There are many ways to use a staple gun, but one of the most important ways is to use staples to fix up furniture. And this is called upholstery. For this task, staple size needs to be fixed because not every staple gun can do this kind of work.
But, some people might not understand which size of the staples is perfect for upholstery work. And if you’re one of them, don’t worry because we’re here to help you figure out what size staples to use for upholstery.
This article will help you find the answers to questions like what size staples for upholstery, what kind of upholstery staple is best, what gun is best for upholstery work, and so on. So let’s get started without any more waiting.
What is Upholstery?
Upholstery is the process of putting padding, cushions, and a fabric cover over the frame of a piece of furniture. Upholstery usually has a visual impact on the furniture. Because of the use of upholstery, a piece of furniture looks new; additionally, taking care of the upholstery will make it last longer.
Upholstery should be attached in a way that adds extra beauty to your furniture. And this attachment process requires gluing or stapling. Because if there is no long-term attachment, the upholstery will deprive the furniture. Attaching upholstery using a stapler is the most effective way.
Why Does Upholstery Require Stapling?
With the help of glue, you can only fix the soft fabric and small pieces of furniture. For instance, a small table or chair could be an excellent example of a small upholstery job. But, for more oversized furniture, staples are the perfect solution.
Stapling will help you to secure your upholstery to the furniture. And an excellent example of a large upholstery project could be a couch. But, of course, a couch cannot be fixed with glue. Therefore, stapling is mandatory for such a project.
Types of Upholstery Staples and Their Usage
There are three types of metal staples available for upholstery jobs. And they are bright, stainless steel, and galvanized.
- Bright staples are best for indoor usage
- Stainless steel is suitable for outdoor use
- Galvanized is best for both because it has rust protection
The Size of Ideal Upholstery Staples
Usually, the size of a staple depends on its length and width. This is also the same for the upholstery staple as well. Therefore, we have separated them into two sections, and here it is.
1. Lengths
The upholstery staple size could differ, but people prefer a 6 mm or 8 mm staple. Though 12 mm and 14 mm lengths are also available, these larger sizes are stapled for fixing large furniture or fitting massive types of carpet.
Temporary attaching, gluing cotton gauze to frames, and stapling thin layers of fabric on thin boards are typical applications for the 6mm-8mm staple.
Additionally, a 10 mm staple length is ideal for any upholstery task. On the other hand, 12mm–14mm staples fix webbing, linings, wadding, foam, and fabrics on a wooden frame.
2. Width
However, a staple job depends on the width of a staple also. For an upholstery job, both a fine wire staple and a medium wire staple are needed. A fine wire staple is best for fixing cars and furniture upholstery jobs, while a medium wire staple is best for fixing carpets and roof coverings. A DIYer mainly used three sizes of staples for the upholstery task.
- 22 gauge 7 series staples
- 8-series staples, 20 gauge
- 20-gauge T-50 series staples
But some people prefer to choose a heavy wire staple for a large wooden upholstery job, which is a mistake because a thick wire weakens the furniture. So, choosing the medium wire is a wise decision to perform the job perfectly.
Because a medium wire staple can be a suitable replacement for a heavy wire staple, 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ are the popular sizes for a heavy wooden upholstery job.
Which Staple Gun is Required for the Upholstery Job?
Enough power is required to do an upholstery job, and a staple gun is a tool that will help you do that. However, choosing the wrong gun can ruin your whole day.
There are mainly three types of staple guns available for DIYers, and a pneumatic gun is the best for upholstery work. We are not suggesting using hand or electric guns because both mechanisms are not applicable to the upholstery job.
Though some people use electric guns for their upholstery tasks, the hand one is impossible because upholstery stapling with a hand is complex and unnecessary.
The main problems with the hand and electric guns are that these staple guns won’t push the staple far enough into the wood to make a stronghold. Because of this, the fabric won’t stick perfectly to the furniture, and you’ll have to use a hammer to fix the staples later.
In addition, the fabric will look sloppy and unprofessional because of all this mess. As a result, our staple gun specialist suggested using a pneumatic staple gun for any upholstery work.
Why Choose Pneumatic for Upholstery?
Most people use pneumatic staple guns daily. If you are an expert at stapling upholstery, pneumatic should be your best option. The pneumatic gun can be used for many things and has a strong mechanism.
The power of a pneumatic gun comes from an air compressor. A pneumatic gun works depending on how well an air compressor works. To get better performance, a 6-gallon pancake air compressor would be perfect.
FAQ
Ending Part
The whole thing can go wrong if you choose the wrong staple size for an upholstery job. A staple with the wrong size will mess up the fabric’s placement, making a big mess. So, 20 and 22-gauge staples are the best ones to use if you want to do upholstery work professionally.