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Decovision LED coving ships without the LED strip - deliberately, because colour temperature, brightness and control are personal choices. This guide covers exactly what to buy and how to plan the run, so the strip you order works first time. The four numbers that matter 1. Colour temperature (Kelvin) 2700K is warm and candle-like - bedrooms and snugs. 3000K is warm white - the safe choice for living rooms. 4000K is neutral - kitchens and workspaces. Above 5000K reads clinical in a home; avoid it for cornice lighting. 2. LED density (LEDs per metre) Choose at least 120 LEDs per metre. Lower densities show as a row of dots reflected on the ceiling instead of a continuous line of light - the single most common mistake. 3. Brightness (lumens per metre) For ambient cornice glow, 400-800 lumens per metre is plenty. If the coving light is the room's main evening lighting, go brighter (up to around 1500 lm/m) and add a dimmer. 4. CRI (colour rendering) CRI 90 or higher keeps wall colours and furnishings true. Budget strips at CRI 70-80 make warm interiors look grey. Planning the run Measure the lit walls - usually the same perimeter you measured for the coving itself. Plan the driver position first. The low-voltage driver needs a socket or fused spur: above a cabinet, in a cupboard or in the ceiling void - and it must stay accessible. One feed for short runs, two for long. Beyond roughly 10 metres, feed the strip from both ends (or the middle) to avoid visible dimming at the far end. Aluminium tape in the channel improves heat dissipation and reflectivity - we stock it. Dimming and control A simple inline dimmer covers most rooms. Smart controllers (Zigbee, WiFi) add scheduling and scene control; choose a dimmable driver either way. For bathrooms, pick an IP-rated strip appropriate to the zone. Safety in one paragraph LED strip runs at low voltage and is DIY-safe to install in the coving channel. The mains side - a new socket or fused spur for the driver - is an electrician's job. Never bury the driver inaccessibly behind the coving. Frequently asked questions Warm white or cool white for cornice lighting? Warm (2700-3000K) in living spaces almost always looks better; the ceiling wash amplifies any coolness in the light. Can I cut LED strip to length? Yes - strips have marked cut points every few centimetres. Cut only at the marks. Does the strip get hot inside the coving? Quality strip at ambient brightness runs warm, not hot. The aluminium tape lining helps spread the little heat there is. Which Decovision ranges take LED strip? All nine LED series - browse the LED coving collection. Each has a concealed channel sized for standard strips. Start with the profile Choose the coving first, the strip second: order a 20 cm sample, check the channel and the profile on your own ceiling, then buy the room and the strip together.

Ordering coving is a five-minute job once you know the method. This guide walks through measuring any room, allowing for corners and waste, and choosing the right Decovision pack size - with two worked examples. The method in three steps Step 1: measure the perimeter Measure the length of every wall at ceiling height and add them together. For a rectangular room that is simply (length + width) x 2. Step 2: add an allowance for cuts Add 10 percent to the perimeter for cutting waste. If your room has many corners, alcoves or a chimney breast, add 15 percent instead. Step 3: round up to the next pack Decovision coving ships in 2 m lengths, in packs from a single length up to 30 metres (and 50 metres in the VLS range). Round your figure up to the next pack size - a little spare is far better than one length short, and offcuts are useful for testing paint. Worked example 1: standard living room Room: 4.5 m x 3.6 m. Perimeter = (4.5 + 3.6) x 2 = 16.2 m. Add 10 percent = 17.8 m. Next pack size up: 20 metres (10 x 2 m lengths). Worked example 2: L-shaped open-plan space Walls: 6.2 + 4.0 + 2.8 + 2.5 + 3.4 + 6.5 = 25.4 m. Complex shape, so add 15 percent = 29.2 m. Next pack size up: 30 metres (16 x 2 m lengths). Do not forget the corners Count your corners: every internal corner (the usual kind) and external corner (around a chimney breast or boxed pipework) can be ordered as a ready-made corner set, cut at 45 degrees in the factory. Fit corners first, straights after - the joints come out cleaner and you avoid the hardest mitre cuts entirely. Common questions Should I order extra for mistakes? The 10-15 percent allowance covers normal cutting waste. First-time fitters may want one spare 2 m length for peace of mind. My room has a bay window - how do I measure it? Measure each flat section of the bay separately and count each angle change as a corner. Shallow bay angles can be cut on site; ask us if unsure. Do LED coving and plain coving measure differently? No - the method is identical. For LED coving, also measure where your LED strip will run and where the driver will sit. What if I get stuck? Send us your room measurements through the custom order page and we calculate it for you - it is one of our standard free services. Before you order the full room Order a 20 cm sample of your chosen profile first. Check the scale against your ceiling, test your paint on it, then order the packs with confidence - and use code SAMPLE10 within 30 days.

