Harmful wallpaper for health. The harm of vinyl wallpaper to human health: fact or fiction? Are non-woven wallpaper harmful to health

Modern vinyl flooring is a popular floor covering. Its strengths are ease of installation, long service life, resistance to mechanical damage and absolute water resistance, hygiene and low maintenance. Add to that the comfort (the floor is warm, quite soft, absorbs noise) and the variety of design options, vinyl flooring seems perfect. But many are hesitant to use it, fearing the harmful effects on health. Are such fears justified?

What is vinyl?

Let’s start by understanding what vinyl flooring is. Vinyl is a simplified name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is obtained by polymerization of the vinyl chloride monomer, and this is a highly toxic poisonous gas, indeed, extremely hazardous to health. It provokes the development of malignant tumors, mutations, pathologies of intrauterine development. Does this mean that PVC is also toxic?

Let's turn to the chemist's reference book: “Polyvinyl chloride. The monomer is toxic. An unplasticized and unstabilized polymer is considered non-toxic." That is, vinyl chloride in the composition of polyvinyl chloride is in a bound state and is not released at normal temperatures. The main danger is represented by additives that are used in the production of PVC:

• Plasticizers - phthalates, cause infertility
• Stabilizers - compounds of heavy metals (lead, cadmium)

Today, PVC manufacturers have phased out the use of lead as a stabilizer, replacing it with zinc or calcium. As for phthalate plasticizers, this category includes many complex compounds with different chemical composition. The production and marketing of some of them, namely DOP (DOP) and DEHP (DEHP), are prohibited in Europe. But plasticizers DINP (DINP), DIDP (DIDP), DnOF (DNOP) and DOA (DOA) are recognized as safe.

Why PVC is considered harmful

On the Internet, you can find a lot of horror stories about PVC products: vinyl floors, plastic windows, children's toys. This material is called the "slow killer". Judging by the articles, comments and posts on the forums, many people simply confuse the concepts of polyvinyl chloride (thermoplastic plastic) and vinyl chloride (gas).

Or we are talking about products that contain lead, phthalates and other dangerous additives. Many manufacturers have long abandoned their use, so the use of vinyl products with a sanitary certificate is quite safe for health. Nevertheless, environmentalists do not get tired of talking about the dangers and dangers of PVC:

• During its manufacture, toxic substances are released (although the leading manufacturers of vinyl flooring have established a production cycle that is safe for human health and the environment)
• Even more extremely hazardous substances are released when it is burned.
• There is no effective and safe disposal technology for PVC products, this material is not biodegradable

So we have to admit that vinyl flooring buyers contribute to environmental pollution, environmental degradation. But these are global problems, and most users are concerned about their own safety.

If you are not indifferent to environmental problems, pay attention to. This is not just a natural coating, it does not harm the environment during its manufacture. The bark of a cork oak is removed painlessly for the tree, then it grows again.

How safe are vinyl floors?

The following considerations can be cited in favor of the safety of vinyl floors:

• The material is not subject to decay, is not a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogens
• Floors usually have a rough surface, non-slip and safety
• The floor is warm, you can walk on it without fear of catching a cold
• Vinyl coating does not electrify and does not attract dust, which is a strong allergen
• The material is chemically inert, when it comes into contact with chemicals, no toxic substances are released

Despite the chemical inertness of the vinyl coating, it is recommended to use neutral detergents when caring for it. The use of abrasive compounds and solvents will not harm health, but may lead to tarnishing of the coating.

Vinyl floors are combined with "warm floor" systems; when heated to 27 °, no toxic substances are released. But it is worth dwelling on their fire safety in more detail. Due to the content of chlorides, vinyl and quartz-vinyl floors are prone to self-extinguishing, the main threat is not the possibility of their ignition, but the release of toxic substances when heated to high temperatures, burning and smoldering.

