Allergens Beware: Furnishings and Fixtures At Home - Part 3

Board-based furniture
Various forms of "board" - an inexpensive wood-based product - include laminated board, chipboard (particle board), hardboard, and medium-density fibreboard (MDF). It is often in flooring, roofing, shelving, and furniture, and is composed of wood components bonded with glue or resin made with formaldehyde. Some, such as MDF, contain much higher levels of formaldehyde than others. The glue or resin gives off (out-gases) formaldehyde, a colourless, pungent gas. Some people with rhinitis or asthma find that formaldehyde worsens their allergic symptoms. The amount of formaldhyde out-gassed is greatest when the board is new, in the first few weeks to several months, but then gradually decreases.

Choose new furniture
Nearly all modern, mass-produced wood furniture, even that labelled "solid wood", contains some board. This includes veneered furniture, in which a layer of fine wood covers a less-expensive board carcass.

When buying new board-based furniture, including kitchen or bathroom cabinets, try to choose furniture made from board encased in a plastic laminate, which has the effect of minimizing formaldehyde emission. You may want to consider airing new products for a week or two, in a dry place under cover so that they do not warp, to make sure the peak period for formaldehyde out-gassing has passed.

Look for exposed areas of board where the laminate has not covered the carcass; these are the areas where formaldehyde will most readily out-gas. Painting any exposed board with several layers of paint or vanish is said by some people to minimize the emission of formaldehyde gas.

Because of the formaldehyde issue, you may want to consider using as much solid wood furniture as possible, despite its extra expense. Softwood, metal, or glass can all be used for shelving. A few people find that the terpene vapours given off by softwoods worsen allergic symptoms.



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