How to add some very dim lighting to see stairs at night?

November 11, 2015 11:47 AM

I would like some very dim strip lighting or something so I can see the stairs that go from my bedroom to my bathroom in the middle of the night. But I don't want something too bright since I can see the stairs when I'm in bed. Details inside!

Oh, hello. I'm the idiot who broke my foot in this question and I explain how I broke my foot in my blog about having a broken foot. I really wish I didn't break my foot.

My goal: I have a set of stairs going from my bed to the rest of my apartment that I would like to add some dim track lighting to so I can't somehow forget that the stairs exist again. It would also probably be helpful if I can see my steps in the middle of the night.

Photo: Here are the stairs and I've marked where the outlets are.

What I've done already: I put a little LED nightlight in my closet at the top of the steps and I leave that door open, and I also have a LED nightlight at the outlet on the bottom of the steps, but that didn't stop me from taking a tumble and breaking my foot. I was hoping to get some lights that could actually guide me and show me where the steps are.

Difficulty level: I can see the top step from my bed, so any lighting I have along there should be rather dim. I was thinking the lighting along the aisles in movie theaters would be the right dimness. I tried some strip lights you connect from IKEA but they were way, way too bright. They also weren't flexible, which made them awkward to use along the steps. I was thinking maybe some flexible LED strip lighting I could actually run up each step would work?

What I've considered: I have looked at websites that sell flexible strip lighting, but I cannot tell how bright they are. If they are too bright, it won't work and I'll wasted a bunch of money. I need them to be very, very dim and I'm having a hard time telling. I also am a little confused when I look at the strip lighting and how you connect the power source. I would prefer an easy way to flip the lights on before I go to bed at night and then turn it off when I wake up. Also, I'm not entirely sure how I would get the strip lighting to run along the stairs tightly -- tape? This is an apartment, so I can't damage anything, but I'd be open to something they may take some of my security deposit over.

What should I do and how can I find some really, really dim lights?

posted by AspirinPill to Home & Garden (28 answers total)

What about some glow spike tape? It's not lighting, but it's specifically meant to show locations of things (like edges of stairs) for safety. It's cheap ($5 or so on Amazon) and pulls off cleanly, so it might be worth a try.
posted by okayokayigive at 11:55 AM on November 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

I would get something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/GE-Automatic-Control-Photocell-18258/dp/B002DN2QKY
which is an outlet control with a photocell, so it will turn the lights on when it's dark and off when it's light, and then plug something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Flexible-Transformer-Ledwholesalers-2026wh-kit/dp/B004RZUX8S
which is a "dimmable flexible LED strip" into it, and dim it to my desired dimness.

I would then attach it to the stairs with something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Command-Flat-Clips-Clear-4-Clip/dp/B007KYUWWA
which are command adhesive "flat cord" holders, intended for use guiding flat cord, but removable command strip type. If those are too small for the LED strips, just buy some small command strips and attach the strip directly to the stairs with them.
posted by brainmouse at 11:56 AM on November 11, 2015

you can apparently get 24 hour rated glow in the dark tape. i would try that first, because it doesn't need power and is easy to apply (most glow in the dark stuff lasts only 5 hours or so, i think).
posted by andrewcooke at 11:57 AM on November 11, 2015 [4 favorites]

Electroluminescent wire (EL wire) would probably do the trick. It's dim enough that you can barely tell it's on in daylight, but it's conspicuous in the dark.

You'll probably need to solder up your own "tree" out of (for instance) doorbell wire, and then solder lengths of EL wire to that for each step. Soldering EL wire is finicky, but if I can manage it, so can you. Also a driver. And ideally, you'll want a place to hide the driver, because it can emit a small high-pitched squeal.

There are lots of places to order EL wire from. Here's one.
posted by adamrice at 11:57 AM on November 11, 2015

Response by poster: Oh, I did look into glow-in-the-dark grip tape, but all the reviews for what I found on Amazon were very bad. Many people said it did not stay very visible or work very great. But I could look for something better as a first attempt. Regular tape won't be very visible in the middle of the night when it's like pitch black and my brain is half-asleep.

The problem with the LED strip lights online, even dimmable ones, is I don't know how dim they get and if they will get dim enough. Some websites I found list the dimness, I can't remember now if it's in lumens or watts or something, but the numbers just meant nothing to me!

The electroluminescent wire looks very cool, but anything that requires soldering or emits a high-pitched squeal (literally my least favorite sound on earth) is gonna be a no-go, unfortunately.

