After deciding on one of our aluminum extrusions, a compatible cover selection will be needed. In the article below, you will find some useful information to assist in selecting the best cover for your LED lighting application!
The first decision to make when deciding on a fixture cover is choosing between a clear or frosted cover, and each choice has its advantages. A clear cover is useful in situations where the LEDs are not in direct view, as our clear covers have a light transference rate of approximately 98%, which means that almost all of the light produced by the lighting fixture is transferred to the space. Our clear covers are most commonly used for ambient/mood lighting applications, as the lighting for these applications are usually out of direct view. Sometimes our customers ask for an LED extrusion with no cover in these situations, but we commonly recommend utilizing at least a clear cover on all of our extrusions, to prevent dust/debris ingress that may interfere with the LED’s light output.
A frosted cover is useful in applications where the LEDs will be in direct view, and these types of covers allow for the dispersion of the LED light, limiting the appearance of unsightly diodes on the fixture surface. Frosted covers are most commonly utilized in general, task, and accent lighting, so that the diodes are not visible when looking directly at the fixture surface, and the glare from the reflected LED light is limited.
Our LIGER Series Frosted Covers are best used in applications where a clean line-of-light is desired, as they have the highest level of light diffusion. Our HS series covers are best used in outdoor applications, as they are thicker/more durable, and have built-in UV protection. Our KA-Pro series covers offer a good mix of light diffusion and cost-effectiveness. Our KA series covers are the most inexpensive cover option and have lower light diffusion for a slightly higher light output (with a lower capacity for creating a line-of-light from our LED tape options).
While most lighting applications using our extrusions only require a standard Clear/Frosted cover, there are some specialty covers that allow for our Extrusions to be used in unconventional ways. Our LIGER BLACK frosted covers, for instance, can be used to hide a Black extrusion within a dark surface, to create unique visual effects when the light is turned on. This extrusion has a much lower light transference than a standard frosted cover, and is mainly used for the hidden extrusion effects. Most of our frosted covers work to disperse the light evenly, with a wide beam angle (90° or more) but there is one cover that is capable of focusing the beam angle instead! Our Satin-S Focusing cover (when paired with our REGULOR Extrusion), is capable of focusing the beam angle down to a minimum of 10°, which can be useful for wall washing and grazing applications.
There are a myriad of fixture covers/extrusion combinations to fit any of your lighting needs, and cover choice is one of the most important decisions for specifying/ordering a KLUS Luminaire. Our team here at Klus is always happy to answer any questions you may have about our products, and potentially make recommendations based on the details of your project.
Feel free to contact us at 772-569-6655, or through our technical email: engineering@Klusdesign.com.
