Selecting the right lighting in your home is crucial when creating the right atmosphere while increasing the functionality of your kitchen. Adding LED strip lighting as under-cabinet, above-cabinet, or toe-kick lighting is a great way to open space, add color, and customize your kitchen to your liking. You can install these lights independently as a DIY project: installation is easier and faster than most people think. Continue reading to learn more.
Benefits of Above and Under Cabinet Strip Lights
Installing above-cabinet and under-cabinet LED strip lights offers multiple benefits to your kitchen, such as:
- Easy installation
- Customizable
- Creates task lighting for cooking or meal-prepping
- Cheaper than incandescent and halogen lights over time
- Waterproof lights and easy cleaning if you add aluminum channels under your cabinets
Before You Get Started
Required Materials for Strip Light Installation
The following products/materials are needed for LED strip light installation:
- LED strip
- Controller
- Connectors
- Power supply
- Scissors
How to Cut LED Strip Lights
You may need to cut your strip lights to the length of your cabinets. Follow the steps below to cut the strips safely.
- Unplug the strip.
- Determine the length of the area where you’re putting the strip lights.
- Find the copper pads closest to the desired length.
- Use scissors to cut straight down the line of the copper pads.
Soldering reconnects cut strip lights. If you aren’t reconnecting to the same strip light, then the new strip, controller, or power supply must be the same type of strip with the same voltage. We also offer solderless connectors that attach right to the strip with no power tools required.
How to Install Above-Cabinet and Under-Cabinet Strip Lights
Aluminum channels are an optional feature for above-cabinet and under-cabinet lights. The steps below include instructions without aluminum channel installation. To install aluminum channels, refer to the steps under the ‘above-cabinet lighting’ section.
Steps to install under-cabinet LED lighting:
1. Locate power sources in your kitchen.
2. Measure the length of the cabinets to decide the amount of strip light needed.
3. Connect the strip to the controller and plug it into the power supply to test if everything works, then unplug.
4. Install the power supply and mount the controller. We recommend mounting the controller on top of the cabinet or sticking it to the bottom side of the cabinet where it will be out of view.
5. Re-connect the strip to the power wire.
6. Cut the strip light to the needed length. Verify that the power supply is not plugged in before completing this step.
7. Apply the strips. Start from the controller and peel away the backing as you move across the cabinet.
8. Continue the process on the next leg of the cabinet
9. If you hit a spot where two cabinets meet, you can either apply the strip right over the lip of the cabinet or cut it and put a jumper wire over the lip. For more advanced installments, you can drill a hole through the lip, run a wire through it, and connect the cut strips.
10. Once the installation is complete, re-connect the strip and connectors to the power supply to ensure everything works.
What strip lights look like under your cabinet once installed
The video below provides a visual explanation of LED under-cabinet lighting.
Steps to install above-cabinet lighting:
1. Determine locations of power sources.
2. Calculate the amount of strip light needed by measuring the length of the cabinets.
3. Plug strip lights in to ensure they work, and then unplug.
4. If using KLUS aluminum channels, cut the channels to fit the length of the strips. Adding aluminum channels provides the look of a continual line of light.
5. Cut the LED strip light to the needed length.
6. Test the lights again to ensure they’re working. Unplug the lights before moving on to the next step.
7. Peel the adhesive backing off the LED strip and attach the strip to the channel.
8. Install the diffuser on top of the aluminum channel.
9. Drill small holes into each side of the end caps and feed the power wire through. We offer some channels that have holes already drilled into the end caps.
10. You can either lay the channel directly on the cabinet and leave it or drill holes from the channel into the cabinets. Drill the holes into the channel before attaching the strip lights.
11. Check the connection by plugging in the strip light and connector to the power supply.
Above-cabinet lights with an aluminum channel
Above-cabinet lights without an aluminum channel
The video below provides a visual explanation of LED above-cabinet lighting.
Steps to install toe kick strip lights:
You can add toe kick lights under your cabinets or on baseboards to provide additional lighting. This serves as task lighting, helping you see your way around the kitchen, specifically in the morning or at night when it may be darker. It also serves as accent lighting to illuminate and amplify the look of your kitchen.
1. Locate the power sources.
2. Measure the area you’re lighting.
3. Plug in the strip lights to test if they work.
4. Unplug all power supplies and begin cutting the strips.
5. Attach the strips to the applicable connectors.
6. Peel off the adhesive backing.
7. Begin attaching strips to the toe kick. You may need L connectors or pigtail connectors to run the lights around the corners and under larger appliances such as your refrigerator or oven.
8. Re-connect the strip light and connector to the power supply to verify the connection works.
The video below provides a visual explanation of toe-kick lighting.
Accessories
Strip lights are compatible with various accessories. The specific strip light you buy will have its own applicable accessories. This can mean different controllers, dimmers, remotes, or smart home-compatible products accessed via smartphone, Alexa, and Google Assistant. We also offer LED strip kits that come with all the accessories needed to install.
This article provides information on how to choose the best controller and dimmer for your strip lights.
Understanding Power Supply for LEDs
Having the correct power supply wattage ensures your strip lights run properly. You can calculate the power supply wattage by multiplying the length of the strip light (ft) by the required wattage per foot and dividing by 0.80 (the minimum power supply required). The voltage on the power supply must also be the same as the voltage at the location you will place it.
We have an LED strip light power supply calculator below, so you don’t have to do the calculations yourself. Fill in the required fields and click the “calculate” button to get the power supply wattage.
Choosing the Color Temperature of Your LEDs
Selecting the desired correlated color temperature (CCT) for your kitchen will affect the shade of light displayed. Kitchens often use a cool or natural white to make it easier to see when cooking or planning meals. This CCT is typically 4000K or higher.
We offer strip lights with different color options depending on your lighting needs. If you want to adjust the color of your strip lights, we offer tunable, RGB, RGB+CCT, color-changing lights, and more.
Get Started
Following the steps above will make the installation process easy. Select the LED strip lights or kit you need and see the difference it makes in your kitchen! If you have any questions about the strip lights or the installation process, contact one of our product support specialists at 866-590-3533.
by Emily Willis
LED Lighting Specialist
Emily has undergone training to provide technically accurate lighting knowledge on the uses and benefits of LEDs in residential, landscape, commercial, and vehicle applications. These blogs help understand and select lighting for various projects.
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