Where did the opinion about the dangers of vinyl wallpaper come from?
Vinyl wallpaper for painting usually have two layers. The bottom is paper or non-woven, and the top is polyvinyl chloride( PVC).It is this top layer that alarms very many, because this is a clear chemical compound, which certainly carries a lot of dangers to human health. And in this there is some truth. After all, PVC is a material, vapor and waterproof. On the one hand, it makes it easy to take care of it - it can be cleaned and washed smoothly. But, on the other hand - these properties are an obstacle to air exchange in the room, and under the wallpaper on the wall side, condensation can accumulate and pathogenic fungi develop. It's really very dangerous, doctors even say that an allergy to vinyl wallpaper, caused primarily by these very fungi, and by harmful formaldehyde vapors from poor-quality materials, can develop. Here the main word - substandard - it is possible to include cheap Chinese forgeries of leading brands, as well as some types of domestic vinyl coverings of the first generation. There is a common opinion that the wallpaper with silk-screen printing is safer. Do not flatter yourself, silk screen printing is also vinyl, in which natural or artificial silk threads are added. In addition, there are other types: compact vinyl, chemical embossing( inhibition), heavy vinyl, etc.
Are the last generation of vinyl wallpapers harmful?
As you know, almost everything in our life can be upgraded, and made more acceptable for use, eliminating harmful effects and strengthening the useful. So there was an idea that vinyl can be made microporous, that is - breathing. And this idea has already been successfully introduced into production.
If you want to have environmentally friendly environment in the house, you can not choose cheap products, it is not clear where "concocted".The most stringent requirements for environmental safety are among the leading manufacturers from European countries( Germany, Great Britain, Finland).Antifungal components can also be included in vinyl coatings, which is especially important for sticking in rooms with high humidity.
Most often in modern wallpaper there is microporous vinyl, which is used now in most types of manufacturing companies. This should be indicated on the label. That is, today, producing vinyl covers, harm is trying to minimize.
How to choose a vinyl wallpaper to exclude harm?
As for the various vapors, that is simple advice. After all, before you buy a wallpaper, you look at their sample in the window - unwind a little roll, figure out how it will look on the wall, etc. Be sure to unwind a little more, and. .. smell. If there is a sharp unpleasant smell from the material - do not take it for anything, it's obviously a low-quality product that will poison your entire family with harmful benzene vapors. Do you doubt the effectiveness of this method of verification, or do you think that the smell will "fade away" over time? Go to the finishing materials store, where there is a great choice, and smell the cheapest products and products of leading European companies with certificates of environmental safety. And, as they say - feel the difference! And you will feel it for sure, unless, of course, you suffer from a chronic cold.
Formaldehyde - this is not a mythical invisible killer, but quite palpable unpleasant odor. Yes, the manufacturers claim that it disappears during the production of the coating. But this is in accordance with all the requirements of production. And sometimes in a factory where these requirements are met only on paper, it is quite possible to produce vinyl wallpaper, from which phenolic compounds will evaporate in your apartment.
And whatever they say about whether vinyl wallpaper is harmful, you should know that the chemical compound polyvinyl chloride( PVC), is also used for the manufacture of plastic windows, the production of linoleum, now fashionable stretch ceilings. And that is not all! Wiring insulation, plastic panels and bags in which we carry products contain PVC!In addition, according to the conclusions of ecologists, much more harmful vapors are "famous" for chipboards, of which today most of the furniture is made, located in almost every apartment. So, against this background, "evaporation" from vinyl wallpaper almost does not matter.
The conclusion seems to be simple: vinyl wallpaper is harmful in the event that produced without compliance with all environmental regulations. Modern analogues with micropores will not harm you, since with the preservation of the possibility of easy cleaning and washing, air and micro particles of water are still passed, though somewhat worse than paper ones. At the same time, they do not saturate the room with harmful vapors.
Therefore, in order to shortly you do not have a question - how to remove vinyl wallpaper, when you want to glue walls with this material, think first of all about quality, and not about saving, and then everything will be all right for you. To minimize possible harm, it is sufficient that there is a normal circulation of air and its inflow from outside is ensured. If you still have doubts, then use vinyl covers in those rooms where you spend less time: in the hallway, in the kitchen( here, too, ventilation is better due to stretching), in the living room. And choose a more ecological material for the bedroom and children's room: paper wallpaper, or, more expensive, but beautiful and safe material from plant materials - cork, bamboo, etc.