Phantom Lighting System

Rope lights are good sources of light for tight spots in ceilings because their plastic manufacture allows them to be bent. They are also are ideal for short-term specialty display lighting and decorative holiday lighting. The endless variety of style and bulb options makes them a favorite for event planners for special occasions throughout the year. Perhaps their most widespread application in residential settings is for decorative outdoor lighting. Rope lights bring aesthetic and supplemental light to any outdoor area such as a gazebo, a back porch, or a patio where home entertainment events are hosted. They also provide a measure of safety lighting when they installed along handrails and steps, and some people even use them to decorate gutters and trellises for an extra touch of sophistication.

A number of advantages accounts for the popularity of these widespread and highly versatile lighting elements.
Rope lights tend to be very cost effective and extremely easy for the end user to install. A broad spectrum of kits is available that offers the novice considerable choices in colors, styles, and measurements. These lights normally include the option to dim the lights, so 120V rope lights can still be rendered cost effective simply by reducing the level of light. Furthermore, almost every lighting manufacturer makes low voltage lighting and high voltage lighting kits to deliver super savings on energy to the home user on a budget.

Rope lights can be equipped with any number of bulb types ranging from traditional incandescent to revolutionary LED lamps. Both offer their own unique benefits. Incandescents produce a very bright light and can clearly be seen when used in conjunction with normal indoor lighting. Event planners hosting company parties normally choose incandescent bulbs because they remain clearly visible when other room lights are on. On the other hand, rope lights used outdoors normally remain on longer and require greater energy efficiency. LED bulbs are generally preferred in this scenario because they only use 20% of the power as incandescents, and they are super cost conscious when installed on a low voltage lighting system.

Drawbacks
Because they are so inexpensive and easy to install, rope lights are often used by builders as adjunct decorations or for cove lighting in spec homes. However, the flexibility they are renowned for has it limitations. If the rope is bent incorrectly, it can fail to work altogether. In tight coves or area where the wall is striated, these lights will accentuate wall variances and reflect an uneven distribution of light. If “hot” burning bulbs like xenon and incandescent are used, the plastic housing will begin to turn brown from exposer to ultrviolet light over a period of time.

When used in this manner, rope lights are short lived and will eventually require replacement. This additional cost cancels out the initial front-end savings they normally deliver.. Rope lights are also wired in series, so if a single light fails, the entire string fails. At this point a splice can be placed in the line to restore functionality, but the uniformity of the light is compromised and quality begins to diminish.

For these settings, you need an alternative light source, like Phantom LED lighting strips that are specifically designed for lighting indoor coves.

Click here to read how Phantom CM series offers either an adjunct lighting source or outright alternative to rope lighting.

See how our accent lighting tools can help you in your contracting business. Call us at 800-863-1184 for a free brochure.

My builder is suggesting that I use rope lighting in a large dining room cove. I am concerned that the light output will not be adequate to fill the entire ceiling. What assistance can you provide me on building the cove and the light source?

Rope lighting is a very effective way to illuminate small to medium sized coves. It's fairly inexpensive and for the most part does a very good job. However, for large coves in big rooms it is not what you need.

PHANTOM COVE LIGHTING STRIPS are commercial grade lighting strips that work well in both residential and commercial applications. They are available with LED energy saving lights, Xenon and Incandescent lamps up to 10 watts. Typical lamp spacing is 4" on center, so that can give you up to 30 watts per linear foot. Compare that to light rope at 5 watts a foot and you can easily see why Phantom cove lighting strips are much more high performance for large rooms. Phantom cove lights can also be field cut to fit radius coves.

One of the major mistakes that most builders make is fabricating the cove too small. This prevents the light from spreading out into the center of the room and creates hot spots from the lamps. Nothing looks worse than being able to count the number of LED light bulbs in the cove. A cove should resemble the size of a common rain gutter. Roughly 4" out from the wall and 4" down from the ceiling, and 2" deep are the minimum dimensions. The farther out from the wall and down from the ceiling the better the light distribution. If the cove is too deep it will create a shadow and prevent the light from spreading. By installing blocks and shimming the light up or down during the cove or cabinet lighting installation, you can fine tune it to perfection. Make sure the cove is continuous and not full of supports that would be in the way of the Phantom light fixtures.

Another common mistake that interior designer's and home owner's make for rooms with lighted coves is using a lacquer finish or reflective wallpaper on the ceiling. The results are disastrous! Always use a matte finish paint or non reflective material when selecting your finishes.

Cove lighting should not be used as the only light source in the room. Other lights in the room should be placed on separate dimmer switches creating a layered approach. Since the cove light is indirect, it is more of an LED accent lighting source than a general lighting source. Properly designed cove lighting can be a wonderful addition to any room or living space. It accents architecture, hand painted ceilings and provides a soft indirect light source.

Thank you for contacting Phantom Lighting System with your questions. We are here to help. Please contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or visit our lighting blog or mobile website at for specification sheets, installation instructions, and general information.

Our lighting manufacturing plant is located in Houston, Texas with professional lighting sales agents positioned throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including Washington DC, Nashville Tennessee, Las Vegas Nevada. Portland Oregon, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Tucson Arizona, Long Beach California, Atlanta Georgia, and Los Angeles California.