What we are asked most often, before and after the purchase. If your question is not here, write to us: we answer them ourselves, and the answer often ends up on this page.
What is a LUMÉA LED skirting board?
It is an anodised aluminium profile that takes the place of the ordinary skirting board at the foot of the wall, and houses an LED strip behind a diffuser. The light source stays invisible: you see only the light lying on the floor or on the wall, never the point it comes from. Depending on the profile you choose, the light is thrown towards the floor, towards the wall or out of the front face — that is what changes the feel of a room the most. The profiles are supplied in 2500 mm bars and are cut down to the length of your walls. The whole thing runs on low voltage, fed by a transformer.
Which height of LED skirting board should I choose?
The range covers heights from 40 to 150 mm depending on the profile. Between 60 and 80 mm, the LED skirting board replaces an ordinary skirting board without drawing attention: that is the most common choice in a home. Below that, around 40 to 50 mm, the profile becomes discreet, which suits a light renovation or a room that is already busy. Above it, from 100 to 150 mm, the effect turns frankly architectural and holds up better in long corridors and rooms with high ceilings. The height changes the proportions of the wall, not the amount of light: it is the same strip doing the lighting. Each product page states the heights actually available for the profile concerned.
Aluminium or PVC skirting board: what is the difference?
Our profiles are made of anodised 6063 aluminium, never of plastic. Aluminium does not yellow under the heat of the LEDs, does not warp along a heated wall and does not split when cut. It carries the heat away from the strip instead of holding it in, which extends the life of the LEDs — that is the real technical argument, not the look. Anodising is an oxide layer formed within the metal itself, not a paint laid on top of it: it does not flake off and does not scratch the way a lacquer does. PVC costs less to buy; in this application, that is more or less its only advantage.
What colour of light do you offer?
Two warm whites: 2700 K and 3000 K. 2700 K leans towards amber, very close to an old incandescent lamp — it is the register of bedrooms, corridors and living rooms at the end of the day. 3000 K is slightly more neutral and holds up better in a kitchen, a bathroom or a space where you work. With indirect lighting, the difference reads mainly on light-coloured walls, where the colour of the light mixes with the colour of the paint. If you are unsure, describe the room and the colour of the walls to us: we will tell you what we would fit ourselves.
How is an LED skirting board installed?
Installation is at the foot of the finished wall, exactly where a traditional skirting board would go. The principle is always the same: fix the profile to a clean, flat surface, run the cable to the transformer, insert the LED strip, then clip on the diffuser. The point to plan for is electrical, not carpentry: you need a power feed at one end of the run, usually in a corner or behind a piece of furniture, and it has to be arranged before the profile goes up. In Switzerland, any work on the fixed 230 V installation is reserved for authorised persons: have the transformer connected by an electrician, unless it simply plugs into an existing socket. A careful DIYer will fit the profile without difficulty; it is the power supply that calls for a professional.
Can the profiles be cut to length?
Yes, they are made for it. The bars are 2500 mm long and are cut down with a mitre saw fitted with a fine-toothed blade for aluminium, or with a hacksaw and a mitre box. Cut at 90° for straight joins, at 45° for corners if you are not using the corner pieces provided. Always deburr the cut and check that the diffuser groove stays clear, otherwise the diffuser has to be forced in and marks the profile. Allow around 5 % waste on the total length: one bar too many costs less than an unfinished wall, since a made-to-order top-up starts the 4 to 6 weeks over again.
How are the corners of a room dealt with?
Every profile has internal and external corner pieces in the finishes of its family, along with end caps sold in pairs to close the ends off neatly and connectors to align two bars end to end. These parts give a clean join and save you having to get a mitre cut right in metal. The light slot cover, on the other hand, is supplied transparent whatever the finish of the profile: it comes in no other version. Count the internal and external corners in the room before you order — it is the item most often forgotten, and the one that costs the most time once the work has started. If in doubt, send us a dimensioned sketch of the room, freehand is fine.
What transformer do I need?
The LED strip runs on low voltage: a driver sized for the length actually installed is essential. The calculation is to multiply the total length by the strip's consumption per metre, then add a safety margin of around 20 % — a driver working permanently at its limit runs hot and ages quickly. We offer drivers of 30, 60, 100 and 150 W, which covers everything from a small bedroom to a through living room. Beyond that, two separate drivers are better than a single oversized one: it also limits the voltage drop over long runs, which is what makes the far ends look darker. Tell us your lengths and the number of feed points, and we will do the calculation with you.
