Installation Guide · Video
How to Install a Fiber Optic Starlight Ceiling (13 Steps, with Video)
A fiber optic starlight ceiling is installed in 13 steps: prepare the tools, choose a spot for the light engine, plan the pattern at 50–100 fiber points per square metre, drill from below upwards, push the fibers through from the top and fix them only with cold silicone, trim the tips with a sharp cutter in one cut after plaster, joints and paint are finished, then connect the light engine and test in the dark. The 3:44 video below shows every step with diagrams; the full written guide and an English translation of the narration are on this page.
Updated: · Video narrated in Turkish; full English guide below · Watch on YouTube
At a glance
- Video
- 3 min 44 s, Turkish narration
- Density
- 50–100 fiber points per m²
- Fiber diameter
- 0.50–3.00 mm, mixed
- Adhesive
- Cold silicone only
- Extra length
- At least 5–10 cm
- Car power
- Fused ignition line + 12 V relay
What you need
- Cordless drill with thin drill bits
- Sharp fiber cutter / cutting pliers
- Pencil
- Piercing needle (included in the kit)
- Fiber optic cable (0.50–3.00 mm)
- Light engine (LED / pixel ARGB)
- Cold silicone
- Cable clips (included in the kit)
- For cars: 12 V relay and a fused line
Step-by-step starlight ceiling installation
The link next to each step starts the video at that chapter.
1. Prepare the tools and materialsWatch in video (0:33)
Get everything ready before you start: a cordless drill with thin bits, sharp cutting pliers, cold silicone and a pencil. Keep the piercing needle and the cable clips that come with the kit at hand.
2. Choose the mounting surfaceWatch in video (0:42)
Fiber optics can be installed in any surface you can drill and feed a cable through: wood, composite or drywall panels all work. You can also skip the surface entirely and let the fiber tips hang freely.
3. Car headliner preparation and safe wiringWatch in video (0:54)
In a car the logic is the same, only the order differs: remove the headliner, draw the pattern on it and feed the fibers from behind. Place the light engine between the roof and the headliner or in the boot, somewhere you can reach later.
- Take power from the fuse box, from a fused line that is live only with the ignition on, and put a 12 V relay between that line and the device.
- Never connect the device directly to the car battery.
- Do not test with a cordless drill battery or an unstable battery; it wears the device.
- To test outside the car, use a 12 V LED power supply rated 6 A.
4. Choose where the light engine goesWatch in video (1:26)
Pick a dry, ventilated spot that you can reach later; in a closed ceiling leave an access panel. Never cover the cooling holes of the housing.
5. Plan the pattern and densityWatch in video (1:34)
Plan the pattern in advance and count on 50 to 100 fiber points per square metre. Avoid symmetry: scatter the stars randomly with sparse and dense areas instead of a regular grid. If you draw on the back of the board, remember to mirror the pattern.
6. Choose the fiber diameter by ceiling heightWatch in video (1:45)
Choose the fiber diameter according to the ceiling height; the higher the ceiling, the thicker the fiber. Mixing diameters between 0.50 mm and 3.00 mm adds depth and makes the ceiling look like a real night sky.
7. Plan the shooting star effect and measure on siteWatch in video (1:55)
The shooting star (meteor) effect runs on a separate device that lights its outputs one after another. Several fibers can go into each output, and one device can drive several shooting stars in different positions.
- Do not assume the ceiling is square and straight; measure on site. Half a centimetre of deviation is normal.
- On a light-coloured ceiling, badly placed holes show in daylight; a dark ceiling is more forgiving.
8. Drill the holes in the right directionWatch in video (2:15)
The cleanest method is to drill the board on a workbench before mounting it. If you work on a closed ceiling, drill from below upwards; drilling the other way makes drywall burst out at the back.
- Mark the joists and screw points first; a fiber must never run where a screw will go.
- Fix crossing fibers to the board with cable clips.
