Trying to figure out how to install LED strips under your cabinets to brighten up your kitchen? Find out how you can accomplish this easily by reading on.
In the past, installing under cabinet lighting meant choosing between chunky, flickering fluorescent tubes or burning-hot halogens. By using low-voltage wiring, you can brighten up a kitchen easily. Just stick some LED-lined tape around your counter, and soft-white light will beam down.
With its daisy-chained design, the system works with any kitchen layout, even our L-shaped kitchen with varying height cabinets. A wireless dimmer switch puts the control where you want it without drilling into your walls, and the wiring is thin enough to hide behind cabinet face frames.
The senior technical editor at Darkless LED demonstrates how to bring a warm glow into your home.
Let’s begin with the 1st Step:
Understand your Layout & Prepare your Area
My first thought when beginning this project was that there would be two LED sections. During construction, the builders installed a switch-controlled outlet on the upper cabinet on the right side. The outlet by the sink is also controlled by the switch in the corner cabinet on the left side of the kitchen.
Before continuing with this project, you might need to hire an electrician to install outlets in your cabinets. We have two sections of cabinets in our house, separated by microwaves and ovens. Instead of bridging this gap, I decided to install two separate lines of LED lights.
There is an additional cost associated with the second transformer, but it is minimal. My first step was to unload the two cabinets containing the outlets.
After I had everything apart, I was able to better visualize where I needed to plug in the transformer, run the wires, and drill holes.
Identify the LED Components & How they are Connected:
Although I had a clear idea of how everything fits together when ordering supplies for this project, I was still a bit confused. To better understand how they all work together, I laid all the items out on the counter once they arrived.
An outlet is required to plug in the power supply. A coaxial plug-in connector is located at the end of the power supply cord. Plugging in the coaxial connector on one end and the screw terminal on the other end, this plugs into the separate connector.
To form a good connection, the screw terminals accept the bare wires and tighten them down.
A clamp-style connector is clamped onto the LED light strip with bare wires on one end and bare wires on the other.
To better understand how it all fits together, take a look at the picture below.
Connecting the various components is all there is to it. Other connectors are available for connecting several LED light strips or for bridging gaps, but they are very straightforward.
Make sure all Necessary Holes are Drilled:
For each individual, this step will be different. In my cabinets, I tried to minimize the number of holes I drilled.
We have adjustable height shelves with small gaps on the side, so I was able to thread the power supply cord through them to the bottom shelf. There is no need to drill.
On the bottom shelf of the cabinet, I had to drill a hole in the back corner.
One of my connector’s bare wire ends passed through the hole that I made just large enough.
The right side of our kitchen has just one cabinet section, whereas the left side has multiple sections. To bridge these gaps, I drilled a hole in the cabinet supports. I was able to hide the connector wires better this way.
Measure and cut the Mounting Channels to the correct Length:
In addition to longer lengths, aluminum mounting channels can be cut down to size if necessary.
The cabinet channels were spaced about an inch apart in each section. Connectors and wires were easier to install as a result. To cut the channels and frosted covers, I used an old blade on my miter saw. Metal hacksaws are another option. Neither would take a lot of time or effort to accomplish.
Understanding the exact location on the underside of your cabinet is important when determining the length of each mounting channel. When it comes to task lighting, I think it’s nice to have the lights closer to the front of the cabinets rather than behind and near the backsplash.
The mounting channels and lights were initially mounted at the very front of the cabinet, which was a mistake. My countertop was cast with an ugly shadow by the cabinet’s front lip. The lip no longer caused a shadow when the channels were moved back an inch.
Install LED Light Strips Under Cabinets by Cutting & Connecting them:
The LED light strips can now be cut and connected now that the preliminary work has been completed. The building blocks are the same in all situations, but each situation will have a few differences.
The following are some things to keep in mind…
Using sharp scissors, cut the LED light strips (at the designated markings). To ensure a good connection, cut right on the marking.
LED light strips should not be cut to fill a mounting channel to the full extent. To accommodate the connector clips on the inside of the channels, some space is needed on each end.
By sliding the light strip into the connector and clamping it down with pliers, the connectors are attached to the light strip.
On each side of the LED light strips are markings that indicate positive (+) and negative (-). Throughout your project, be consistent. Make sure that all the light strips connected to that power supply have the red wire connected to the positive side.
In some cases, you may end up connecting a black wire to the positive side of the light strip depending on which side of the project you start from (right to left or left to right). In some cases, this is necessary and perfectly acceptable. For all other sections of light strip connected to that power supply, just follow the same procedure
Slide the light strip and connectors into the mounting channel after everything on that section of light has been assembled and clamped.
This particular setup presents a challenge because the connectors won’t fit into the mounting channel until they are fully clamped onto the light strip.
Attach the lights to the mounting channel once the connectors and light strip are inside the channel with the end caps in place.
Using LED Strip Light Mounting Channels, install under cabinet lighting:
Mounting clips are included with the aluminum channels. The hardware included did not meet my expectations.
Our cabinets were too big for the provided screws, so they poked through. Cheap wood screws of the same size kept shearing off the heads, so I bought shorter ones.
Additionally, the underside of the mounting clips has a weird dent that prevents the aluminum channels from sitting flush against the underside of the cabinet.
It was time for me to do something completely different. My results are better and it is much easier.
Earlier this week, I purchased some Scotch Mount Extreme double-sided mounting strips. To adhere these strips to the backside of the mounting channels, I cut them into small sections.
It was easy to attach each section of lighting to the underside of my cabinets when the time came. The firmness and security of the shoes have so far been very pleasing to me.
Finally, Place Cords Inside Cabinets and Hide them:
On the inside of our cabinets, we had a lot of slack wire from the connectors and power supply. There are a variety of cord hiders made by Legrand available at Home Depot.
In addition to a long straight section (that can be cut down to size), I bought some corner pieces as well.
Once we fill the cabinets, the wires will be hidden, but these wire channels will ensure no wires are snagged. The wire was also secured on the underside of our cabinets by them.Our new under-cabinet lighting was installed once the covers were in place.
Hope you like this Article! How many under cabinet lights do you have in your kitchen? Let me know in the comments.