Search for coving in the UK and the term XPS appears everywhere - usually without explanation. This guide covers what XPS (extruded polystyrene) actually is, how it differs from the materials it replaces, and why it has become the practical choice for British ceilings. What does XPS actually stand for? XPS is extruded polystyrene: polystyrene that has been melted and forced through an extrusion die under pressure. The process produces a dense, closed-cell foam with a fine, smooth surface. That is the crucial difference from the bead-style expanded polystyrene (EPS) most people picture - the white bobbly foam of packaging. Extrusion gives XPS (extruded polystyrene) a tight structure that cuts cleanly, holds crisp profile detail and paints without texture showing through. How does it compare? The honest table Property XPS (extruded polystyrene) Plaster Bead foam (EPS) Weight Around a tenth of plaster Heavy - two-person fitting Very light Cracking Flexes with the building Cracks along joints over time Rarely cracks Paint finish Smooth, plaster-like Excellent Bobbled texture shows Moisture Closed-cell, moisture-resistant Absorbs moisture Reasonable Fitting One person, adhesive only Professional recommended One person Why weight matters more in the UK than anywhere British housing stock moves. Timber joists, lath-and-plaster ceilings and seasonal humidity swings mean walls and ceilings flex in ways rigid materials cannot follow - which is why plaster cornice in older homes so often shows hairline cracks along the ceiling line. A lightweight cornice in XPS (extruded polystyrene) puts effectively no load on a tired ceiling and moves with the building instead of fighting it. Does it look cheap once painted? This is the question everyone asks, and the answer is no - with one condition. Genuine XPS (extruded polystyrene) has a fine, dense face; after joint filling and two coats of water-based paint it is indistinguishable from traditional cornice at any normal viewing distance. The material that looks cheap is bead foam, whose bobbled surface telegraphs through paint. Check what you are buying: if you can see beads, it is not XPS. Where can you use it? Everywhere plaster goes, plus the rooms plaster dislikes: kitchens and bathrooms, where the closed-cell structure shrugs off steam and moisture. Living rooms and bedrooms take the classic profiles; our LED ranges add concealed uplighting; matching skirting finishes the floor line. How is it fitted? With a solvent-free grab adhesive, a fine-tooth saw and an afternoon - no screws, no plasterer. Ready-made corner sets remove the hardest mitre cuts. The full walkthrough is in our fitting guide, and a printed copy ships in every box. Frequently asked questions Is XPS coving paintable? Yes - two coats of any water-based emulsion. Never solvent-based paint, which attacks polystyrene. How long are the lengths? Decovision profiles ship in 2 m lengths, in packs from a single length to whole-floor quantities. Is it suitable for period properties? Especially so: zero load on old lath-and-plaster ceilings, and no cracking as the building breathes. Can I see the material before ordering a room? Yes - every profile has a 20 cm sample from £1.95, showing the exact surface, colour and profile. What adhesive should I use? A solvent-free coving adhesive such as Akfix 310, which also fills the joints. The short version XPS (extruded polystyrene) coving is the practical modern cornice: plaster looks without plaster weight, crack-free in moving buildings, moisture-safe in wet rooms, and fitted by one person in an afternoon. Browse the coving collection and start with a sample.

