It's not so difficult to make a home cozy. The main thing - to decide on the wishes, sketch the project and be patient. An important role in creating comfortable conditions is played by lighting. Depending on the light of what spectrum prevails in the room, mood is formed (and sometimes even feeling). The type of lighting is also important: general, point, combined. Recently, LED backlighting has become popular, which has a number of advantages even compared to modern halogen and neon lamps. 
With the help of ceiling lighting, you can revive anddecorate any interior. It looks especially impressive. The flight of design ideas can turn this integral element of the room into a truly unique object: if you make a backlight, they can take the form of a star, a flower, or a snail. Even the simplest suspended ceiling, equipped with an LED strip hidden in a niche, will become a harmonious addition to the interior, help smooth out room imperfections, if any, or highlight individual accents.
LED backlight: advantages and features
The advantages of LED backlighting, in addition to low cost, include:
- bright even light;
- long service life (up to 13 years);
- energy efficiency;
- simplicity of laying (the tape is fixed in the niche space to the plasterboard with adhesive tape);
- variability of color modes, which can be controlled remotely by means of a remote control;
- the possibility of giving a variety of shapes due to the flexibility of the product;
- excellent efficiency (almost all energy goes to the allocation of light, and not to heating the air);
- no flicker and ultraviolet radiation.
Comparison of LED light bulbs with other lighting elements. The modern market provides a wide selection of LED ribbons for lighting (or LED-tapes). They differ in their characteristics:
- type of LEDs, their size and quantity in 1 m / p (density);
- color (monochrome or color);
- color temperature (2700-10000 K);
- voltage (12/24 V);
- resistance to moisture (some models have silicone insulation, so they can be used in rooms with high humidity).
Even if you drop such an article with enoughhigh altitude, you can not fear for its integrity. With the help of such a tape, you can build an advertising signboard, decorate the landscape, the facade of the house. Complex structures of the ceiling from gypsum board, highlighted by diodes, create amazing effects. Elements of the ceiling lighting are located in the niche of gypsum plasterboard. Back to contents</a>
Necessary materials and tools
How fast and affordable?First, you need to develop a design for the ceiling and niches. You can come up with your own solution or use the services of a professional designer. The illumination niche looks like a protrusion along the perimeter of the room or the edge of individual parts of the ceiling. Naturally, in advance it is necessary to think over the color scheme of the lighting, suitable for the situation and the general interior. 
Tools for mounting LED lighting: soldering iron, scissors, industrial hair dryer, crimp for contacts, wires, heat shrink tubing. Do not forget that the mounted ceiling and niche "eat" part of the height of the room. Therefore, when considering the design of a structure, it is necessary to take into account this fact and choose the appropriate profile. Then you need to purchase the necessary materials:
- gypsum board (based on the presence of humidity in the room) - ordinary or moisture resistant;
- profile - starting and main;
- hangers straight;
- fasteners (dowels, screws);
- tape with LEDs for illumination, power supply, conductor with cross section from 0.75 mm.
From the tools you need:
- water level, cord for marking;
- perforator;
- screwdriver with special devices for work on plasterboard;
- Bulgarian;
- pliers;
- knife;
- screwdriver;
- tools for work with putty, sandpaper.
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Calculation of materials
Table of varieties of LEDs. Before you buy the necessary consumables, you need to calculate the need for them. To do this, you need to determine the surface size for filing with plasterboard. If the ceiling is planned to be done on the same level, you just need to multiply the length and width of the ceiling, for a multi-level construction - calculate the sum of all the areas. The size and type of niche is also taken into account. Based on the fact that one sheet of drywall has an area of 3 m² (1200x2500 mm), you can calculate the number of sheets you need. The number thus obtained is rounded upwards. It is possible to use the formula: N = (S1 / S2) * k, where N is the sheets, S1 is the finish area (m²), S2 is the leaf area (m²), k is the correction factor. There are three coefficients for different areas:
- less than 10 m² - k = 1,3;
- from 10 to 20 m² - k = 1,2;
- more than 20 m² - k = 1,1.
