Are you bored with your existing LED strip light setup? Do you wish to change it without causing any damage to the wall paint?

There could be several reasons for you to remove an LED strip light from the wall. Regardless, there is a right way to do it.

Adhesives in LED strip lights are semi-permanent in nature. So, you can easily remove them once it’s time for them to be replaced.

So, let us check out the best ways to remove LED strip light from the wall.

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Steps To Remove LED Strips From Your Wall

When it comes to removing LED strip lights, the rules aren’t set in stone.Your LED strips won’t cause any damage to the wall if you use the standard 3M adhesives. However, you cannot be 100 percent sure about it.

Here are some steps you can try to minimize any risk when removing the LED strips.

• First, start by unplugging all your LED from the power source. Safety is a must when you are dealing with live wires.
• Next, get a hairdryer and start to heat up the adhesive in the LED strip light. Doing this makes the adhesive soft & easier to remove. Do not expose the strips to heat for more than 2 minutes. Else, it could cause lumen degradation.
• Start by removing the LED strip light from the edge or corner. You can insert a dull, flat object like a credit card or butter knife to ease the removal process.
• Now, wiggle your butter knife/credit card to gently remove the LED light strip from your wall.
• While you do that, start by slowly pulling the strip from the surface.
• Continue to do this until you see the strips have come off completely.
• Do not hasten the process. Go as slow as possible.
• If you see some tacky, leftover adhesive residue still sticking to the wall, rub over it with your thumb in a circular motion. In most cases, gently applied pressure would be ideal for removing the residue.
• In case this doesn’t bode well for you, apply a soft cleaning solution that doesn’t damage your wall paint.

You can also use rubbing alcohol to take off your LED strip lights from the wall. Simply put some of the alcohol in a standard spray bottle. Spray on the top portion of the LED strip light’s adhesive and let it seep in. Wait for a couple of minutes and try to remove the strip from the corners.

Follow the process explained above and be patient. This process works with most adhesives, but there can be exceptions. Using the rubbing alcohol method is ideal for walls with latex paint. It helps dissolve the LED strip light’s adhesive with no damage to the walls.

Make sure you wipe the surface with a clean cloth once the strip comes off. If you fail to do this, the thinner might penetrate into the latex paint and damage the wall from inside.

Can LED Light Strips Damage My Walls?

Although most LED strips won’t damage your wall paint, it entirely depends on the manufacturing process. Cheap adhesives used on the strips can pull off the paint with them during the removal process. This could be especially problematic if you live in a rented house. You might be charged by your landlord for tampering with the wall paint.

Simply put, LED strip lights of good quality won’t damage the walls.

However, the scenario can vary depending on several factors such as:

• Adhesive’s strength
• Wallpaper or paint’s durability
• Duration for which the LED strip light has been applied on the wall
• Surrounding environment or climate

Role of Adhesives on LED Strip Lights

Regardless of the type of LED strip light you plan on using, there is one common factor between them. They are backed by high-quality 3M adhesive.

Most renowned manufacturers use 3M for their LED strip lights. It is the best and most durable adhesive tape available on the market. It is crafted from a high-performance acrylic material. This acrylic used for the manufacturing process is multi-faceted. The material has a dual nature. It behaves like a highly elastic solid as well as a viscous liquid. This dual property is termed viscoelasticity.

Given this property, 3M adhesives can glide into uneven surfaces or other irregularities. It forms a strong bond with your wall.

A high-quality LED strip light can be pasted onto different types of surfaces.This doesn’t mean that 3M adhesives don’t have any issues. With time, these adhesives lose their stickiness. Plus, it might not adhere properly to oily or glossy surfaces.

Additionally, if the surface is prone to moisture or humidity issues, 3M might turn out faulty. This causes LED strip light users to use DIY techniques for additional strength.

You might want to apply your own adhesives to the strip lights. However, this is something you should never do.

LED enthusiasts back up their strips with options such as:

• Glue dots
• Foam tape
• Double-sided tape
• Gorilla tape
• Hot glue

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Do LED Strip Lights Peel Off The Paint When Removed?

The answer to this question would depend on how delicate the paint on your wall is. Even if your paint is of the highest quality, it starts aging over time, making it more fragile.

If your paint is fresh, it is less likely to peel when removing the strip light.

However, old paint that has resisted water/moisture damage over the years would peel off just as easily.

Also, don’t apply your strip lights to freshly painted walls that haven’t cured properly. It takes about 2 to 4 weeks for a paint coat to cure completely. If you place your strip light on such a wall, it will get cured with the paint. This would make it difficult to remove the strip light leading to flaking and peeling of the paint.

Moreover, the application process of the paint also has an impact. Paint that is applied to rusty, dusty, dirty, or unprimed walls could compromise the LED strip removal process. The wall shall be fine, but you can see chunks of wall paint coming off as you remove the LED strip light.

Can LED Strip Light Damage My Wallpaper?

Whether you plan on changing your décor or renewing the wall paint, the standards for interior designing keeps changing. Something you love today might not feel as engaging a few years later.

So, if your decision is to remove the LED strip light, the method would vary depending on the surface it’s on.

A wooden, plastic, or tiled wall should be fine when you remove the LED strip light. They will come off easily and won’t damage the wall. If there is any residue left from the adhesive, simply wipe it off with a clean cloth.

The real problem arises when your LED strip is on bare drywall that is coated with paint or covered with wallpaper. They comprise multiple fragile layers, which makes them highly vulnerable to damage.

Your wallpaper is simply decorative paper. A strong adhesive would peel it off right away, given its strong bond with the surface.

Regardless of the quality of your wallpaper, it is most likely to rip, tear, or even ripple. The rips are particularly visible in patterned wallpapers with no way to camouflage the same.

Can You Stick Your LED Strip Lights Using Super Glue?

Never use super glue to stick your LED strip lights on the wall. For one thing, they bond strongly to the wall and won’t come off without damaging the paint. Moreover, they can also damage the LED strip’s plastic coating.

Can You Reuse An LED Strip Light After Removing From The Wall?

Yes, you can reuse the LED strip light and place it in your desired location after removing it from the wall. If your strip’s adhesive backing doesn’t work anymore, you can replace the same with double-sided tape.

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