LED coving gives a room the kind of soft, architectural glow that used to need a plasterboard pelmet and an electrician's week. With modern XPS (extruded polystyrene) profiles, the whole job - coving and lighting - is a weekend project for one person. This guide covers planning, fitting and lighting, in that order. What is LED coving, exactly? LED coving is cornice moulding with a concealed channel behind its top edge. An LED strip sits inside the channel, out of sight; the light it throws washes across the ceiling, so you see the glow but never the source. Decovision profiles are cut from XPS (extruded polystyrene) - a dense, closed-cell foam around a tenth of the weight of plaster, with a smooth face that paints like plaster once fitted. Planning: three decisions before you order 1. Which walls carry the light? Most rooms look best with the LED line on two or four walls, not one. Measure the full run and add 10 percent for cuts. If you are unsure how many metres you need, send us your room sizes through the contact page and we will calculate it for you. 2. Where does the power come from? LED strip runs on a low-voltage driver that needs a socket or fused spur - usually above a cabinet, in a cupboard, or in the ceiling void. Plan the driver position before fitting the coving, so the feed cable can hide behind the profile. 3. Which profile? Deeper profiles throw a wider wash of light; slim profiles like our DV-LO lighting coving keep things minimal. Order a 20 cm sample first - every Decovision LED series has one from £1.95 - and hold it against your ceiling before committing. Fitting the coving: step by step Check the package. Lengths are numbered so you can confirm the pack is complete. The foam fillers inside are packaging, not product. Corners first. Ready-made internal and external corner sets are cut at 45 degrees and fit before the straight lengths - the cleanest route. Cutting your own? Use a mitre box. Fix with solvent-free adhesive only. Solvent-based adhesives attack polystyrene. Surfaces must be clean and dry; apply adhesive to the contact faces, press firmly, wipe the excess with a damp cloth. Fill and paint. Seal the joints with acrylic filler, sand lightly when dry, then two coats of water-based paint. Paint before the LED strip goes in - it is far easier. Critical rules Never use solvent-based adhesive or paint on XPS (extruded polystyrene). Keep the LED driver accessible - never seal it behind the coving. Fit the strip to the channel, not loose - adhesive-backed strip pressed onto a clean, dust-free surface. Aluminium foil tape in the channel improves heat dissipation and reflectivity - we stock it. Mains wiring is an electrician's job. Low-voltage strip and plug-in drivers are DIY-safe. Choosing the LED strip Strips are not included with the coving, which is deliberate: colour temperature is personal. As a rule of thumb, 2700-3000K reads warm and cosy for living rooms and bedrooms; 4000K suits kitchens and workspaces. Pick a strip with at least 120 LEDs per metre for an even line of light without visible dots, and a CRI of 90 or higher if colours matter in the room. Frequently asked questions Can one person really fit LED coving alone? Yes. A 2 m length of XPS (extruded polystyrene) coving weighs a fraction of its plaster equivalent - you can hold it overhead one-handed while the adhesive grabs. Do I need to chase cables into the wall? No. The feed cable hides behind the coving itself; only the driver needs a socket. Will the coving crack like plaster? No. XPS (extruded polystyrene) flexes with normal building movement instead of cracking along the joint line - a real advantage in older UK homes. Can I fit LED coving in a bathroom? Yes - the closed-cell material is moisture-resistant. Use an IP-rated strip appropriate to the zone. What if I am not sure which profile suits my room? Order samples of two or three profiles. At £1.95 each it is the cheapest design decision you will make. Start with a sample Browse the LED coving collection - nine profile families, every one with a hidden light channel and a 20 cm sample. See it, feel it, hold it against your ceiling; then order the room.