POWDER COATING COLORS

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The Ever Changing Evolution Of Light Sources

Have we seen the end yet? Not likely

 

From the invention of the oil lamp around 4500 BC to the light bulb, Edison patented around 1880, to fluorescent  and others we now have ended up with LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) as the latest development.

LED's are great but not flawless. Like with everything else there are pro's and con's. However sometimes the con's cannot be solved. 

Example: a light bulb has burnt out, it can be replace by removing/ unscrewing the old one and replace it in a few seconds. Ok, if LED light bulbs are used, this process will work as well. However if a light panel like a ceiling panel loses one edge lighting strip, half the panel will show dark. Exchanging the strip is not an option as they are mounted in a way that a lay person cannot replace that strip for a variety of reasons.

LED's on average last much longer than any light sources previously used. Typical statement of manufacturers is that they last 50,000 hrs. or even longer.

So the more relevant questions for most will be:

• What types of LED's are out there and what's right for me?
• What can I do with LED's?
• What lighting effects can I achieve?
• How can this type of lighting be maintained?
• What can cause an LED system to fail?

Let's get to it.

What types of LED's are out there and what's right for me?

Not to cause info overload with all the nitty gritty -like the dozens of available options-, light intensity, color temperature and color will be the ones you want to know about.

Light intensity is determined mainly by the number of LED's mounted on a PCB or strip, PCB being the "Printed Circuit Board". The more LED's the higher the light output.

Color Temperature, in white LED applications,  which is expressed in (K) Kelvin, i.e. 2700K being warm white, 3500K cool white and 4500 and up being bright white. LED's are available in single colors of various Kelvin grades as well as variable or tunable also referred to as dynamic tunable white. Tunable white LED's allow the user to design their preferred grade of white via remote or WIFI. Regarding our products most clients opt for tunable white.

Color. Different design applications may ask for a variety of colors to enhance the ambiance of a space. That can mean for example that a bar backdrop is fitted with tunable white LED's and the surrounding cabinetry or shelves or counter tops use RGB LED's which offer a full color range. 

What can I do with LED's?

Applications nowadays are endless. From illuminating kitchen cabinet tops and kick plates to indirect room lighting and anything in between. Your imagination is the limit. 

What lighting effects can I achieve?

Again there is a wide spectrum of applications from solid lighting to entire lighting systems controlled with a smart phone manipulating light intensity, colors of separate zones, to chasing colors of individual LED's, even lighting reacting to sounds  like music or the bark of a dog. 

How can this type of lighting be maintained?

This is one of our main concerns when designing any feature. Back in the day it was very simple to change a light bulb or neon lamp. LED's are making this chore somewhat more complicated. Depending on who is fabricating a feature changing out strips can be challenging to impossible. Our engineering team thinks proactively, designing every piece in a way that it can be taken apart to identify the faulty LED's so they can be easily replaced. Design part on the client end is not always as proactive, meaning, if a panel is installed and surrounded with all kinds of shelves, enclosures, etc. and that can be challenging all in itself. We gladly will provide advice on how to avoid such pitfalls. 

What can cause an LED system to fail?

LED systems consist of hundreds if not thousands of components if individual LED's are considered in this chain. The major components however that are needed to operate an LED system are drivers or transformers providing the power to run the LED's, controllers  which allow the LED's to be manipulated in various ways and then of course the LED's. Like with any other technical device, failures can occur. Here are some of them:

LED’s

Exposure to moisture/ humidity, which is a result of selecting the wrong type of LED for the intended purpose.

External impact

Overheating of an individual node which can lead to the failure of a segment or the entire strip.

Power Supplies

One of the most common power supply problems is overheating. PSUs can get hot, especially if they're under a heavy load, and if they get too hot, they can shut down or even fail completely. Overheating can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor ventilation, dust buildup, or a faulty fan

Controllers

Moisture, thermal degradation

Remotes

Remote controls are powered by batteries. When the battery lost power, the remote will no longer work. If the battery is left in the remote for too long, acids may leak out and the remote will be irreversibly damaged.

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Backlighting Gone Wrong

Occasionally we get comments from Designers or Architects like "what can be so hard to put lighting behind Stone, Onyx, etc.?"

Here are some images from Designers and Trades who were asked to fix things gone badly. You be the judge!

	A seemingly expensive installation where lighting issues were totallly botched. Individual LED nodes visible, bottom row strips on tub seem to have dislocated (not our project).
	A gorgeous bookmatched Onyx job with lighting completely butchered (not our project).
	Lighting was certainly not one of the primary concerns on this project (not our project).
	A client sent us this photo of a bar in a 5-Star Hotel in Switzerland. Light source was placed too close to the Onyx and light distribution therefore insufficient. Fluorescent lamps clearly visible.
	Placement and power of light source not considering varying translucence (not our project).
	Complete mismatch of color temperature to stone material. It was later fixed, changing out hundreds of bulbs (not our project).
	Fluorescent bulbs clearly visible and distracting, appearance of the stone material ruined (not our project).
	Mixed light sources placed too closely to the surface. Intended look or botched? You be the judge!
	Sad to say, but this was one of our clients who insisted to do the lighting herself.

