you get to remove the LED strip lights from the wall: you just need to relocate them, replace the broken one with the normal one, or just do not want the LED strip lights in the room anymore.

To remove the LED strip lights, follow the instructions below.

Point 1

Firstly, you get to unplug the LED strip lights to make yourself safe during the uninstalling process. If the LED strip lights are not broken, and you want to relocate them, unplugging them prevents any damage to the lights, so do not forget about it. 

Point 2

This step requires a heat gun or a hairdryer.

This is so because you get to heat the adhesive on the backward side of the LED strip lights to soften it and make getting the lights off the wall easier. 

You get to apply the heat gun on the low setting to the lights carefully because the high heat may cause damage to the lights. 

Point 3

When some part of the lights is heated enough, start getting it off the wall, but you have to stay very carefully and slowly to not damage the wall or the LED strip lights.

If there are any difficult areas, you may use a putty knife, a car scrapper, or anything else that is thin to lift the lights of the wall carefully, without much pressure because using these instruments, there is a risk of causing damage to the wall.

If there is adhesive on the wall

No matter how well you work on getting the LED strip lights off the wall, in most cases, the adhesive of the lights can be left behind on the wall after the process of uninstallation.

Do not worry; it is not forever; you can get it off the surface by cleaning the wall.

So, to remove the adhesive residue, you need a cloth or a sponge with soap and warm water. You should carefully wash the wall with this sponge without using too much water. Rub it gently until you see that the adhesive residue is gone. 

If it didn’t help, you may also apply acetone or a special cleaner and rub the surface until the glue residue is washed away. If you use these chemicals, do not forget to put on gloves to protect the skin.

In conclusion, it is easy to put LED lights on the wall

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So, after this research, it is obvious that installing LED strip lights without damaging them is not difficult and does not cost much money. Besides this, most of the methods of safely attaching the lights to the wall are relatively quick; the process does not take more than an hour.

You can use plenty of various materials to attach the LED strip lights to the wall: for example, double-sided tape, cable ties, strong glue, mounting tips, mounting putty, and many others. But before installing it one way or another, you get to make measurements and do research on the walls in your house to understand which materials it can bear and which it can not.

It will save you a lot of time and money, for sure. And after getting to know it, you can choose one of those methods and apply it successfully.

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