Calculate the number of start profile (UD)simply: the perimeter of the room is divided by the length of the profile (3 or 4 m). The main profile (CD) is considered so: one sheet needs 3 CDs. The required number of sheets is divided by 3 and the consumption is obtained. Suspension of the "butterfly" for fixing the CD profile to the ceiling is considered taking into account the step (60-80 cm). One dowel requires two dowels and suitable self-tapping screws. The same dowels go for the starting profile: for one meter the running rate is three pieces. 
Table of power consumption of LED strips. Consumption of self-tapping screws No. 1 per one sheet of gypsum is about 40 pcs. These screws fix the suspension, fix both profiles, connections and connecting brackets. To mount one sheet, you need 50 pieces. self-tapping screws 25 mm long. Naturally, small fasteners should be taken with a good margin. For rooms that have at least one linear dimension of more than 3 m, you need connecting brackets. They are considered as follows: N = (L / 0.4) -1) * k, where N is the bracket, L is the longest, and k is the coefficient. Back to contents</a>
Where to hide the highlight?
The niche for lighting can be fixed andimmediately on the ceiling, and on the plasterboard ceiling on one level. It is possible to make the backlight using a molding of sufficient width and thickness. In any case, before starting the installation work, you need to think about where to place the power supply of the LED backlight, because it has much larger dimensions than the tape itself, and it also gets noticeably hot during operation. Therefore, it needs to be fastened in an easily accessible place, but at the same time so that it is not visible and can be easily replaced. And of course, we must provide at least a small heat dissipation. In advance, before installing the niche, you need to connect the power supply to the power supply to connect the backlight. 
</a> Mounting of aluminum bracket for LEDtape. So, an alternative version of the niche is the plinth. If you decide to go the least cost and hide the lighting behind the molding, you must first take care of removing the defects of the ceiling: after installing the LED tape, they will become more apparent. Therefore, the surface should be carefully putty, and then paint. The skirting board is glued in such a way as to leave a gap between it and the ceiling not less than 10 cm. The tape is glued on top of the molding closer to the edge. But nevertheless, the illumination of niches looks much more spectacular. Here it is necessary to tinker a little. Back to contents</a>
Assemblage of a skeleton of a niche and installation of illumination
Plates of plasterboard for installation of illuminationceiling mounted on a frame, assembled from the same metal profile, which is used for the construction of the ceiling. Initially, the starting profile is mounted:
The scheme of placing the LED tape on the ceiling. When the base is ready, lay the cable to connect the backlight. Do this in a plastic corrugated box, which, in turn, is fixed with clamps to the ceiling posts. After the assembly of the basic frame, it is already possible to make the planking with sheets of gypsum board, for which it is necessary:
A niche can be made open or closed. Using an open type, you can directly mount the backlight on the ledge, and with the closed one you can still work. A closed niche should be equipped with a bead that redirects the glow to the ceiling. To create it, on the edge of the protrusion fix the starting profile, and it is attached to the gypsum board with a height of up to 5 cm. The outer corner must be protected from deformations by gluing the linings (made of plastic or metal). After the completion of the main installation work, the ready-made niche for lighting is shpatled, additional finishing is optional (painting, plastering, wallpaper, etc.). Finally, the installation of the LED tape itself. Before installing the LEDs in the niche, you need to prepare the tape: attach individual segments to the backbone cable, which in turn is connected to the power supply. The process is as follows: 
Sequence of connecting ribbon with LEDs.
Before installation, the entire system is mandatorycheck up on operability. After installing the tape in a niche, fixing something will be difficult. If everything is in order, the tape is glued to the cornice. When laying the backlight in a recess behind the rim, it is necessary to make sure that the wires and bulbs do not touch the metal elements of the structure. Before sticking the backlight tape, you also need to observe a few simple rules:
To the surfaces, the LED strip is attachedusing an adhesive layer applied on the reverse side. The protective coating is removed immediately before installation. It is necessary to properly fix the backlight in the niche, for this it is necessary to ensure that the tape does not twist and bend, it should not be bent in any case. Observing fairly simple rules and having patience, you can literally 1-2 days with your own hands to make the highlight in a niche, to transform the room and long time to enjoy the effect achieved.
