LED cove lighting: how it is wired and what to plan.

In short: LED cove lighting needs the right driver for the length of strip, short enough runs to avoid dimming at the far end, compatible dimming, and a driver location you can reach later. Planning these before the ceiling is closed is far cheaper than fixing them afterwards.

Size the driver with headroom

Add up the strip load in watts and choose a driver rated comfortably above it, rather than running it at its limit. A driver that runs cooler lasts longer.

Watch the length of each run

Over long runs, voltage drops and the far end of an LED strip looks dimmer. Higher-voltage strips and shorter runs, fed from both ends or from several points, keep the light even.

Dimming and control

The strip, the driver and the dimmer must be compatible. Decide whether you want simple dimming, warm and cool colour control, or smart control before the wiring is run.

Hide the source, keep the access

Cove depth and a lip hide the LEDs so you see light, not dots. Leave the driver where it can be reached through an access panel. For a lit panel instead of a cove, see skylight membrane lighting.

Test before closing

Run every strip at full brightness and at low dimming before the ceiling is finished. We install lighting and test each light before handover.