# High end specialty lighting



## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

There’s a bunch of videos on YouTube of incredibly talented guys installing lighting in stairs, baseboards, crown molding, out door living spaces, decks, patio steps….basically anything and everything.

How do these guys even think to install this stuff like that?!! Like these guys are experts at making any feature somewhere to install a light. They’ve even got accent lights that you cut into the perimeter of a ceiling and install a channel that takes some type of tape lights. Genius.

How do guys even get into this stuff? The learning curve and training is something I’m interested in


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MHElectric said:


> There’s a bunch of videos on YouTube of incredibly talented guys installing lighting in stairs, baseboards, crown molding, out door living spaces, decks, patio steps….basically anything and everything.
> 
> How do these guys even think to install this stuff like that?!! Like these guys are experts at making any feature somewhere to install a light. They’ve even got accent lights that you cut into the perimeter of a ceiling and install a channel that takes some type of tape lights. Genius.
> 
> How do guys even get into this stuff? The learning curve and training is something I’m interested in


How about a link to these interesting videos? My new place has a 7 1/2 foot ceiling and I wanted to put color changing LEDs above the kitchen cabinets however I also want to smack the kitchen cabinets right up against the ceiling so there is no space on top of them, but I can afford a channel made out of say tempered glass to let the light shine through just as a pinstripe between the cabinets in the ceiling.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

LGLS said:


> How about a link to these interesting videos? My new place has a 7 1/2 foot ceiling and I wanted to put color changing LEDs above the kitchen cabinets however I also want to smack the kitchen cabinets right up against the ceiling so there is no space on top of them, but I can afford a channel made out of say tempered glass to let the light shine through just as a pinstripe between the cabinets in the ceiling.


Lol. I forgot all about starting this thread.

Here’s a link to one video. Those cool looking channel lights in the first room are what I’d like to get some experience on. They look awesome.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

MHElectric said:


> Lol. I forgot all about starting this thread.
> 
> Here’s a link to one video. Those cool looking channel lights in the first room are what I’d like to get some experience on. They look awesome.


Drywall crew is going to hate you for it. They do look nice. I wonder how durable they are. I'd hate to be the one to diagnose a service call on that product.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

MikeFL said:


> Drywall crew is going to hate you for it. They do look nice. I wonder how durable they are. I'd hate to be the one to diagnose a service call on that product.


They do look nice.

Its the learning curve that gets me. Learning the installation practices that keep you from having call backs and learning the different products and where they are applicable.

For some reason I just enjoy lighting. Its easy. It looks good once your finished. And i feel like its something that I could keep doing for the next 2-3 decades and not wreck my body.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

MikeFL said:


> Drywall crew is going to hate you for it. They do look nice. I wonder how durable they are. I'd hate to be the one to diagnose a service call on that product.


It's actually very simple. They just use tape lighting in an aluminum channel. If I were to do it I would use Flexfireleds.com products. They have a 15 year warranty on their tape.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Forge Boyz said:


> It's actually very simple. They just use tape lighting in an aluminum channel. If I were to do it I would use Flexfireleds.com products. They have a 15 year warranty on their tape.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


You look like the man I need to talk to….

How deep are those tracks? Could I notch them into existing sheetrock situations? They look like something that would be a huge “lighting upgrade” sale in existing homes and businesses, especially If i can find one to fit in 1/2” or 5/8” sheet rock.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

MHElectric said:


> You look like the man I need to talk to….
> 
> How deep are those tracks? Could I notch them into existing sheetrock situations? They look like something that would be a huge “lighting upgrade” sale in existing homes and businesses, especially If i can find one to fit in 1/2” or 5/8” sheet rock.


I would suggest doing an internet search on aluminum LED channel. There are many manufacturers with many different offerings. As far as cutting it in existing drywall, that is possible as there is track that is recessed with a flange on both sides, but I think the track that is mudded in is a better option.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Forge Boyz said:


> I would suggest doing an internet search on aluminum LED channel. There are many manufacturers with many different offerings. As far as cutting it in existing drywall, that is possible as there is track that is recessed with a flange on both sides, but I think the track that is mudded in is a better option.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


How far off the wall would you recommend putting these tracks?

I saw another video of a company that installed them (linear tracks) all the way around a waiting room for some Dr. Office, and it looked like they were between 4-6” off the wall all the way around. Looked super clean!

How many of these projects have you done?


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

MHElectric said:


> How far off the wall would you recommend putting these tracks?
> 
> I saw another video of a company that installed them (linear tracks) all the way around a waiting room for some Dr. Office, and it looked like they were between 4-6” off the wall all the way around. Looked super clean!
> 
> How many of these projects have you done?


