My home studio lighting mistake cost me hundreds in fabric

During a room refresh, I put bright LED strips right over my fabric shelves. The heat from the lights made my wool and silk blends weak and brittle after a few weeks. Now I have to toss materials for my new line because I didn't test the heat first. Always measure light heat in your design area before you set up storage.

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar_fox2mo agoTop Commenter

Questioning the heat from LED strips. Mine run cool to the touch, even after being on all day.

shanewells2mo ago

What strips are you running though? The cheap basic ones barely get warm because they're low power. But the high density or brighter white LEDs can get seriously hot if you don't have a good heat sink. Mine get warm enough that I wouldn't leave them on something flammable. Maybe you just got a lower output set?

the_dakota2mo ago

Ever wonder if the color you're running makes a difference? I had a set of warm white strips that stayed cool, but the pure white ones from the same brand got hot enough to soften the adhesive backing. Maybe the light color changes how much heat they make, not just the power.