LED strip lights have become a significant part of our decoration ideas. They contribute a lot to enhancing appearance. Sometimes, LED strips can be worn out or damaged. In this case, it is needed to remove them. But removing LED strip lights can be threatening if the proper way is unknown.
We use the strip lights to decorate walls, ceilings, workstations, TV, and whatnot. While these lights brighten up the places and make them eye-catching, removing or replacing the lights is sometimes necessary.
However, you cannot just peel off the ribbon from the surface. There is a proper way to remove them. So, stay with me till the end, and I will discuss the steps of removing LED lights along with other relevant factors.
4 Simple Steps To Remove LED Strip Lights: A Quick Guide
Both installation and removal of these strips are simple and require a few steps. Even though the process is simple, the work must be done carefully to prevent damage to the walls or the surface. Let us look at the simple steps to remove strip lights.
Step 1: Disconnect The Power Source
The first step of removing LED strip lights is disconnecting the power source. Turn the lights off with the help of the remote and remove the primary connection from the power source. The reason behind this is to make sure that you can safely detach the lights from the surface.
Step 2: Soften The Adhesive
After disconnecting the power source, it is time to remove the LED strip lights. The adhesive will have to be softened to remove the lights easily. Take a heat gun or a hairdryer and set it on the warm air setting.
Hold the heat gun and start heating the adhesive that connects to the walls. The glue will soften, making it simple for you to work with the strip lights. Make sure that you do not apply heat over the strip lights. Using heat over the lights can cause damage to their functionality.
Step 3: Remove The LED strip lights
After softening the adhesive, removing the LED strip light is to pull the light off the surface. Move to one end of the light and slightly push the edge off with the help of a flat object such as a putty knife or a butter knife.
After the end slightly comes off the corner, gently pull the light along the direction of the adhesive. Make sure that the process is slow and gentle to ensure that no damage is done to the walls. Repeat the process until you have successfully removed all the light from the surface.
Step 4: Clean The Remaining Adhesive
The adhesive connecting the LED strip lights to the walls or surface is quite strong. Removing the strip lights after softening the adhesive often leaves a sticky residue on the wall. This not only affect the looks of the wall but also makes it sticky.
Once the LED strip lights are off the walls successfully, clean the walls to get rid of the remaining adhesive. To do so, you can simply rub the glue with your fingers to get rid of it. Apply a cleaning solution to the walls and remove the adhesive if the first method does not work.
Reasons Why You Need To Remove LED Strip Lights
Even though we put up LED strip lights to enhance the beauty of our walls and decorate the rooms and surfaces, there are often instances when we have to remove them. Here, we will discuss why you need to remove these strips.
- Repainting Walls
A significant reason the LED strip lights are removed is to repaint the walls. When it comes to repainting or redoing the walls, it is essential to remove all objects and lighting connected. This ensures that the paint job is even and prevents the paint from applying to the ribbons.
Before you prepare the wall for paint, make sure that you remove the lights and properly clean the adhesive. The strips can be reapplied to the wall with adhesive after the paint has dried completely.
- Broken LED Strip Lights
Removing the LED strip lights is quite necessary if the lights are broken or stop functioning. Once the lifetime of the lights is over, they will not work and need to be removed or replaced with a new set.
Check the connection to the lights and make sure that the lights have stopped working before removing them from the walls. Many people also remove the old ones and get a new set if the remote stops working or they want a new design, color, or style.
- Redecorating Or Moving
Another reason to remove the light ribbons is to redecorate or move places. There are often instances when we want to use these lights to redecorate the surface or area to give it a new and different look. Not only that but the lights must be removed from the walls if we shift or move somewhere else.
Tips To Remove LED Strip Without Damaging The Paint
Removing the strips from the walls can sometimes cause significant damage to the paint. Here, we will discuss a few steps to remove the LED strip lights without causing damage to the paint.
Tip 1: Apply The LED Strip Lights Without Adhesive
Install the lights without much adhesive if you want to keep your wall undamaged. There are many other ways to apply LED strip lights that will cause minimal damage.
