Introduction: LED Glass Tiles
I wanted to try something interesting while I was doing some bathroom renovations, so I put an LED strip behind the glass tiles I was installing. You can see more a the LED glass tiles on my website too.
Step 1: Prep
I put a small hole in the wall and strung the LED strip wire from below with a wire coat hanger. I used the access hole where the sink drain pipe goes into the wall to feed the wire into.
Step 2: Glue It Up
Using your notched trowel spread the tile adhesive. Center the LED strip (trust me, much easier to do this before you glue the tiles up!)
Put the glass tiles up on top of the LED strip.
Step 3: Check It Out!
Now that the tiles are up, attach your battery or transformer to the LED strip and watch the show. I used an LED strip that cycles colours, but if I were to do it again I'd have the LED strip go the entire length across and have white or warm white LEDs.
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13 Comments
9 years ago
what sort of glue have you used to fix leds and tiles? won't the glue slowly eat away led metal contacts?
10 years ago on Introduction
I love what you did with the LED's. Very imaginative, I'll have to steal your idea for my next bathroom remodel. :)
14 years ago on Introduction
Looks great! I think a built-in LED border around a vanity mirror would be really cool too... I assume you've thought of this, but a quick caution to anyone who might want to follow your example: Make sure your LEDs aren't going to burn out after a couple of weeks of use, if you plan to build them into your wall like this! In particular, you may not want to do this with a cheapo Xmas decoration LED strip that is only made to last one season. For example, if the LEDs are in parallel in the strip, it is important that each LED have its own current limiting resistor, otherwise one might burn out and ruin the whole effect.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
The LED strip I used had surface mount resistors on each LED chip, all mounted on a flexible strip. As to whether it will last years? Not sure. This was mainly a proof of concept, and the time between deciding to do it, planning, and actually do it was about ten minutes! I'll spend more time when I do the next one.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Those LEDs behind the glass tiles are beautiful, just beautiful!
The SMD (Surface Mount Device) LED strips are usually intended for automotive lighting, or accent lighting inside a building. Most SMD LED strip specs that I've seen on the big auction sites do claim 50,000 hours life or something like that. Of course, who has 5.7 years to sit around waiting day and night to find out if the LEDs and resistors and every other component will last that long!
I would not hesitate to place one of the waterproof SMD LED strips with integrated resistors into a permanent installation such as this.
13 years ago on Introduction
Now what would be an awesome upgrade to this is you use red and blue led's set up to sensors that when you turn on the cold only it lights up the whole row blue and vise-versa with red and when you mix hot and cold. a portion of the leds are blue and a portion of the leds are red. the more hot the more red and so on
14 years ago on Introduction
i think it's greater if you use more colors @!!!
14 years ago on Introduction
Nice! I'd diffuse it more though
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Maybe with some etching agent; frost it.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks! Yes, that's something I'm going to work on when I do the next one (in the main bathroom).
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Maybe I should try this in glass bricks
14 years ago on Introduction
that's a great idea.
14 years ago on Introduction
Great Job!