LED strip lights are a great way to decorate a space whether it be your bedroom, office, garden, car, boat and many other places.
They come in a variety of colours, and lengths (which can be altered to your desire), so you have plenty of options when selecting the right LED light strip to enhance a living space.
LED strip lights are very versatile when it comes to mounting them to surfaces.
You can mount them on walls, under tables, around poles, on the floor etc.
But, will LED strip lights stick to wood? Yes you will be able to stick LED strip lights to wood. It comes with a self-adhesive backing that you can peel off and stick to many surfaces like wood.
However, there are certain things to be aware of that will affect how well the LED strip lights will stick to wood which include; the strength of the self-adhesive, how smooth the wood surface is, and how dirty the wood surface is.
Things to consider when you stick LED strip lights to wood
As mentioned above, LED strip lights are a versatile piece of equipment and can be mounted a variety of ways on various surfaces using its self-adhesive backing.
However, there are certain things to consider.
Strength of LED strip self-adhesive
Most if not all LED strip lights will come with a self-adhesive backing that will enable you to stick to certain surfaces like wood.
But, not all LED strip lights are created equal which means that the self-adhesive of different branded LED strip lights is going to vary in strength.
Cheaper LED light strips are manufactured using cheaper materials to save on money so that a greater profit margin can be made.
This sacrifice of using cheaper materials will lower the quality of LED strip lights considerably.
So, if a lower quality self-adhesive is used as the backing, it is not going to create a strong bond between the LED strip light and wood.
But, how will you know what is a good self-adhesive without testing it out?
3M is a company that deals with self-adhesive products as well as tapes.
They are a reputable company known for creating high quality self-adhesive that create strong bonds.
The higher quality LED strip lights will use 3M self-adhesives which means that it will stick better to wood and other surfaces.
You will be able to see if the light strip uses a 3M self-adhesive as it will be written on the back of the LED light strip.
Smoothness of wood LED strip lights will be mounted to
No matter how strong the self-adhesive the LED strip light uses, if the surface of the wood you are sticking it onto is not smooth, it is not going to create a solid bond.
Consider the diagram below which shows a surface with many imperfections.
When you are applying self-adhesive to a surface, the more surface area you can cover and make contact with, the stronger the bond is going to be.
If the wood surface you are going to stick the light strip onto is untreated, it is going to have bumps, cracks, and pieces of wood fibre sticking out making it harder for the LED strip light to adhere to.
So, check the surface of the wood you will be sticking the lights to and ensure it is smooth.
How clean the wood surface is
If you have applied any self-adhesive to a surface, the instructions always state “make sure to clean the surface of any dirt first before applying the self adhesive to it.”
This is the final check to ensure you create a strong bond between the LED light strip and the wood you will stick it to.
So, you have a strong adhesive, and the wood is smooth, but if the surface of the wood has any dust or dirt, this is again not going to allow the self-adhesive of the light strip to adhere to the surface properly.
How to ensure the LED strip will stick better to wood
So, now you know that there are a few things to consider before sticking a LED strip light to wood.
However, just knowing what the problems to avoid are pointless without any solutions to them.
Let’s take a look at how we can combat these issues.
Strength of LED strip light self-adhesive – As mentioned above, this comes down to the quality of the light strip which is heavily correlated with how much you pay for it (however on odd occasions you find cheap things that are of high quality). Choose a light strip that uses 3M adhesives as they have a reputation for creating strong bonds.
Smoothness of wood – If the surface of the wood is not smooth fear not. Get yourself some sandpaper and sand the surfaces that are not smooth.
Start with a low grit sandpaper (120 – 240) to remove and abrasions, and finish with a higher grit (800 – 1200) to smooth the surface.
Remember to clean the surface after sanding.
Also, you can paint the wood and finish with polish to further smoothen the surface (but this step is optional).
Dirt and debris on wood – If you have dirt, dust, or any sort of debris that is present on the surface of the wood, you are going to want to remove it.
A surface cleaner and a cloth should do the job just fine for removing dirt.
If you do not have a surface cleaner, water should do just fine.
Just remember to let the surface dry before sticking the LED light strip onto it.
5 other options to mount LED strip lights to wood
If for some reason you cannot follow the steps above, there are other options you have for mounting an LED light strip onto wood.
Option #1 for mounting LED strip lights to wood : Mounting clips
The first option to mounting the light strip onto wood if the self-adhesive is not good enough, is to use mounting clips.
The mounting clip uses a screw to tighten the mounting clip and keep the LED light strip in place.
Option #2 for mounting LED strip lights to wood : Cable ties
Cable ties might look unassuming at first glance, but do not be fooled.
These little fasteners have many applications but are primarily used in fastening cables and wires.
Cable ties are a great option when the piece of wood is small enough that you can wrap the cable tie around the wood and LED strip light to keep it in place.
Option #3 for mounting LED strip lights to wood : Duct tape
If the LED light strip’s self adhesive is not cutting it, consider Duct tape.
Duct tape is known for having a strong adhesion and creating strong bonds.
It is sometimes used to fix problems on aircrafts!
If you opt to use duct tape, just make sure that you do not cover the LEDs when taping the light strip.
Option #4 for mounting LED strip lights to wood : Double sided tape
Double sided tape can be a great option if you already have a set of LED light strips but cannot replace it.
You can invest in a good quality double sided tape that will help you stick the light strip to wood.
Option #5 for mounting LED strip lights to wood : Hot glue
The last option you have is hot glue.
Hot glue is used a lot in arts and crafts for connecting different materials like paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, cloth etc.
It can also be used to create a bond between an LED light strip and wood.
As with the self-adhesive of the light strip, invest in a hot glue gun and glue sticks.
Cheap glue sticks do not provide a strong bond.
But, just be cautious when using a hot glue gun, as touching the hot glue can be quite painful.
What if you need remove the LED strip lights later from the wood
Now we have a list of options that you can mount LED strip lights onto wood other than just the standard self-adhesive backing.
Each of these options come with its own pros and cons depending on your needs.
So, what if you need to remove the LED strip lights further down the track?
Using the self-adhesive, hot glue, duct tape and double sided tape is going to leave residue when removing the light strip which might be hard to get off.
If you require a semi-permanent solution, that can be removed without leaving any residue, go for the mounting clip and cable tie options which won’t leave a mess.
Aesthetics when mounting LED strip lights to wood
If however, aesthetics is one of your top priorities, having mounting clips, and cable ties all over the place is not so pleasing to the eye.
In this instance, using the self-adhesive backing of the light strip or double sided tape would be a better option as these methods are hidden away and are a neater option.