 

So why did this happen?

Because electricians or for that fact electrical engineers designers & architects just do not know how different surface materials react to light neither is it their job. Even we don't know at times when we receive new materials and have to experiment until we get it right. We discourage from experimenting on site!

The  correlation between surface & light is determined by a number of factors:

• surrface density
• surface thickness
• carrier materials
• type of surface material
• type of  light source
• spacing of light source
• distance to surface
• intensity of lighting (lumens)
• color temperature

Working on any given project we test, adjust and  coordinate every aspect in order to achieve illuminated surfaces without showing LED nodes, hot or cold spots.    

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Amazing Design Possibilities

just not possible with other stone related materials

	Suspended Backlit Real Stone Ceiling "Designer Wave" This piece can be scaled as desired. It could be 3 x 6 ft or 20 x 40 ft, it doesn't matter. The radius can be changed as well as the wave repeat.
Bar Design 1 Curved Backlit Panels
	Bar Design 2 Freestyle Imagine any possible shape or size, we can do it!
TV Surround Wall Mounted with media component shelf Enclosed media storage can be incorporated.
	Backlit Wine Cellar w/ Pegs Here's something that just isn't possible with monolithic slabs like Quartz, Onyx or even glass. Our product allows for the ability to drill a multitude of holes without affecting structural integrity. The stainless steel pegs can hold plenty of wine bottles or glass shelving. Maintenance is a breeze as the panels are cut into sections but look seemless when put together. They are removable so the light source can be accessed if needed.

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Frequently asked Questions

 

 

General Questions
How difficult is it to install your products?
What makes your products different from others?
How does weight affect a project?
How does your material compare in terms of weight?
Can you produce 3-dimensional (spherical) objects?
Can your products be used outdoors?
Can you fabricate backlighting for shower stalls?
How impact resistant are your products?
What is the largest size project you can produce?
Can you produce seamless applications?
What do you mean by stone inlays?
Do you provide detail drawings for Architects?
If damaged, can your products be repaired?
How do your products compare to Onyx?
Can you help in the design and development stages of a project?

Lighting
What light source is best for what project?
Can light colors be changed?
What are the warranty aspects of light source elements?
How can light source elements be changed?
What are the space requirements for backlit items?

Payment and Shipping
How can I make sure I get what I bargained for?
How do you ship?
Do you provide free estimates?

 

 

 

How difficult is it to install your products?

Short answer:  Straight forward and not at all difficult. More: Our products are designed to keep installation time to a minimum.  Due to the relatively light weight no special supports are necessary. We make sure that shipments contain ALL parts necessary to complete a project successfully. Panels are complete and do not require any assembly. All parts, meaning finished surfaces, coated metal containers holding the LED's, and all mechanical and electronic parts necessary to install the unit(s) plug them in or hard wire and turn on the lights. That also includes all installation hardware plus special tools if so necessary. Detailed installation instruction will be part of every shipment. 

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What makes your products different from others?

Short answer: Our panels are complete, no assembly required. More: When designing a project we gladly advise on how to go about handling issues like substructure, attachment, power requirements, affect of ambient lighting and lumen requirements of backlighting, etc. Our panels can be disassembled for maintenance. Others often glue surfaces to LED lighting pads, which makes future maintenance impossible. If this is the case and lighting fails there is NO way of repair.

 

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How does weight affect a project?

Most comparable projects using slab materials like Onyx, crystalline products or certain laminates have to deal with substantial weight issues. Creating support structures, handling and shipping heavy materials and installation will increase the total project cost substantially. Let alone the potential for damage even before installation. On the contrary, our material is light weight, so no special engineering or support structure is needed.

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How does your material compare in terms of weight?

A 10 x 4' 3/4" thick Onyx slab may weigh in excess of 700 lbs. That does  not include support grid, heavy duty fasteners and lighting containers. A complete 4 x 8' panel including alu can lighting and electronics in any of our Syntec^TM Marble or Syntec^TM Onyx weights approx. 130 lbs. as opposed to a 4 x 8' sheet of RSV applied to 1/8" thick Acrylic backing with approx. 60 lbs

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Can you produce 3-dimensional (spherical) objects?

Only our Real Stone Veneer Product is flexible enough, that it can be wrapped around any shape, spherical or otherwise. Availability of odd shaped carrier materials (PVC, Poly carbonate or Acrylic) can at times pose a challenge. The process is very laborious thus time consuming and expensive.

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Can your products be used outdoors?

Yes, but only our Real Stone Veneer and Thin Slate products.

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Can you fabricate backlighting for shower stalls?

Short answer: Yes. More: We recommend using backlit features only on walls without  plumbing fixtures though, as they might get in the way of the light source. Besides, future maintenance will be a nightmare. Most light sources can be dimmed, so backlit material in a shower will provide awesome effects. The only problem:  the water bill may be increasing as people don't want to leave the shower!

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How impact resistant are your products?

This depends solely on the carrier material. In case of 1/4" Acrylic backing a good hit with a hammer will do to knock a hole in it. The thicker the substrate or depending on the type of substrate i.e. lami glass, impact resistance can be improved. It surely can be engineered itno a product.