9. Lay the meteor (shooting star) line firstWatch in video (2:34)
If you combine meteors with stars, lay the meteor line first and draw its path with a pencil. The spacing is not standard; it depends on the length of the line and the number of fibers. Example: split a 1 m line into 10 cm zones, place 10 fibers 1 cm apart in each zone and connect each zone to one output of the device.
10. Feed the fibers and fix them with cold siliconeWatch in video (2:51)
Push each fiber through from the top downwards and leave at least 5–10 cm extra on the visible side. Route short fibers to the holes near the light engine and long ones to the far corners.
- Use cold silicone only: super glue makes the fiber brittle, hot glue melts it and solvent-based adhesives break it.
- Do not pull fibers tight or bend them sharply; keep curves wide. A broken fiber carries no light, and you only notice after the ceiling is closed.
11. Plaster, joints and paint first; cut lastWatch in video (3:15)
Do not trim the fibers straight away. Cut them after plastering, jointing and painting are finished. If you paint with the fibers in place, the tips take paint and cannot be recovered.
12. Trim the tips in one cutWatch in video (3:23)
Cut with sharp cutting pliers in a single motion; a clean cut face decides how bright the tip is. You can cut flush with the surface, or leave different lengths to make the ceiling look deeper.
13. Connect the light engine and test in the darkWatch in video (3:32)
Connect the fiber bundle to the light engine, darken the room and check for tips that do not light. Push the bundle only halfway into the socket; pushing too hard makes some tips go dark.
Most common mistakes
- Connecting the device directly to the car battery or testing it with a drill battery.
- Using super glue, hot glue or solvent-based adhesive instead of cold silicone.
- Drilling a closed ceiling from the top down: drywall bursts out at the back.
- Running a fiber over a joist or where a screw will go.
- Pulling fibers tight or bending them sharply: a broken fiber carries no light.
- Trimming the tips before painting: they take paint and cannot be recovered.
- Pushing the bundle all the way into the socket: some tips go dark.
- Covering the cooling holes of the light engine.
Frequently asked questions
How many fiber points per square metre does a starlight ceiling need?
Plan 50 to 100 points per square metre. Scatter them randomly with sparse and dense areas instead of a grid so the ceiling looks like a real sky.
What fiber optic diameter should I use for a star ceiling?
Choose by ceiling height: the higher the ceiling, the thicker the fiber. Mixing diameters between 0.50 mm and 3.00 mm adds depth.
What adhesive fixes fiber optic strands in a ceiling?
Cold silicone only. Super glue makes the fiber brittle, hot glue melts it and solvent-based adhesives break it.
Where do I take power for a starlight headliner in a car?
From the fuse box, using a fused line that is live only with the ignition on, with a 12 V relay between the line and the device. Do not connect directly to the battery. To test outside the car, use a 12 V, 6 A LED power supply.
Can I install a starlight ceiling in drywall?
Yes. Fiber optics work in any surface you can drill and feed a cable through, including wood, composite and drywall. The cleanest result comes from drilling the board on a workbench before mounting; on a closed ceiling, drill from below upwards and stay clear of joists and screw lines.
When and how should the fiber tips be trimmed?
After plaster, joints and paint are finished, with sharp cutting pliers in one cut. Cut flush or leave varied lengths; varied lengths make the ceiling look deeper.
How do I make a shooting star (meteor) effect?
The shooting star runs on a separate device that lights its outputs in sequence. Lay the meteor line before the stars: for example, split a 1 m line into 10 cm zones, place 10 fibers 1 cm apart per zone and connect each zone to one output.
Where should the light engine be installed?
In a dry, ventilated place you can reach later, with an access panel in closed ceilings. Keep the cooling holes free. In a car, put it between the roof and the headliner or in the boot.
Some fiber tips do not light up when testing. What should I do?
Check that the bundle is pushed only halfway into the socket; pushing too hard makes some tips go dark. A fiber that was bent sharply or pulled tight may be broken; a broken fiber carries no light.