I should add I do want something affordable, so hiring a professional lighting company is probably not in the budget.
posted by AspirinPill at 12:03 PM on November 11, 2015

For a similar situation (that I never dealt with), I saved a link to Gradus step lighting. If you click on "More Details" I see they will send out free samples of their lighting products.
posted by ShooBoo at 12:04 PM on November 11, 2015

Best answer: How about a light in the outlet at the top of the stairs that points down the stairs, but is controlled by a motion-detector, so it only turns on when you get out of bed and walk over to it? I have this one in the bathroom and it's bright enough to illuminate the whole room, but dim enough that it doesn't wake me up too much.
posted by xo at 12:08 PM on November 11, 2015 [7 favorites]

Best answer: Lumen chart:

https://www.bulbamerica.com/pages/wattage-lumens-brightness.html

For reference 100 lumens is about the power of a $10 LED flashlight.

If you buy incandescent rather than LED and a dimmer for them you have as much adjustability as you want.

The phrase you are looking for when googling is step lighting.

http://www.lnt.com/product/deck-lighting/796131-2785238/nora-lighting-nsi-162w-incandescent-mini-lensed-indoor-step-light.html?utm_source=googleproductads&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKEAiA64uyBRCVmKyT2vuAjzgSJADfINB6voLZymvd89tZGIy0iJgdU0aO10sOTJG-3_Y4AGEDbRoC1H_w_wcB

This is a less handy version battery operated instead of requiring wiring.

http://www.amazon.com/OxyLED-T-02-Portable-Wireless-Sensing/dp/B00J4EQVPG/ref=sr_1_4?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1447273073&sr=1-4&keywords=step+lights
posted by edbles at 12:22 PM on November 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Would motion sensing, bright nightlights be a better solution than always on, but dim lighting?

I would not recommend EL-wire, as it is fairly bright just fairly localized light.
posted by Candleman at 12:30 PM on November 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: It does seem like the easiest solution would be a motion sensing LED nightlight, on an extension cord if required. Otherwise, you could buy an LED strip and run it along the wall just above the stairs with a motion sensor in the mix as well (you can get one that has a plug for the output), but that would be significantly more work to install (and remove if you move).
posted by ssg at 12:44 PM on November 11, 2015

Best answer: Battery operated motion sensing stick-anywhere nightlight 3 pack, 25$ US. I have a similar thing in my porch entryway and it is adequate for letting me see how where to put my keys.
posted by enfa at 12:45 PM on November 11, 2015 [7 favorites]

I have those same lights that enfa linked to.
We use them as night lights and I LOVE them. They are very sensitive and very bright. They only go on when you need them.
posted by beccaj at 1:15 PM on November 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I don't have any specific suggestions on materials, but you might consider looking for red lights, as red light is less likely to disrupt your night vision. When I took an astronomy class in college, they would light the area around the telescope with strands of red christmas lights for this reason.
posted by Aleyn at 1:32 PM on November 11, 2015 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I have the lights enfa linked to too. They are fantastic. What I specifically like about them is that when I get out of bed and stumble down the hall and then the light flicks on, I pause and think "Wha? Why's that light there?" which wakes me up just enough that I become alert enough to not fall down the stairs. For me it's the light flicking on that helps me. I think a dim light that is always on would be less effective.
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:45 PM on November 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Is it too obvious an answer to ask why you don't turn the lights on? A hall light or bedroom light?
posted by cecic at 1:46 PM on November 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I think a combo of the motion sensitive, battery powered LED night lights mentioned upthread and a contrast marker at the edge of each step would be plenty to keep you safe. Even just a little ambient light can make a white strip along the leading edge of a step "glow." It's doesn't need to literally glow.
posted by amanda at 1:52 PM on November 11, 2015

Best answer: I have something like this. I use a string of warm-white LED christmas-lights pinned up on the ceiling. They emit enough light to see the ground and walk safely, but not enough light to keep me awake or wreck night vision, and I calculated that the power bill from leaving them running 24/7 all year would cost about $2/year, and that $2/year was a significantly lesser cost than not having them, given my too-high confidence of being able to walk around in the dark. :)

In a month and a half, warm white LED christmas lights will be very cheap :)
posted by anonymisc at 2:33 PM on November 11, 2015

Response by poster: I've used motion sensor lights -- I actually have one in my bathroom for middle-of-the-night trips when I don't want to turn on the jarring, full bright light, but sometimes they go on by themselves by accident, maybe from dust in the air or issues with the sensor, and it drives me nuts. And I am talking different models, different kinds of lights, etc. I've always had this happen. I find motion sensor lighting otherwise very convenient, but they may not be the best option in this particular case. I can try it and see how it goes, but if it doesn't work the way I'd want, I'd need to go with my backup of strip lighting.

The thing about red not disrupting night vision is interesting to know.

Anymore advice on finding very dim lighting would be the most helpful now, I think.
posted by AspirinPill at 2:33 PM on November 11, 2015

Would the lighting on steps in a movie theatres aisles be too bright?
posted by peppermind at 4:10 PM on November 11, 2015

Not a light solution, but a warning track one, FWIW: Mr. Conspiracy is blind. We have a carpet runner in our hallway that ends just before our kitchen counter so he knows where to turn right or left, depending on whether he wants to go into the living room or kitchen. This helps prevent hip smashing against the kitchen counter that divides our kitchen from our living room.