How do I order a sample?
Every product page lets you request a sample of the profile in the finish you are interested in: a 10 cm offcut, the real metal, the real finish. A sample costs CHF 9.— each, and postage is CHF 5.—, charged only once per order whatever the number of samples. The cost of the samples is deducted from your first order. The form carries one profile and one finish at a time: if you want to compare several, tell us in the message and we will put them in the same envelope. Beyond six, the comparison stops meaning much. Always look at them against your own wall, in daylight and then in the evening — a brushed finish looks completely different depending on where the light comes from.
Where and how do you deliver?
We deliver within Switzerland and to Liechtenstein, by post. Postage on an order of samples is CHF 5.—, charged only once. For profiles, the cost depends on length and weight — a 2500 mm bar travels as a long parcel — and the exact amount is stated to you before the order is confirmed, never afterwards. We do not deliver outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein for the time being. The delivery address may differ from the billing address; simply tell us when you order.
What are the lead times?
Items held in stock in Switzerland leave within two working days. Profiles and finishes made to order take 4 to 6 weeks, because they are genuinely produced for you rather than drawn from a stock. We confirm the availability of your profile and your finish in the quotation we send you, before you commit to anything. If your order mixes the two, we ask you whether you would rather wait for a single shipment or receive the available part first. Samples always leave within 48 hours from Switzerland.
What means of payment do you accept?
All our sales are in Swiss francs (CHF). There is no online payment on this site: you send us a request, we reply with a priced quotation — metres, cuts, transformer, postage, lead time — and payment is made by invoice or bank transfer once you have accepted it. Nothing is debited automatically, and at no point do we have access to card details. The price agreed is the price due: no VAT is added to it, for the reason explained in the next question.
Why is there no VAT on my invoice?
Because we are not liable for value added tax: our turnover stays below the CHF 100 000 registration threshold set by Swiss law. No VAT is therefore charged, and no VAT number appears on our documents — its absence is normal, not an oversight. The price shown on the site is the final price: nothing is added to it, apart from the postage shown separately. If you are registered for VAT yourself, bear in mind that an invoice without VAT gives no right to deduct input tax. The day the threshold is crossed, VAT will appear on the invoices and the prices shown will be updated accordingly.
Can I return my order?
Swiss law provides no general right of return for online purchases, unlike the law of the European Union: a contract concluded at a distance is in principle final as soon as it is concluded. We do nevertheless accept, as a gesture of goodwill and not as a legal obligation, the return of standard items that have not been installed, are complete and in their original packaging, within 14 days of receipt. Profiles that have been cut, installed, or made to order in a particular finish are not taken back — they cannot be resold. Return postage is at your expense, unless the item is faulty, in which case it is the warranty that applies and not this gesture. Write to us before sending anything back: an announced return is dealt with in a few days, a surprise parcel far more slowly.
What warranty applies if something is faulty?
The statutory warranty for defects under the Swiss Code of Obligations applies to all our sales. If the product delivered is faulty or does not match what was ordered, you can ask for it to be replaced, for a reduction in the price, or for the sale to be rescinded; the statutory limitation period is two years from delivery. You must report the defect as soon as you discover it: check the parcel on receipt and tell us straight away about any transport damage, keeping the packaging, which serves as evidence. The warranty covers neither normal wear, nor an incorrect installation, nor damage caused by an unsuitable driver or by a connection made outside the rules. Our general terms and conditions set out the procedure to follow and the documents to enclose.
How do I look after an LED skirting board?
A soft, slightly damp cloth is enough, wiped in the direction of the grain on brushed finishes. Avoid scouring powders, abrasive sponges and any cleaner based on solvent or ammonia: the anodising takes it reasonably well, the polymer diffuser much less so, and a clouded diffuser eats light. Dust settles mainly on the top face of the profile and on the diffuser; going over it every two or three months is enough to avoid the grey film that dulls the light. Do not run a dripping mop along the light slot — water has no business inside the profile. No other maintenance is needed.