Consider the fire safety performance of vinyl floors using the example of ART VINYL from Tarkett, one of the leading manufacturers:

• Flammability class G2 - moderately combustible
• Flammability B3 - flammable
• Flame propagation RP2 - weakly propagating
• Smoke generating ability D2 - moderate
• Degree of toxicity T2 - moderately hazardous

According to the combination of characteristics, Tarkett ART VINYL vinyl floors belong to the KM3 class, that is, fire hazardous. But, 60-80% consisting of quartz sand, it is moderately fire hazardous (KM2). This category includes the LOUNGE collection by Tarkett.

To protect your health as much as possible after laying vinyl flooring, you should follow a number of rules:

• Buy products from world famous manufacturers who value their reputation
• Ask the seller for a certificate of conformity(sanitary and epidemiological conclusion) for products
• By studying the specifications, pay attention to the fire safety class
• L It is better to refuse products with a strong chemical smell.. A specific odor can linger for up to a week after the floors are laid, but too intense, toxic smell often indicates the presence of prohibited additives in the composition.
• The best choice is products with the image of a green leaf in the label.. This means that the products are not only safe to use, but their production does not harm the environment.

Video

Why Quartz-Vinyl Laminate is Safer and Greener than Traditional Wood Chip Laminate

Outcome

As long as vinyl flooring is free of harmful phthalates, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and other banned plasticizers and stabilizers, it can be installed in residential areas without any health concerns. Such a coating poses a threat only in case of fire, since it releases toxic substances when heated strongly. Not all vinyl floor manufacturers have abandoned the use of harmful additives, so it is important to purchase products from well-known brands with a certificate of conformity.

Just a couple of decades ago, no one could even dream of free access to such a variety of finishing materials that literally blew up the construction markets after the collapse of the USSR. Everyone has the opportunity to change the falling off oil paint for beautiful wallpaper, and the whitewashing of the ceiling for stylish siding panels. However, it is unlikely that anyone thought about whether non-woven vinyl wallpapers are harmful to health, paying attention only to their external attractiveness.

What is interlining

So, it is worthwhile to figure out what is interlining? Interlining is a material made of two types of fibers: textile and cellulose, containing polymers in its composition. The range of its application is quite wide. It is used:

• in the field of trade, performing the role of packaging for food products;
• in garment factories, as a lining or base material;
• in printing houses, as a binding material or as a basis for large advertising canvases;
• for wallpapers due to minimal shrinkage after drying and good stretching when glued.

Obviously, non-woven wallpaper is not hazardous to health, since this material is as environmentally friendly as possible and is not related to such a concept as harm. However, many distributors and manufacturers go to the trick, calling their low-quality products non-woven wallpaper.

What is actually sold in the construction markets

Non-woven wallpaper implies the presence of only non-woven fabric in its composition, both as a base and as a top layer. In order to "survive" in the face of fierce competition and not spend huge amounts of money on production, the manufacturer came up with a kind of finishing material called non-woven vinyl wallpaper. Vinyl is used as a raw material for the top layer of canvases, and interlining is only the base.

An ignorant consumer immediately showed interest in an attractive novelty that does not require a large amount of glue and easily joins when glued. However, it is vinyl, which is used to make the front side of the panel, that is harmful to health.

Pros of decorating your home with vinyl wallpaper

Of course, pasting the room with non-woven vinyl wallpaper is chosen by many because it is convenient, beautiful, and economical. Natural materials are very expensive, and vinyl is available to many, the appearance of such wallpapers does not disappoint. They are durable and do not fade, in addition, non-woven wallpaper can be painted after the previous color is sick of the eye.

It is very convenient to glue the panels, since the material stretches perfectly and does not require glue to be applied directly to it - it is enough to smear the wall well. In addition, they can be washed without fear that the surface will deteriorate or be erased.

Among other advantages of this rolled finishing material, it is impossible not to mention that its relief coating favorably hides bumps and bumps on the wall surface. This is an important aspect, since in the second half of the last century, during the construction of high-rise buildings, few builders bothered about removing even corners in the rooms - the main task was to complete the plan and quickly populate people. To correct such shortcomings, sometimes a lot of plaster and putty is required, but by gluing vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven base, you can not level the walls so carefully - a dense structure and a relief surface will hide even significant wall imperfections.