To date, none. I've done undercabinet, display case lighting, mirror backlighting, and indirect lighting of a cathedral wood ceiling. I have not done general lighting like that. So I don't really have recommendations for how to lay them out.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MHElectric said:


> How far off the wall would you recommend putting these tracks?
> 
> I saw another video of a company that installed them (linear tracks) all the way around a waiting room for some Dr. Office, and it looked like they were between 4-6” off the wall all the way around. Looked super clean!
> 
> How many of these projects have you done?


This is the type of lighting fixtures that you can get very creative with, and due to their uniqueness Ignore any of the hard and fast rules.


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

Forge Boyz said:


> To date, none. I've done undercabinet, display case lighting, mirror backlighting, and indirect lighting of a cathedral wood ceiling. I have not done general lighting like that. So I don't really have recommendations for how to lay them out.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


i would suggest giving options to the lady of the house and see what she wants


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Like usual, when i want to try something out I do it at my house first.

Im thinking about wrapping the perimeter of my living room with something like this and seeing how well my wife likes it. Just gotta find what’s available and on the market.


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

MHElectric said:


> Like usual, when i want to try something out I do it at my house first.
> 
> Im thinking about wrapping the perimeter of my living room with something like this and seeing how well my wife likes it. Just gotta find what’s available and on the market.


i would suggest taking pictures and showing them to other possible customers as well , even if your wife is not impressed
some ppl just make it a point to have the latest, even if its not the greatest

you might also consider adding some geographic patterns further into the center of the room, just as an example of what you can do for some one
alternating octagons and squares or other shapes inside of the outer square maybe, then repeat it into the center , maybe remove the light in the center for a totally new look

get creative with it, a picture will inspire someone to have you do a custom design for them

i can see this going "viral" so to speak with rich women who just want to change the look in the house. they dont always know what they want , till you show them something lol


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

LGLS said:


> This is the type of lighting fixtures that you can get very creative with, and due to their uniqueness Ignore any of the hard and fast rules.


That’s the reason I hate cutting edge technology. Your the geunie pig. Same reason I usually wait fo 101million other people to do something first, before I try it.

But stuff like this is what gets my gears turning. It looks and smells like opportunity to me.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)




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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

This video has lots of good stairway pictures, another really great idea. I wouldn’t know where to start.

You don’t want to listen to the audio, It’ll drive you crazy. Plus it’s 10 minutes long so if you just skip through it on fast forward, you’ll see everything.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

MikeFL said:


> Drywall crew is going to hate you for it


It clips into a standard tile trim. They shouldn't have any issues.





__





Line of light - Schlüter-Systems


Make your walls radiate with light! Linear accent lighting along the wall creates spatial atmosphere.



www.schlueter-systems.com


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Sad part is a lot of these new High Tech installations are PoE and the IT people are doing them. I did one fancy home theater and all the lighting was done by the sound, audio, visual, computer guys. Like the low voltage DC ceiling grid and lay in lights. Is that electricians work or the grid installers work?


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## 134sparky (Feb 27, 2014)

I deal with alot of this type of light in commercial, majority of my jobs are in the high rises in downtown Chicago and the architects can get very creative. 

Sometimes I see stuff and think 'man that would look cool in my place'. There are two hurdles: one cost, and two, where are you going to put the drivers for all that tape light? Its low voltage so you need drivers. In commercial space you usually have a drop ceiling or open/exposed ceiling one room over. If you have and attic above great, put them in the attic, but if it's going in the 1st floor ceiling and you have a second finished floor above you're going to have to put the drivers in the ceiling somewhere and have an access panel in your drywall ceiling or run the wire down to an unfinshed basement. 

Like someone said, you buy the tape light and you also buy and extrusion, usually aluminum, and lense cover, that mount in the wall or ceiling then the tape light sticks to the extrusion. There are companies that offer a dozen different extrusions, some overlap the drywall which would be the easiest if you're retrofitting. But the nicest look in my opinion is when you can't see the extrusion. In that case the extrusion fits into a channel cut into the drywall and the drywallers install tear away bead which allows them to mud right up to the opening in the ceiling...if you're good with a trowel above your head then you've won half the battle. Me? I don't trust myself so im looking at easily $1500-2000 to have a tapper tape 80 linear ft of tear away in my ceiling if not more

Just my 2 cents


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

134sparky said:


> I deal with alot of this type of light in commercial, majority of my jobs are in the high rises in downtown Chicago and the architects can get very creative.
> 
> Sometimes I see stuff and think 'man that would look cool in my place'. There are two hurdles: one cost, and two, where are you going to put the drivers for all that tape light? Its low voltage so you need drivers. In commercial space you usually have a drop ceiling or open/exposed ceiling one room over. If you have and attic above great, put them in the attic, but if it's going in the 1st floor ceiling and you have a second finished floor above you're going to have to put the drivers in the ceiling somewhere and have an access panel in your drywall ceiling or run the wire down to an unfinshed basement.
> 
> ...