Magnets and cable ties are the best options for installing lights without adhesive. Even though the process is a bit complicated and time-consuming, it ensures that there is no damage to the paint.
Tip 2: Properly Break The Adhesive Bond
Ensure the adhesive bond is broken correctly to ensure minimal damage to the walls and paint. This will ensure that the LED strip lights come off the walls nicely and smoothly without ripping off the paint.
Use a hairdryer or heat gun and soften the adhesive that adheres the lights to the paint. Do not apply heat to the lights directly as it can cause damage and prevent you from reusing them.
Tip 3: Use Good Quality Paint
The amount of damage the wall will endure while removing the LED strip lights typically depends on the type of paint. High-quality paints with top-notch strength and durability will have minimum damage caused by removing ribbons.
Not only that, but the surface preparation before painting also plays a significant role in the wall damage situation. However, if your walls have cheap or unprepared surfaces, they will be severely damaged while taking them off.
Related Questions:
Is It Easy To Remove LED Strip Lights?
Removing LED strip lights from the walls or any other surface is easy and does not require many steps. Although it is a simple process and does not consume much time, it is essential to be careful while taking off the LED strip lights.
This is because pulling them harshly off the wall or surfaces can cause damage to the paint or finishing. Not only that, but it can also damage the lights and prevent them from functioning.
How Do You Remove LED Strip Lights From The Wall?
There are a few steps that you need to follow to take LED strip lights off the wall. Turn off the primary connection to the lights and soften the glue that connects the LED strip lights to the wall. Use a heat gun to do so and pull off the edge of the lights.
Simply pull the lifted edge and peel them from the wall slowly and gently. Take your time to make sure that the wall does not endure damage and clean the residue left behind by the lights.
How Do You Remove LED Strip Lights From The TV?
The process is slightly different when it comes to taking off the LED strips from the TV. The process is somewhat different. Unplug the LED strip lights from the primary power source and pull off the edge of the strip using a butter knife. Pull the entire strip off the TV slowly and use a cleaning solution to remove the adhesive off the surface.
A heat gun cannot be used to detach the lights from the TV. The reason is that you cannot soften the adhesive with a heat gun as the heat can cause damage to the TV screen.
How Do You Remove LED Strip Lights From The Ceiling?
Getting the LED lights off the ceiling of your room is quite tricky as the place is a bit complicated to access. First, turn off the connection to the lights and get on a ladder to access the ceiling. Break off the adhesive bond and gently remove the LED strip lights from the ceiling.
Do not forget to clean the remaining adhesive off with a cleaning solution. Make sure to paint the ceiling to cover the paint that comes off.
How Do You Remove LED Strip Lights And Put Them Back?
Removing the LED strip lights and putting them back is crucial to redecorating. Strip off the lights from the surface after switching off the primary connection. Ensure that you soften the adhesive to make the removal process easier for you.
After removing them, prepare the surface where you want to put the lights back on. Use hot glue or double-sided adhesive tape to install the LED strip lights as the original adhesive comes off when the lights are initially removed.
How Do You Reconnect LED Strips After Cutting?
We often cut off the LED strip lights to ensure they fit the walls or surfaces properly. LED lights are made up of several small internal circuits, so it is essential to cut the strip accurately. Reconnecting them after cutting is relatively easy, and all you need to use is a connector between the two strips.
This reconnection allows for adjusting the length of the strip lights whenever needed. Strip off the plastic padding of the connector and place the strips to establish a secure connection. Turn on the power source to see the lights working.
Final Verdict:
Now that we are at the end of the guide, I hope you are aware of the steps on how to remove LED strip lights properly. It is essential to follow the steps accordingly to preserve the functionality of the lights while ensuring minimal surface damage.
Before removing the ribbon lights, ensure that you first unplug the lights from the power source to maintain safety. Not only that, but follow the tips properly to save the paint from getting ripped off.
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