Damage to vinyl wallpaper

Vinyl is a synthetic material that is used in many industries. Why is non-woven vinyl wallpaper so dangerous for a person? Unfortunately, there are many criteria that confirm the harmfulness of vinyl wallpaper.

1. A room pasted over with non-woven vinyl wallpaper is like a clogged space, since this material does not allow air to pass through.
2. Vinyl wallpapers contain compounds of copper and zinc, which poison the air. The thicker the cloth, the later harmful substances will begin to be released, and the person will be surprised by the sudden onset of migraines and dizziness.
3. Non-woven vinyl wallpapers bear the greatest danger to human health in case of fire. As a result of this disaster, many victims die not from fire, but from suffocation with gases. During combustion, this rolled material emits formaldehyde, which, if it enters the respiratory tract of a person, leads to dire consequences. It has a destructive effect on the nervous and reproductive systems, on the respiratory organs and leads to a change in genetic memory. Hydrogen chloride entering the human respiratory system is converted into hydrochloric acid, which leads to death.
4. Vinyl tends to attract and accumulate dust, especially if the wallpaper has a relief surface. Dust mites are a dangerous allergen that can lead to asthma attacks, which can lead to suffocation.
5. In addition, vinyl wallpaper tends to catch fire instantly, which is contrary to established fire safety standards.

The foregoing gives a clear understanding that non-woven vinyl wallpapers are not just unhealthy - they are life threatening.

How to choose safety roll material

In order not to get into trouble and not buy cheap low-quality roll material, you should know how to choose good wallpaper for your home. The following recommendations will help with this:

• real non-woven wallpaper has a very dense structure, while vinyl, on the contrary, is soft and pliable. It is enough to press on the surface of the panel with a fingernail, and it will immediately be clear what kind of material it is. The vinyl surface is deformed, dents from pressure will remain on it, while non-woven fabric will not externally react to such a force effect;
• bad wallpaper can be identified by smell. If the material smells like turpentine or acetone, this indicates its low quality;
• there is nothing shameful in asking the seller to provide the conclusion of the sanitary and epidemiological service and find out if his products meet the standards. In addition, the packaging must contain an environmental safety sign;
• when buying, you should inquire whether the breathability of the product is sufficient or it is completely absent. These data can be found on the label for the roll, and the presence of micropores on the surface of the web also indicates good air throughput;
• price and country of origin also play a role. English and Italian products have stepped forward in terms of quality and safety, which cannot be said about domestic manufacturers. But for such materials you will have to pay a large amount;
• it is better to buy wallpaper in large supermarkets and specialized stores, where it is possible to sort through many copies and choose a better one, but market products are usually inferior in many ways.

The correct selection of wallpaper glue is also not in last place. It is necessary to study the composition and consult with experts, and not reach for the first package that comes across, just because it is inexpensive and suitable for non-woven wallpaper.

Analogues and materials for alternative use

To determine whether non-woven vinyl wallpaper is harmful to human health, an experiment was conducted. For him, five different options for vinyl wallpaper from the same price category were selected. The study revealed that they all pose the same danger and belong to the same toxicity group. In case of fire, the material releases carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and cyanide compounds.

But then how to finish the walls in your home? What materials are harmless? You can find real non-woven wallpaper, but you will have to pay a lot for them, since only the raw materials for their manufacture cost the manufacturer a pretty penny, and if you consider that hardly anyone sells them at cost, then considerable costs are coming.

Glass and liquid wallpaper can be considered a worthy replacement for non-woven fabric. These materials are safe and have a high fire safety rating. Liquid wallpaper is made on the basis of cotton and cellulose fibers, and a dye is also present in their composition. Fiberglass wallpaper is a material based on glass fibers of various densities, which are interconnected by a special harmless impregnation that gives the fibers a shape. After gluing, they can be painted by choosing a harmless dye on their own.