Very interesting. Good post. 

Sounds like a lot of work goes into figuring out where the drivers go and how to get your wires from point A to point B. 

Im not scared of a little bit of drywall mud and paint, but I’m not sure if I’d do it on a big job.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

kb1jb1 said:


> Sad part is a lot of these new High Tech installations are PoE and the IT people are doing them. Is that electricians work or the grid installers work?


I think we are going to start seeing a lot more POE lighting with low voltage switching. Simple plug and play devices installed by "technicians" that take an online training course.


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## 134sparky (Feb 27, 2014)

MHElectric said:


> Sounds like a lot of work goes into figuring out where the drivers go and how to get your wires from point A to point B.


Exactly, and you have to coordinate with the carpenters and GC and make sure they have the right cut sheets for the extrusion so they leave you the right size opening. 

I haven't seen it on tape light extrusion yet but I'm sure it's probably out there, there are some manufacturers that make 2" wide linear leds with the drivers built in that have a mud flange you mount to the light made of that plastic corner bead material or even aluminum. So you have an opening in the drywall with structure around it and your 120v wires there waiting, you make the connection and then lift the lite in place and screw it to the structure and you're done. The tapers/painters take it from there. Since the drivers are built into the lite they are taller, like 4" tall so you wouldn't be able to run them perpendicular to your joists in a traditional frame house unless you did some creative framing


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)




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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

These guys have some good pics. The 1st house in the video with accent lighting that wrapped around the soffit overhang was actually the same picture I was using when pricing a job a while back.

I was thinking high end stuff should run me in the $1.5k-$3.5k range after seeing what the cheap stuff was priced at…. Boy was I wrong! My supplier got the quote over to me, and it was around $7.5k. And that didn’t even include the labor or other material costs involved.

So cost are a huddle I need to figure out a way around (like always right). I think a good mid-grade supplier and about 5-6 of these projects under my belt would help dramatically lower the overall price of the job.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)




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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)




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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MHElectric said:


>


It’s all very impressive man, but I wouldn’t need any illumination in my house to do anything other than on or off, & bright/dim.

I don’t live in a disco.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

LGLS said:


> It’s all very impressive man, but I wouldn’t need any illumination in my house to do anything other than on or off, & bright/dim.
> 
> I don’t live in a disco.


Yeah, most of all this stuff is way over the top. They look like stuff that you’d only see at high end restaurants, hotels and luxury mansions. Only a few of them would I put in my house. 

I usually just watch these videos to get ideas.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

MHElectric said:


> Yeah, most of all this stuff is way over the top. They look like stuff that you’d only see at high end restaurants, hotels and luxury mansions. Only a few of them would I put in my house.
> 
> I usually just watch these videos to get ideas.


Quite honestly, unless you’re in a boy band, or you are some Yahoo who just won a lottery… High end restaurants hotels in luxury mansions, even with a slick sleek new in modern design are owned by very mature people who would not fall for such silliness as chasing lights up a staircase.

I’ve mentioned before in a landscape lighting thread how people who plant solar lights, or low-voltage lights as if their driveway were a runway does not improve anything. 

Back in the 70s, before low-voltage landscape lighting started to be sold and kits and became popular, only doctors and lawyers would have a luminaire every 20 feet along the driveway. These were 120 V, metal, made by Malibu or Toro and a couple others. Lighting your driveway like that was just a way to show people you had money. Cars have headlights on them and driveway lights are completely unnecessary. But what a better way to make sure that everybody, including those driving at night and passing by, know that you have a circular driveway.

What I’m noticing now, are solar and low-voltage lights being placed on every step on a staircase up to a deck, or a porch. Maybe when it comes to outdoor lighting I prefer a conservative approach but – I think that not enough people ask themselves the question “just because I can, does it mean I should?”


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

LGLS said:


> Quite honestly, unless you’re in a boy band, or you are some Yahoo who just won a lottery… High end restaurants hotels in luxury mansions, even with a slick sleek new in modern design are owned by very mature people who would not fall for such silliness as chasing lights up a staircase.
> 
> I’ve mentioned before in a landscape lighting thread how people who plant solar lights, or low-voltage lights as if their driveway were a runway does not improve anything.
> 
> ...


I’m always amazed at what people spend their money on.

One thing I’ll tell you - Lighting sells! Whether its some lay-in 2x4’s in an office, a sign on the side of a building, or some recessed lights in a kitchen - it sells itself. The price tag usually gets a funny look, but once you turn the lights on at the end there’s almost always a happy customer.


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