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What is the largest size project you can produce?

There is no limitation. As long as the material can fit in containers. .

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Can you produce seamless applications?

Short answer: No, More:. Refraction being the issue, which is the breaking of light at the edge of a panel will dreate the appearance of seams. The extent of these seams depend largely on the type and color of the surface material. General rule, the darker the material the less vissible seams. Also worth noting: seams sometimes can be used to enhance the looks, i.e. incorporate designs like book match. Additionally we can use coloring, striations and all, across panels to make seams less visible.

 

 

 

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Do you provide detail drawings for Architects?

We have a number of schematics available for Architects and Designers. However, detailed shop drawings will only supplied upon a project order.

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If damaged, can your products be repaired?

It depends. Yes, if we're talking about scratches. They can be buffed out.

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How do your products compare to Onyx?

As there is a long list of items, we have compiled a comparison here

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Can you help in the design and development stages of a project?

Absolutely! Actually we advise Designers and Architects all the time to involve us as early as possible - even put us in touch with the end user - so we can collect as much information on a project to make it another "head turner". This is particularly important as many Professionals are not quite familiar with our material just yet.

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What light source is best for what project?

In principle, the exposure time is what we consider. If a  backlit stone feature is suppposed to be viewed mostly at night hours, less intensive lighting is required. Daylight exposure will require more powerful backlighting. In many cases dimmers can be used to adjust the intensity.

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Can light colors be changed?

Thanks to RGB and variable white LED's the colors of lighting and thus the appearance of the stone surface can be changed to a host of different colors. As tastes are very different regarding this issue it is worth pointing out that the most popular stone colors used with RGB applications are White and Yellow thus appearing like white or yellow Onyx. The red's green's blue's are probably more suitable for Bar and Nightclub applications. Either way, the colors can be changed by means of a 40+ button remote control allowing all kinds of different effects and programming on both types of LED's.

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What are the warranty aspects of light source elements?

Depending on the location of a backlit feature changing out light source elements can be very expensive. As we are not manufacturing any lighting elements, we and our customers have to rely on respective manufacturer's warranties. We are testing lighting elements constantly for a number of issues but please consider that promises of manufacturers regarding life expectancy are impossible to test. Their standard promise of up to 50 000 hrs. means that If the light is used for 10 hours a day, this test would take 13.7 yrs. The other caution of course is always the "up to" phrase which by definition could be only one hour. Best practice is to plan ahead and make sure that the change of lighting elements is not going to be a major challenge as it is with many Onyx applications.

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How can light source elements be changed?

This again depends on the individual application, however we will engineer the product considering the need for replacement. This can be achieved by selecting certain types of lighting elements to wiring procedures, technical additions and creating easy to reach access points. Our panels can be disassembled.

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What are the space requirements for backlit items?

Space requirement meaning the space behind the stone veneer/ Acrylic laminate. We strive to achievere uniform and constant backlighting in order to get maximum impact. Therefore we recommend a minimum of 5 inches in case of fluorescent lighting, a minimum of 2.5 inches for LED's and 1 inch for LED panels. Note: The latter will be the hardest one to change out as most of them are custom fabricated for a specific size.

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How can I make sure I get what I bargained for?

We always will treat communication as one of the most important issues and keep clients informed about the progress of projects.  When projects are completed we will send images and/ or vidoes to the client as proof of working product. Only upon receipt of these images is the client required to facilitate the final payment. Note: Our warehouse will not release shipments prior to receipt of the final payment

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How do you ship?

Smaller packages ship with UPS, larger ones with commercial carriers like ABF, XPO, OD or R&L. Note: At time of quoting a project we do not have all required shipment data like weights and dimensions so the shipment cost in quotes will be an estimate. Proper shipping cost will be adjusted in the final invoice.

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Do you provide free estimates?

Estimates are free of charge as long as we receive all pertinent information. You can fax, email or snailmail. If we are required to go on location for planning, engineering, advice, etc. appropriate charges will be applied.

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Samples

 

To order samples, please see our color sections

Syntec Onyx: https://backlitdecor.com/surfaces/faux-onyx/faux-onyx-colors

or

Syntec Marble: https://backlitdecor.com/surfaces/faux-marble/faux-marble-colors

and just put them in your shopping cart right there.

Color temperatures (tones of white colors from bright white to warm white) will make a huge difference in appearance when backlighting our materials. You can check this out in the color sections as well. This is why we automatically add our Light Pad to every order. Remote control is included and will let you change the white tones as desired.

Please note, that all sample costs will be reimbursed/ credited at the time a project order higher than $3,000 is going to be placed. Light Pad $180.00, Sample Plate $40.00 each.

 

 

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RGB COLORS
A vast range of colors to explore.

 

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 Backlit Desk Retrofit 

by Backlit Decor^_TM

 

Create a stunning look in minutes
Many surface colors to choose from

 

 

Versatile, Innovative, Affordable - for any Commercial or Hospitality space.

 

Custom versions available upon request.

Hang this backlit faux Onyx feature on any desk, reception counter, service stand or exhibition table and create a magnificent focal point and attention grabber.

 

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