Thread: Chipboard for storage ottoman?

Lots of bits of upholstered furniture use chipboard under the cloth, but I'd be inclined to use some glued on cheap pine strips to staple to as chipboard can be so unpredictable. MDF might be a better option for you, but it will also depend on the power of your staple gun.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Lots of bits of upholstered furniture use chipboard under the cloth, but I'd be inclined to use some glued on cheap pine strips to staple to as chipboard can be so unpredictable. MDF might be a better option for you, but it will also depend on the power of your staple gun.

Thanks for the response!

Am I right in assuming MDF requires a powerful staple gun? .. Also, just had a bit of a read up on MDF .. How worried do I need to be about the toxins both in building and in the final product?

Originally Posted by FNM

Thanks for the response!

Am I right in assuming MDF requires a powerful staple gun? .. Also, just had a bit of a read up on MDF .. How worried do I need to be about the toxins both in building and in the final product?

Think of it a bit like asbestos (but not quite as deadly). When it's solid, it's fine - when it's airborne wear a real good mask.

I've never had much of a problem (except for cheap bendy-metal staples) but I've only ever used pneumatic staplers.

As for toxins such as formaldehyde emissions - unless you are going to also strip the following out of your house - carpets, underlay, mattresses, upholstery foam, kitchen cabinets, insulation, soft plastics, shampoos, cosmetics, indoor plants (yes, plants produce formaldehyde) and some people (some people's breath can exceed air quality levels for formaldehyde) - it's a non issue. Rather, it remains an issue for the same people who go on to become anti-vaccers and fluoridation boycotters.

General tip - don't buy cheap Chinese building products, as formaldehyde emissions are probably your least worrying problem (Chinese stack-stone wall tiles - contains asbestos; Chinese plasterboard - hydrogen sulphide; Chinese mains wiring - insulation breaks down, and so on...)