Aluminium LED profile diffusers (covers) - which one to choose?
So you already have decided what LED strips and what aluminium profiles to choose for your project. That's great but what about the light diffuser? Choosing the right LED profile cover may look easy but in the reality, it is not. In this article, I will present the pros and cons to help you make the right decision.
First of all and the most important point is what lighting effect we would like to achieve.
In our offer, you can find a few types of LED channel covers
- Clear
- Clear - Lens
- Frosted
- Frozen
- Opal
- Milky - Frosted
- Milky
- Black
Each of the above types plays its role in LED lighting which isn't only the look of the installation itself when the lighting is switched OFF but each type diffuses the light in a different way when the lighting is switched ON. Although that is not the only factor we will need to look at. The other main factor when choosing the correct LED profile cover is the type of material. The main LED profile cover materials are PC, PVC, PMMA
PC, PVC, PMMA - pros and cons of LED profile cover material
PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride is one of the most widely produced plastic. This material is characterized by a relatively low price, it is resistant to alkalis, acids, petrol and alcohols. It has low moisture absorption but also low thermal resistance.
However, it is quite flame resistant and has high stiffness.
If the LED strips used are not too powerful and will be used sporadically (not continuously - several hours a day) - PVC profiles will meet our requirements. However, we must take into account the fact that after a longer period of use they will simply turn yellow.
PMMA - Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) also known as acrylic and it is often used as an alternative to glass. Colloquially known as organic glass or simply PLEXI - it has very good optical properties. It is hard and scratch-resistant, stiff, resistant to ageing and the influence of weather conditions. It has excellent resistance to UV radiation, excellent transparency (better than PVC), high hardness but not very abrasion resistant, low chemical resistance and susceptibility to cracking under load. It is also not very resistant to impacts. If we plan to use fairly strong LED strips in the profiles, which will operate continuously for several hours a day (e.g. shop displays) and we do not want to replace the lampshades too often due to their yellowing - this will be a good solution.
Please note that PMMA lampshades are more expensive than PVC lampshades.
PC - Polyvinyl Chloride. It is characterized by the greatest resistance to alkalis, acids, gasoline and alcohols. It is flame-retardant, scratch-resistant and has very good optical properties. Of all the materials discussed here, it has the best mechanical properties. However, it is not resistant to moisture - it just becomes brittle. PC lampshades are best used where we know that they can be exposed to mechanical damage. A good example are shades for TERRA profiles, where the use of a different material would damage the shades after several days of use.
PC lampshades are the most expensive in the whole group.
LED profile covers - Type of installation
slide in from the side
push-in/click-in from the top
Types of LED strip light diffusion
Now that you know your options, it's time to move on to choosing the right one. If you want uniform light, the milky shade will be the best solution. In the case of transparent variants, the gaps between individual LEDs will be the most visible.
It is worth noting that the lampshade is also of great importance for the amount of light transmitted. The milky diffuser for the LED profile is characterized by a level of transmittance between 50-55%, while the transparent PVC is about 80-85%. By investing in a Frosted lampshade made of PMMA material, you can achieve an efficiency of 90%.
What does this mean for the user?
The better the light transmission, the more efficiently the LED strips will glow. For example, an LED strip with a power of 18W with a milky diffuser will give the room a similar amount of light as a 9W strip with a frosted lampshade.
The visual effect will be completely different, however, and the milky shades add a subdued, delicate lighting effect. As a result, they are better suited to apartments, private houses, restaurants and accommodation facilities. Frosted products offer strong and sharp lighting, so they will be perfect for offices or the business sector, where a large amount of bright and cool light is needed.
Lighting is of great importance to our well-being.
Dark rooms with a warm colour are conducive to regeneration and tranquillity, while in places with a lot of cool light, we will feel a lot of energy to act and stimulate.
Since you already know that LED lighting is not only about choosing the right strip, and the effect also depends on the shade, the conscious purchase of satisfying high-quality products will be much easier. Remember that your apartment or premises are your showcases, and the way the building is finished has a huge impact on the well-being of people in the room. So make sure you match all the pieces of equipment.