Paper wallpapers are also a good alternative. They have been valued for a long time due to their naturalness. Children's bedrooms are often finished with such rolled material so that the child is in the most environmentally friendly environment. However, there is one caveat here - paper wallpapers are hard to glue, they tear and stretch poorly, so you can’t do without the help of specialists.

The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm that indoor air is five times more toxic than outdoor air. The situation worsens if a person lives in a polluted city, surrounded by many plants and factories with harmful production. In addition, almost every second person has a car, which turns fresh street air into a continuous stream of exhaust gases. Therefore, when repairing, no matter what finishing option is chosen, one should not forget about well-organized ventilation of the room.

Non-woven fabric itself is not harmful to humans, but vinyl is a truly dangerous finishing material. Neglecting your health is a serious matter, so it is better to buy wallpaper on natural raw materials or spend energy on sticking paper wallpaper.

With the expansion of the range of building materials, the buyer also faced an alternative choice. When purchasing wallpaper for a room, you need to choose between vinyl, non-woven, textile and, for example, cork. The assortment is large, in contrast to the market of finishing materials of the Soviet period, when there were simple paper wallpapers in two colors on the windows. Today, a popular coating is non-woven wallpaper. Are they harmful or is it dishonest PR in favor of other types of coverage, you need to figure it out.

Interlining - the basis of the wallpaper

At the heart of modern non-woven wallpaper, according to manufacturers, there is non-woven fabric, which consists of cellulose fibers connected by a polymer. According to its texture, it is neither paper nor fabric. But the presence of cellulose in the structure of non-woven fabric makes the composite material paper-like.

Non-woven wallpaper, the price of which is justified by their properties, is two-layer and comes in two types. In the first case, it is interlining with paper on which the pattern is applied. The second, more popular, manufacturing method is when non-woven fabric acts as the basis for vinyl wallpaper. On the packaging of such wallpaper must be a sign of the presence of vinyl. This condition is necessary to further answer the question: "Is non-woven wallpaper harmful or not?"

Properties

Types of vinyl flooring

There are several types of PVC coating on non-woven wallpaper: silk-screened, hard, smooth and foamed. Each type has its own characteristics.

A stylish solution will be wallpaper in the room from silk-screen printing. Visually, they imitate the texture of silk fabric. Foamed decorative coating has a three-dimensional surface, which allows manufacturers to style them like granite, marble, ceramic tiles. High density is typical for PVC hard coating wallpaper. A simple medium-density wallpaper option is non-woven wallpaper with a smooth vinyl surface.

Advantages of having interlining

Non-woven wallpaper for walls has many advantages, but the most important thing is the ease of gluing them. If earlier, to decorate the walls with simple paper wallpaper, it was necessary to carry out a bunch of auxiliary operations: coat the walls, wallpaper with glue, do all this quickly until the glue dries, now, choosing non-woven wallpaper, you can simplify your life. It is enough to apply glue to the wall/ceiling and straighten and level the pliable material over the surface.

The absence of air bubbles, folds in the process of gluing - this positive quality of non-woven wallpaper is achieved due to their thickness. This is another plus when preparing the walls. With small surface irregularities, due to the dense texture of the wallpaper and volumetric patterns, all the flaws are hidden on them.

In decorating the premises, a new trend was set by non-woven wallpaper for painting. Thanks to this property, it is possible to change the color palette of the room more than once. And original visual effects make the material popular among buyers. When painting wallpaper, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the joints between the strips of material must be without glue. From here comes the drawback - the observance of clean joints when gluing.

Non-woven wallpaper: are they harmful or not?

Quite often, from various information sources, information is heard about the dangers of non-woven wallpaper. By itself, non-woven fabric is harmless, this is even evidenced by the fact of its use in the clothing industry to give shape to individual elements of clothing.

Poor-quality materials can be harmful to humans: glue, paint that is applied to the wallpaper, and the wallpaper itself from non-certified manufacturers. In this case, vapors of chemicals contained in building materials are dangerous.