Video transcript (English translation)
English translation of the Turkish narration.
0:00Fiber optic lighting is a type of ambient lighting in which light from a fixed light source is distributed through fiber optic cables.
0:10Corax light engines are pixel-based: every output takes its own colour. In rainbow mode the colours flow across the ceiling, and more than 100 ready-made animations, twinkle and shooting star effects are selected from the app.
0:22A fiber optic starlight ceiling installed correctly works for years without trouble; installed wrongly, there is no option but to tear the ceiling down. Let us go step by step, from preparation to testing.
0:33Have these in your bag: a cordless drill with thin bits, cutting pliers and cold silicone. Also prepare the piercing needle and cable clips that come with the kit.
0:42Fiber optics can be applied to any surface you can drill and feed a cable through: wood, composite or drywall. If you like, you can also let the tips hang freely without going into a surface at all.
0:54In a car the logic is the same, the order is different. Remove the headliner, draw the pattern on it and feed the fibers from behind. Put the light engine between the roof and headliner or in the boot, somewhere you can reach.
1:05The electrical connection is the most sensitive part in a car. Take power from the fuse box, from a fused line that is live with the ignition, and connect a 12 V relay between it and the device. Do not connect to the car battery directly, and do not even test with a cordless drill or an unstable battery. If you need to test outside the car, use a 12 V LED power supply with a 6 A output.
1:26First choose where the light engine goes: a dry, ventilated spot you can reach later. Do not cover the cooling holes of the housing.
1:34Plan the pattern in advance: count on 50 to 100 points per square metre. Avoid symmetry; spread the stars in sparse and dense areas. If you draw on the back of the board, remember to draw the pattern mirrored.
1:45Choose the fiber diameter according to the ceiling height; if the ceiling is high, move to thicker fiber. Spreading different diameters in a mixed layout adds depth to the ceiling and gives the feeling of a real sky.
1:55The shooting star runs on a separate device and lights its outputs in sequence. You can connect more than one fiber to each output, and set up several shooting star effects in different positions with a single device.
2:06Do not assume the ceiling is square and straight. Measure on site; half a centimetre of deviation is normal. On a light-coloured ceiling, wrong holes stand out in daylight; a dark ceiling is forgiving.
2:15The cleanest method is to drill the board on a table before mounting it on the ceiling. If you are working on a closed ceiling, drill the holes from below upwards; the other way, drywall bursts out at the back.
2:25Mark the position of the ceiling joists and the screw points beforehand. A fiber must never coincide with a line where a screw will go. Fix crossing fibers to the board with clips.
2:34If meteors and stars are done together, lay the meteor line first. Draw its path with a pencil. The spacing is not standard; it is calculated from the length of the line and the number of fibers. Split a 1 m line into 10 cm zones, place 10 fibers 1 cm apart in each zone and connect each zone to one output of the device.
2:51Push the fiber from the top downwards. Leave at least 5–10 cm extra on the front side. Route short fibers to the holes near the source and long ones to the far corners.
2:59Gluing is done only with cold silicone. Super glue makes the fiber brittle, hot glue melts it and solvent-based adhesives break it.
3:07Do not pull the fiber tight or bend it sharply; keep the curve wide. A broken fiber does not carry light, and you only notice it after the ceiling is closed.
3:15Do not cut the tips right away. Cut them after plaster, joints and paint are finished. If you paint the ceiling with the fibers in place, the tips take paint and there is no going back.
3:23Make the cut with sharp cutting pliers in one motion; a clean cut face determines the brightness. You can cut the tips flush with the surface; if you leave different lengths, the ceiling looks deeper.
3:32Connect the light engine. Darken the room and check for tips that do not light. Push the bundle halfway into the socket; pushing too hard makes some tips go dark. For products and technical details: coraxads.com.
Products for your installation
Ready-made kits include the light engine, fibers and accessories. Fibers are also sold by the metre or cut to length.