Start with why LED
Anything mounted permanently on a roof edge has to hold up outside every day. That rules out the bulbs that go in a tub in January. LEDs run cool, draw little power and do not have a filament to break, which is what makes leaving them up a reasonable idea at all.You do not have to follow the technical side to
https://jsbin.com/hatureyila make a good decision. But it is worth asking what the channel is, how it mounts and how it is wired, since the detail in the answer says a lot. The people who explain it plainly are usually the ones who install it carefully.
The aluminum part
The LEDs sit inside a color matched aluminum channel. That channel hides the hardware and aims the output. Color matching is not an upgrade, not something added afterward.
The control question
Each LED in the run can be set independently. Without individual control the whole house is one shade at a time. With it patterns become possible. The capability matters a handful of nights, and then it is December.Look at somebody's finished work at noon rather than at nine, because night hides sloppy mounting and daylight does not.
Power, control and the parts you do not see
The parts you never look at are the wiring, the power feed and the controller. Wire routing is where careful work shows, because a rushed job leaves it visible. It is worth asking and the answer should be specific.
What it means for maintenance
The upside of never taking it down comes with an obligation: it has to be installed well the first time. Careful work holds up. A rushed one shows in the first summer, which is exactly what you were paying to avoid. That is why who installs it is not a detail.
Weather is what the hardware is up against
Nothing about leaving it up is theoretical once August arrives. Summer heat on a south facing roof edge is considerable, and heat is what shortens the life of most electronics. Humidity is constant here, which puts the seals and the connections under real load. The failure points are connections, not diodes.
Brightness is adjustable, and most people run it low
These systems dim, which is worth knowing before you decide anything. Full brightness is a holiday setting, and it is far more light than an ordinary evening wants. Most people end up running the everyday setting well below maximum, since restraint is what makes it look considered.
Seeing it before you commit
Specifications read the same from every company. The useful step is having somebody look at your house and draw a plan. EverCrest Lighting does permanent LED lighting for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, out of Greenville. The consultation is free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].