Backlit wall panels?

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if someone here may be able to help me. I'd like to fix some square panels to a wall with some kind of light fitting concealed behind them. The idea is to create some soft ambient light in the room. I don't want to mount the panels too far away from the wall so ordinary light fittings probably won't do the trick. Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could achieve this effect and what kind of fittings I would need?

Many thanks,

Jen

Reply to
Jenny
Loading thread data ...

The best way would be with fluorescent tubes - they come in a vast variety of sizes and colour temperatures. So your panels could simulate either daylight or tungsten, for example.

To save space, the control gear for the tubes needn't be inside the same box as the tubes.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

"Jenny" wrote | I was wondering if someone here may be able to help me. I'd like to | fix some square panels to a wall with some kind of light fitting | concealed behind them. The idea is to create some soft ambient light | in the room. I don't want to mount the panels too far away from the | wall so ordinary light fittings probably won't do the trick. Does | anyone have any ideas as to how I could achieve this effect and what | kind of fittings I would need?

Are the panels to be translucent with light coming through them, or translucent or opaque with light around the edges?

Translucent with light coming through is more problematic; to get an even spread of light across the panel you need either more depth behind the panel (distance between the light source and the diffuser) or a more diffuse diffuser (and so the more light that will be required).

For a simple solution with opaque panels you could use ready made rope lights wound round the panel supports:

panel ========================= rope light 8| |8 | void | support | | wall #######################################################

You could take the termination of the rope light into the void inside the panel where it would connect to a wall mounted socket or FCU.

The other way is with fluorescent tubes mounted round the perimiter. As well as mains fluorescents, you can get small battery-powered fluorescent strip 'torches' which have a socket for a mains adapter. They might be useful for smaller panels.

panel ========================= flouro O| fluoro control |O | gear in void | support | | wall #######################################################

You can get skeleton fluro tube holders with separate control gear from some electrical places and also firms that do shopfitting supplies.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

There is some remarkably small electronic control gear available nowadays, which also avoids the flashing at switchon of traditional fluorescent lamps. Philips (IIRC) do a range they call matchbox, for obvious reasons.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Fl tubes are a good option, with control gear recessed into the wall. Unless you want very high light output I'd go with one small tube in the centre instead of 4 round the sides. The easiest to work with would be 2D lights: check out screwfix.com items 19098 and 19040, and other related ones. Your fitting can be recessed into the wall.

Be aware there are some terrible fl tubes around, and some very good ones too. There are numerous versions of white, the particular shade is marked at the end of the tube.

Avoid avoid: cool white, 4500K, 4000K, 6400K etc, anything above 4000K basically.

Filament lighting is 2700K, so if youre mixing it with filament light bulbs, choose 2700K tubes. If mixing with fl lighting overall, 3500K is good.

Regards, NT

Reply to
N. Thornton

Fl tubes are a good option, with control gear recessed into the wall. Unless you want very high light output I'd go with one small tube in the centre instead of 4 round the sides. The easiest to work with would be 2D lights: check out screwfix.com items 19098 and 19040, and other related ones. Your fitting can be recessed into the wall.

Be aware there are some terrible fl tubes around, and some very good ones too. There are numerous versions of white, the particular shade is marked at the end of the tube.

Avoid avoid: cool white, 4500K, 4000K, 6400K etc, anything above 4000K basically.

Filament lighting is 2700K, so if youre mixing it with filament light bulbs, choose 2700K tubes. If mixing with fl lighting overall, 3500K is good.

Regards, NT

Reply to
N. Thornton

For best light output, you want a reflector behind the tube, spaced at the very least a tube diameter away from the tube.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

How would that help? I dont follow. I wonder if youre thinking of a translucent panel.

Using non-yellowing paint would help, such as radiator paint or car paint.

Regards, NT

Reply to
N. Thornton

Oops, I wasn't reading too closely, and thought that that was what was meant.

The best light output would be gotten by using foil to line the front and back, up to the edge on the front, and a bit back from the edge on the back, so that you can't see the foil, which will glare.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.