Led strip lights that dont stick !!

[rompling]

As the title suggests I have installed 8 lots of led gel strips for under cupboards look great
Problem is they don't stick the so called 3m adhesive backing is crap , I bought them from a company that sounds like a pizza restaurant but sells LED`s (you know the one I mean) when I contacted them they told me to send them back they have been cut and soldered etc so will be a right ball ache totake them down as well as leaving a customers kitchen in near darkness !
so does anyone else have any tips for sticking it or type of clip to keep the buggers in place ?

 

[Octopus]

Replace them with ones that screw on

 

[Paul.M]

Banding and small screws.

 

[Charlie_]

I always use aluminium self adhesive ducting tape as a base to apply the LED strip to..
This has two good uses;
1. Gives a good, clean surface to stick against
2. Acts as a heat sink for the LED strip

 

[Barry White]

Mine did the same but used some more double sided sticky tape was 3m but seemed a lot stronger (the original 3m tape fell off as soon as the lights warmed up) seems to have done the job. This was my next option PK of 10 FIXING CLIPS FOR 8MM MAX LED STRIP - including SCREWS | eBay

 

[Marvo]

Go with genuine 3M VHB tape. Clean the substrate first and if it's a powdery painted surface stabilise it by brushing a line of clear lacquer on and letting it dry before applying the tape. I think a lot of far east manufacturers say they use 3M adhesives and they don't.

 

[tazz]

Very common with any make you buy, the surface must be really clean.....best thing to secure the strip is a hot glue gun....once stuck, its there for life.

 

[rompling]

Thanks for the replys all good solutions , some to be implemented for future installs before I have stuck them
Must have installed 40+ lengths of led with no real problems till now
All make sense tbh but the clips on ebay might do the trick and look the easiest retro fit - must be a common problem for someone to make a business out of it

 

[contractor999]

[h=1]Geocel Joiners Mate Mitre Bond 200ml[/h] Product Code: 63935

Screwfix Catalogue.

Works really well

 

[123]

I use Tec 7, a little bit of conduit from worktop up to hold it in place at the ends if needs be, customer can pull it away the next day. It's not coming free then unless you want it to!

 

[Tidy Max]

i use isopropyl alcohol spray to clean the surface, then i use double sided carpet fitters tape cut into long slithers and then the adhesive that comes on the tape. The stuff i install (for another company) is £150 a roll and has the proper 3M adhesive.

Still, belt and braces n all that!

 

[applemac]

I now use hot glue gun previously I used clear silicon and taped up until gone off, try putting strip on radiator to heat the 3m to get it warm and sticky,

 

[Gareth Morgan]

Adhesive foil tape and bead of clear silicone done the job perfectly. The silicone clips that screw in are awful to install with your neck craned at 90degrees.

 

[Marvo]

I always use aluminium self adhesive ducting tape as a base to apply the LED strip to..
This has two good uses;
1. Gives a good, clean surface to stick against
2. Acts as a heat sink for the LED strip

Adhesive foil tape and bead of clear silicone done the job perfectly......

With LED lighting in general a lot of design work goes into the management ie the localisation and the dissipation of the heat produced by the different components. I'd be a bit wary of foil tape, it might relocate the heat away from the LED's themselves as mentioned but it might conduct it to an area of the tape which contains SMD components that are more heat sensitive hence causing more frequent failures.

 

[Charlie_]

With LED lighting in general a lot of design work goes into the management ie the localisation and the dissipation of the heat produced by the different components. I'd be a bit wary of foil tape, it might relocate the heat away from the LED's themselves as mentioned but it might conduct it to an area of the tape which contains SMD components that are more heat sensitive hence causing more frequent failures.

i agree a lot of design work does go into the problems of heat produced by the LED strips, which is why the metal tape is widely used, to act as a heat sink. Manufacturers stipulate the metal tape must be used to act as a heat sink.
Certain exceptions being when the LED is encapsulated and a seperate heat sink is not required.

 

[Dan]

Mine did the same but used some more double sided sticky tape was 3m but seemed a lot stronger (the original 3m tape fell off as soon as the lights warmed up) seems to have done the job. This was my next option PK of 10 FIXING CLIPS FOR 8MM MAX LED STRIP - including SCREWS | eBay

Have these improved any now we're a couple of years on?

 

[Rocboni]

I installed some in my kitchen, they were fully enclosed waterproof ones I had left over, I attached them by using a 6mm t&e clip and replaced the nail in the clip with a small screw, did the job and they will never fall off!

 

[Hellmooth]

Have these improved any now we're a couple of years on?

Not with the cheaper tapes, they always fall off, I used to get the 5m roll from Yesss for around £30, signal is rubbish on remote as it is a infra red it uses, put it behind kick board and it doesn't work, no buy more expensive stuff it sticks perfect and the remote is great, uses rf so signal is perfect.

 

[Dave OCD]

I avoid the horrible things like the plague, still use little striplights although more LED units now, nothing wrong with the good old triphosphor fittings though and it's much easier to make the wiring nice and tidy.

 

[1Justin]

Stick it into an extrusion which is clipped up. Tape will last longer anyway since it takes the heat away.