The harmfulness of non-woven wallpaper was attributed to vinyl, which, in the event of a fire, releases hazardous substances. And if you think: the fire itself is good? You can simply suffocate with carbon monoxide. Modern premises often contain pieces of furniture, appliances and finishing materials made of polymer plastic, dyes, which are also very harmful during a fire. But a person does not refuse these conveniences.

It turns out that non-woven wallpaper is harmful under certain conditions, and then not all, but only those on which vinyl is applied.

The opinion is also refuted that mold and fungus arise under non-woven wallpaper. Certified products comply with the declared standards, so the probability of wall damage is the same as under other finishing building materials.

Right choice

The more offers on the market, the more fakes can be found. In order to avoid low-quality material, you need to know a few rules.

The conformity mark "Eurostandard 15102", which has been in force since 2011, is applied to products that comply with European standards for wallpaper. The DER BLAUE ENGEL mark in the form of a blue circle confirms the environmental friendliness of the product. The flower in the form of a circle of blue stars with the Є sign also confirms the environmental friendliness of the product according to European standards.

It is necessary to check the manufacturer's certificate, which can be obtained from the seller, with the label on the roll. The information must match.

You can also physically check the quality of the wallpaper. To do this, you need to break a piece of material in half and look at the cut. It must have a wavy structure, otherwise it is ordinary paper wallpaper.

Non-woven wallpaper: reviews

A positive opinion about non-woven wallpaper can be heard both from the repair team and from the customers themselves.

What is important for builders is working with pliable material. The price for wallpapering is calculated per square meter, therefore, without losing their earnings, contractors can cope with surface finishing in less time when using non-woven trellises.

A qualitative result is important to both parties of the construction agreement. Reviews about gluing non-woven wallpaper are commendable, because the result is excellent: all the irregularities of the walls are hidden; there are no defects on the canvas itself, and besides, the color palette is individually selected.

For non-woven wallpaper, the price varies from 900 rubles to 40 thousand. The budget option is a smooth texture, the roll size is 0.5x10 m. Expensive models are wallpapers with embossed dressing and exclusive patterns. A roll of such wallpaper is non-standard and is 4x3 m.

The modern world of decor is constantly changing and improving. Not the last place in it is occupied by wallpaper. In recent years, the range of materials intended for finishing work has increased dramatically, especially the number of different types of wallpaper has increased.

One of the most unique types of beauty is non-woven vinyl wallpaper. Because of so many qualities, they have taken a leading place in the world of wallpaper and firmly hold it. The beauty of vinyl wallpapers, their durability, and the ability to wash them have made this finishing material very popular among consumers.

According to experts, the popularity of this material will only increase. The high popularity of this material and its relatively low cost makes many consumers think about the question of whether non-woven vinyl wallpaper is harmful to health or not.

Composition of non-woven vinyl wallpaper

The composition of vinyl wallpaper certainly can not be called environmentally friendly. Their main characteristics just depend on the components used in production.

What is fleece? Interlining is a type of paper based on cellulose. Flazelin wallpaper is a paper-based material.

Thin filaments of cellulose are carefully laid out in layers and pressed. Then, for a long time, the material is impregnated with special impregnations, resulting in a material similar to fabrics or durable paper.

Such material is not afraid of breaks, moisture, abrasion, and even to some extent exposure to high temperatures.

In further production, non-woven fabric goes through the painting stage. In addition to indoor wallpaper, non-woven fabrics are also used to make other materials that are widely used in everyday life (printing, clothing production).

Nowadays, there are a lot of non-woven wallpapers. Non-woven wallpaper comes in two main types:

• restoration for painting - wallpaper, as a rule, white with different patterns, such wallpaper can be subjected to repeated staining;
• colored with a pattern applied to them (including photo wallpapers).

Non-woven wallpaper has a natural composition. They are durable and can be repainted over and over again.

There is also another type of wallpaper that is very similar to non-woven, but different from them. This type of wallpaper is vinyl on a non-woven base.

The popularity of this type of wallpaper is beyond doubt, but few consumers think about the question of whether non-woven vinyl wallpaper is harmful to health.

