How to make a neon light in the room by yourself
Neon lighting in the room - an unusual solution that gives a uniform light of great brightness and is suitable for both vintage and modern interiors. It is important to choose the right option and understand all the features of installation to do everything correctly and ensure the safety of the system.
Pros and cons of the solution
Neon lighting is different from most analogues, so when choosing it is necessary to study its advantages and disadvantages. Only after assessing the positives and negatives, you can make a decision. The main pluses are as follows:
- The backlight is uniform along the entire length of the tube. There are no blackouts, highlights or tears on it, so the appearance is always perfect.
- Large selection of colors that can be used. This allows you to choose the best solution for any room, there are many options, so there is no problem with the purchase.
- Since modern neon is sold in flexible tubes, it will not be difficult to install even in hard-to-reach places and difficult areas. It takes many shapes and can even be installed on oval and round elements.
- Comfortable brightness for human eyes. Tubes do not irritate the vision, even if a person is in the room for a long time.
- The surface does not heat up more than 40 degrees, it makes the neon suitable for all bases.
- The system poses no danger to human health or the environment. Even if the tube is damaged, there will be no harm.
- The work of the backlight is completely silent, the resource is great, so you do not have to change the neon after a couple of years.
There are disadvantages of this option, which should be taken into account:
- Soft lighting highlights all the flaws and imperfections on the surface. Therefore, the walls must be perfectly even.
- You need a high and stable voltage to work, it is important to provide uninterrupted power. If the length of the neon light is long, it must be divided into several segments, which complicates the installation work.
- The strength of the shell is medium, it does not withstand shocks and deformation effects.
When using neon in rooms with high humidity, it is better to place it higher so the tubes do not get splashed with water.
What it is and how it works
Neon lighting in a room is a gas discharge light source in the form of a tube. Whereas in the past the body material was glass, now mostly use polymer shells, which makes products cheaper and makes them much stronger and more resistant to damage. Neon, an odorless, monatomic inert gas, is pumped inside. When a current passes through it, it begins to emit light.
Neon light is always orange-red; all other shades are also called neon, but other inert gases are used there.
This option appeared in the last century and was widely used to decorate shop windows and entertainment venues. Now neon lighting is back in fashion and is increasingly used by designers, with its help you can achieve different effects - from ultra-modern systems to vintage settings in the spirit of 70-80's of the last century.
With neon can be used not only to formalize the contour of the room or to highlight individual elements, but to create a variety of shapes. Also from the tubes often make letters or numbers, which allows you to make any inscriptions.
Neon lighting options for apartments
Before you make a neon light in a room, you need to decide where it will be located and how best to use it. There can be many solutions, but the most popular ones are as follows:
- Contour ceiling illumination. In essence, here everything is about the same as with LED strip - A niche is made or a special baguette is attached, in which the tube is placed. Neon can not be hidden, it looks interesting and allows you to decorate the room is not as usual.
- Lighting moldings and cornices to highlight these elements in the environment and accentuate them.
- Highlighting columns, decor on the walls. You can highlight the contours or use the tubes in any other way, it all depends on the specific conditions.
- Using neon to install along the contours of the floor: you can mount it inside the baseboard or place it above it, it is important to protect the elements from damage. Also often make small niches on the stairs and put the original neon lighting.
- You can buy ready-made or make your own neon lights, it's a good solution for some interiors, setting the mood of the whole environment. It can be both table and floor version, usually it is a certain figure, which can be whatever you want.
- Installing tubes inside niches allows them to stand out on the wall and attract attention. It is important to position the elements competently, so that they give light of the right intensity.
Neon lettering is a great solution that is suitable for almost any room.
How to make neon lighting in a room
Installation This type of illumination is different from other options, so we need to understand its features. Electroluminescent devices, which include neon, operate through alternating current with high frequency. Since the frequency of current in household networks does not exceed 50 hertz, and for the normal operation of neon need at least 2 kilohertz, when connecting always a voltage step up converter is installed. Connect the system according to these instructions:
- Choose a neon tube of suitable color and length. If you purchased a piece that needs to be cut into several parts, it is better to do this in advance.
- At one end install a plug, if it is not available, use sealant, which should be carefully sealed at the end. Continue the work after the sealant dries.
- When selecting the inverter, proceed from the power consumption, and the inverter should have a small margin so that the equipment is not constantly running under high load.
- Before connecting the second end, carefully remove the outer sheathing for about 10 mm. It is important not to damage the thin copper conductors that are under the insulation, as this is the first contact to which you need to connect.
- On the middle conductive part you need to remove the phosphor from the surface, and then clean it to a copper sheen. If a connector is used, you need to strip the ends of the wires on it by about a centimeter.
- Connect the contacts with the soldering iron, first connect one of the wires of the connector to the middle strand. It is important to do everything securely, so that the attachment holds well.
- The second wire is soldered to the thin outer wires, they can be connected to simplify the work.
- After finishing the soldering, put on a piece of heat shrink tubing and warm it up so that the connection is insulated.
- Fasten the backlight in the chosen place so that it is properly held, the mounting method should be chosen according to the situation.
When connecting the wires, the polarity is not important.
Video lesson: How to make neon baseboard lighting.
Make neon light in the apartment is not difficult, if you pick up quality components and understand the peculiarities of installation. The main thing is to use a transformer with the right characteristics and safely solder the contacts.