So my suggestion is this: a small patch of bristly rug or carpet (with anti-slip padding or backing if you have a hardwood or tile floor) that has enough bristly (i.e., warning, sleepy person!) texture to remind you you're right at the first stair. This would need to be wide enough that you have a full stride as a margin of error.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:29 PM on November 11, 2015

The "mr.beams" ones are great. Though there is a 2 pack for $25 instead of the 3 pack and the batteries on the 2 pack have lasted for 2 or more years and the 3 pack ones need yearly replacing. As long as you point the motion sensor away from you they won't turn on unti you want them too!
posted by saradarlin at 5:55 PM on November 11, 2015

If you suggest have some led strip lights that have no active electronics on the strip to adjust the voltage, try getting a lower (and preferably variable) voltage transformer for it. Most LEDs will work more dimly at lower than their rated voltage, up to a point. Just above the point that they are off, they tend to be quite dim. I have a hand crank LED flashlight that has no voltage conversion circuitry which gets quite dim at the very end of its charge, so I know this works. ;)

Dimmable LEDs don't exhibit that effect since they are alwsys driven at the normal voltage but use a PWM controller to set the duty cycle, this giving the appearance of dimness, even though what they are really doing is flashing on and off a few hundred times a second. The extra circuitry is great for something you will be adjusting regularly and where a linear dining response is preferred. Doesn't get you much in your situation, though.

(An A19 bulb controlled by a dimmer switch uses the change in line voltage to control the duty cycle, still leaving the input voltage to the LED constant, which is why they are as linear as an incandescent, just without the reduction in color temperature)
posted by wierdo at 10:01 PM on November 11, 2015

Best answer: I use red LED Christmas lights as night lights in my bedroom and downstairs; I use warm white LED Christmas lights on my stairs, woven loosely through the railing. It's a nice subtle glow that doesn't overwhelm you with light; people have fallen asleep downstairs with the lights on for years now with no issues. MeMail me if you'd like photos.
posted by culfinglin at 10:26 PM on November 11, 2015

You have some specific requirements, and maybe the off-the-shelf units are not going to do the job for you. You might look at getting one of something that is close to what you are looking for, and experimenting with bulbs, reducing the size of the outlet by using different masks, or different graduations of lenses. When you have found the right combination, you are good to go. Maybe go to a lighting shop and discuss your needs, that might short-circuit (roll eyes) the experimentation.
posted by GeeEmm at 12:38 AM on November 12, 2015

When you say top step do you mean only the carpeted area? If so I would use 3' LED strip lights and attach them to the bottom of the bull nose of each step (or every second step) with cable staples.

That way each step is illuminated (either by outline or directly and you have no light visible (except for possible double reflection light) on the step you can actually see. The nail holes from the staples are underneath the step and no one is ever going to see them.

I'd probably try just a single strip under the bull nose of the first step and see if that did the job.
posted by Mitheral at 7:10 AM on November 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: One more thought - If a light is too bright, make it more dim by putting something translucent in front of the light source, or something opaque to deflect/diffuse the light from shining into your bedroom area of your studio. Instead of spending more energy and money trying to find the perfect something that is slightly dimmer.

A piece of paper cut to fit and taped on, or some red acetate filters, or even masking tape is the low tech solution rather than trying to find something dimmable or within a certain level of low output. Technically it is wasteful, but since we're talking about LED's instead of incandescent bulbs, you're using pennies worth of electricity a year anyway.
posted by enfa at 6:53 AM on November 13, 2015

Best answer: I had a problem with stubbing my toes on bedroom furniture and bed feet. My partner hates having any lights on while sleeping.

The solution was 5mm glow in the dark sticker dots at the corners of things, but the key was to put the dots just at the corners so my brain could connect the dots in the dark and figure out where the edges were. Also, put them on side surfaces where you won't be walking on them.

The thing is that I don't think your eyes will be sensitive to their dim light if you've just turned off the lights in your bedroom (so don't rely on those Amazon reviews). The real effect is when you've been in the dark for at least 30 mins and your eyes have adjusted to darkness. I've woken up 6 hours later and the dots are very visible.

This has been a reliable solution for me for the last 5 years, without needing to replace any stickers or change any of my behaviours or bedroom rituals.
posted by Extopalopaketle at 10:32 AM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I'm going to use a combination of some of the ideas here. I think very small motion sensor lights on the side on the wall next to the stairs so I can't see if they turn on accidentally might work. I have concerns they won't turn on until I'm already stepping (and given how I broke my foot, that would be too late), so I might try a short sting of red lights or something as a guide so I see the steps before I start to step down. The LED strip lights just seem a little complicated or hit-and-miss -- I know what a string of Christmas lights looks like though. Thanks everybody.
posted by AspirinPill at 12:08 PM on November 22, 2015