Non-woven vinyl wallpapers are made using a wide variety of chemical components that can be harmful to human health.

The answer to the question of whether non-woven vinyl wallpapers are harmful will be unequivocal - they can cause some degree of harm to health.

Vinyl is a thermoplastic polymer of vinyl chloride, practically a transparent plastic. If vinyl is present in the composition of the wallpaper in a volume of up to several percent, then such wallpapers are already capable of exerting a harmful effect on the human body.

Vinyl is a material widely used in various fields of human activity. It is widely used as insulation. The polymer has some degree of toxicity, especially when exposed to high temperatures.

All the properties of vinyl indicate that the use of wallpaper made with its use is undesirable in residential areas.

Harm of vinyl wallpaper for humans

Non-woven vinyl wallpaper contains a number of harmful chemical components. The amount of components harmful to health in the composition of the wallpaper may vary depending on the manufacturer of the product.

Vinyl, used for the production of non-woven wallpaper, is a component of the finishing material that is harmful to the body.

These wallpapers have some advantages - they do not tear, do not crumple, do not partially burn.

Such wallpaper is a finishing material that is hard to deteriorate when exposed to it, but these wallpapers, in addition to their chemical composition, have a number of other disadvantages.

Among the main disadvantages of such wallpapers are the following:

1. They accumulate difficult-to-remove dirt and dust in relief layers. Accumulated dust can lead to allergic reactions.
2. Such wallpapers do not allow air to pass through, that is, they “do not breathe”, accumulate moisture, which makes it possible for various fungi and microorganisms to develop. With a long stay in a room covered with vinyl wallpaper, a person feels a lack of oxygen.
3. A year or two after pasting, they begin to release polyvinyl chloride, which is a carcinogen and is very toxic. Chemicals quickly affect the human respiratory and nervous system.
4. Under conditions of heating, even more toxic substances are released. Such wallpapers are capable of releasing toxic compounds even when heated by direct sunlight.

Non-woven vinyl wallpaper is very harmful to human health. Harmful to health, both the vinyl itself and its painting. Vinyl wallpaper is harmful to health. There is no doubt that they cause a number of the most harmful sluggish diseases primarily of the respiratory tract. A person constantly being in such conditions poisons his body.

Such wallpapers have a negative effect on young children. Children develop various types of allergies, problems with the functioning of the respiratory and nervous systems, formaldehyde easily penetrates into the circulatory system. Often there are diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Vinyl wallpapers are hazardous to health, but the demand for them is not falling. High-quality advertising paid by manufacturers and first-class features make them very popular. Most people care first of all about beauty and only then about health, believing that the harm from such wallpaper for the body is insignificant.

Such finishing material is environmentally friendly. Wallpaper without vinyl breathes, which prevents the accumulation of moisture in the room and under them on the walls and prevents the appearance of fungus and mold.

How to choose the right wallpaper?

The choice of environmentally friendly wallpaper will allow you to maintain your own health and the health of your family. The choice of wallpaper should be approached more than seriously, taking into account not only their beauty, but also a number of other indicators:

When choosing wallpaper, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

1. You need to familiarize yourself with the full technical characteristics of the wallpaper.
2. You need to pay attention to the manufacturer of the product. Wallpapers of European and domestic manufacturers are of high quality. It is strongly not recommended to buy cheap Chinese wallpapers, which are very unhealthy.
3. You should study the composition of the materials from which the wallpaper is made. Determine whether it complies with the sanitary and epidemiological conclusion.
4. You need to decide whether the price of the product corresponds to its quality. Wallpaper of a particular type should be approximately the same in price, if the price is significantly lower than the average, then the quality of such wallpaper will be low.

If, nevertheless, vinyl wallpapers are pasted in the house, then you need to know and use measures that should minimize their impact on human health.

Such wallpapers should be cleaned more often from dust, the room should be constantly ventilated, the wallpaper should not be close to the hearth of the flame or heating devices, when heated, the vinyl releases poison. It is not recommended to stay in rooms with vinyl wallpaper all the time.
It is better to paste vinyl wallpaper in rooms where a person does not constantly stay - these are walk-through rooms, corridors, pantries.

These wallpapers are not harmful to human health.

What are the advantages of non-woven wallpaper:

1. Environmental friendliness. 70% of the wallpaper material is cellulose and other environmentally friendly materials.
2. Strength and plasticity.
3. Moisture resistance and fire resistance.
4. Possibility of multiple coloring.
5. Easy to clean and durable.

Thus, non-woven have almost the same performance as vinyl. This finishing material can be inferior to vinyl wallpaper only in terms of color and relief. Good quality non-woven wallpaper can last almost as long as vinyl and at the same time will not have a harmful effect on humans.

Paper wallpapers are inferior to vinyl in beauty, but have higher rates of environmental friendliness.

It was a large number of paper wallpapers that were distributed earlier before the advent of non-woven and vinyl. This type of wallpaper is common in our time, although it has lost ground in the market.

Buying non-woven or paper wallpaper, you can be calm for your health and the health of your family.

Nowadays, you can often find many varieties of vinyl wallpaper, for example, vinyl-based wallpaper, as well as vinyl-based non-woven wallpaper, or vice versa, and so on. But what do they really represent, are vinyl wallpapers harmful? This which consists of two layers, one of which is based on paper, fabric or non-woven fabric, the second layer, in turn, consists of PVC.

The top layer of this is very practical and, if desired, is treated with a special antimicrobial agent. This helps to increase their resistance to the appearance of mold, various fungi, and other contaminants at high humidity in the room. It should be noted that non-woven wallpaper, compared to paper, does not swell, which makes them so practical and durable.

Consider the most popular types of vinyl wallpaper

As noted above, non-woven wallpaper is two-layer, the base of which can be different, namely non-woven, fabric or paper. As for the top layer, it is considered decorative. Depending on the composition of the material that forms the top layer, vinyl wallpapers are distinguished on such bases as:

• non-woven;
• tissue;
• paper.

Most often in our time, non-woven wallpaper is used because of their strength and lightness. Such wallpapers can be safely glued in the apartments of new houses, since they are not afraid of small cracks when the house shrinks. In addition, pasting the walls with vinyl wallpaper will provide a fairly high level of sound insulation compared to other types.

Vinyl wallpapers are: embossed, embossed, with silk-screen printing and a smooth surface.

Embossed ones look voluminous and are characterized by a high coating thickness, which will perfectly help to hide the unevenness of the walls or any defects, if necessary. But such coatings are quite easy to mechanical damage, so you need to be very careful with them. With such wallpaper, it will be quite easy to achieve the original wall covering, for example, in the form of granite, marble and other relief patterns. In addition, many vinyls can be washed, which will help you maintain perfect cleanliness in the room for a long time.

Vinyl wallpaper is harmful, is it?

You can often hear a variety of opinions that this type of wallpaper is considered harmful to human health. But is it really so?

The opinions of experts that vinyl wallpaper is harmful still differ. Some argue that their production is controlled by environmental standards, which makes them completely harmless to humans. Manufacturers, in turn, try to make products from the most harmless materials. Others argue that the composition of vinyl wallpaper includes a large amount of stabilizers, chemical plasticizers, as well as polyvinyl chlorides, which adversely affect the well-being and general health of a person.

Wallpapers of this type are synthetic, they do not allow the walls to "breathe", that is, they do not allow air to pass through. But modern production technologies have found a solution to this problem and offer consumers vinyl wallpapers, which are based on a material with micropores, which allows them to "breathe".

There is no reason to state unequivocally that vinyl wallpapers are harmful, since manufacturers have found a very successful elimination of their main drawback. Therefore, if you have already decided to purchase them, do not forget to pay attention to the composition and the presence of an environmental badge, which will indicate the safety of these products. But if you still think that vinyl wallpaper is harmful, then it is best to use them in corridors, closets or any non-residential premises.