How harmful stretch ceilings can be to human health
The stretch ceiling is fashionable, aesthetically pleasing and practical. And its price today is affordable for most people. They just say that this interior item often has an indestructible chemical smell, and even emits toxic substances. Well, now we will look for the answer to the question of whether this is true and whether stretch ceilings are harmful to health. After all, it is better to know about all the dangers in advance.
Content:
What is considered harmful or international safety standards
First of all, do not forget that nature has made us all different, with organisms that are very different from each other. Therefore, there can be an unpredictable reaction to all kinds of substances. Someone in the room with artificial decoration is comfortable and convenient, while someone may have an allergy attack. So in our century, when people’s immunity is significantly weakened, one can hardly confidently say that some material is absolutely dangerous for everyone.
However, there are general rules that must be followed. We are talking about international environmental standards ISO. And if everything is in order in this regard, then nothing threatens the health of the owners of the apartment. Therefore, before installing suspended ceilings, first of all, ask them to show you safety certificates. And not only on the material itself, but also on the execution of work. And although the services of a certified installer will cost more than some “left” performers, it’s better not to try to experiment on your own health.
Damage to PVC stretch ceilings
Most often, in apartments stretch ceilings made of thin PVC film. After all, they are much cheaper than fabric, very convenient to care for and can easily withstand a flood from the upper negligent neighbors. However, they have one catch: it is impossible to distinguish a fake from a quality product by eye. So far, manufacturers have not come up with special markings for PVC film, and dishonest installers use this. They take the film cheaper and worse, claiming that it is French. Do not believe such assurances.
About manufacturers and labeling
Do not flatter yourself - today almost all the films for the ceilings brought to us are made in China. There are dozens of factories producing similar products. Among them, there are quite decent ones that are responsible for quality. Of course, it cannot be compared with what was once used by European films of the Pongs and Renolit brands - they were without any smell, and had perfect smoothness. Especially good were their shiny glossy ceilings. By the way, now there is no sense in looking for films from these manufacturers - their quality has noticeably fallen, and the smell of chemistry, on the contrary, has appeared.
Still very common are Belgian suspended ceilings. But in fact, there can be no Belgian film for ceilings, since they have never released it in this country. Just at one time, a company from Belgium was engaged in the supply of films from China to Russia. So they have since started talking about a certain Belgian film. As for other European manufacturers, their film is practically not sold in Russia. And if the cunning seller joyfully shows a German or French certificate, then this is probably a hoax. After all, you can stick anything on a Chinese film - there is no marking. And the certificate, by the way, can also be printed on a color printer. As experience has shown to some, conscience allows this to be done.
Judge for yourselves, if the ceilings really came from France or Germany, as the deceiving sellers say, their cost would be significantly higher than the proposed one.Not everyone can afford such an expensive pleasure. So the high price and small width (only up to three meters) replaced European ceilings from the domestic market. A cheap Chinese film, which is available up to five meters wide, allows you to do without welding cloths, if the room is spacious enough.
How to choose a quality and safe PVC ceiling
So, it was decided: we stretch the Chinese ceilings, but good. And to determine whether stretch ceilings mounted in your apartment are harmful is possible by smell.
For this, we conditionally divide these products into three categories:
#1. After installation, the ceiling either smells nothing, or there is a faint smell that disappears without a trace in a couple of days. Just in case, well ventilate the room after installation - and you can live happily ever after. Your health is not in danger. Such films are suitable for any room.
#2. After installation, "chemistry" smells (but not very much) for another week or two. Try to go somewhere for this time - it is unlikely that such a neighborhood will be good for health. Apparently, the quality of the film is mediocre. Such a ceiling in the bedroom should not be installed, but in the kitchen, bathroom or hallway, it does not harm.
#3. And the third option, the most unpleasant. This is when more than two weeks have passed, and the smell does not disappear. It is strong enough, viscous, somewhat sweet. It smells like poisonous phenol. There is no need to ask here whether stretch ceilings with such a smell are harmful. Very harmful! Do not hesitate - make the masters urgently dismantle the ceiling, otherwise you will lose your health. And about all the dangerous consequences - read on.
Of course, it is not possible to determine before the installation how strong and long the smell of one or another PVC cloth will be. Here we advise you to rely on the experience of friends, acquaintances and relatives who have already installed this type of ceiling in their home and can tell you about existing shortcomings. I think this is the best option. And many are already taking advantage of this opportunity. I often had to communicate with one owner of a large company engaged in the installation of suspended ceilings, and according to their statistics more than 30 - 35% of orders are orders that were made on the recommendation of customers who had already used their services before.
What happens if the PVC film is of poor quality
Nothing good is to be expected - the owners of the foul-smelling ceiling will not only experience discomfort because of this. At the same time, they will have to inhale portions of the most dangerous toxins that are extremely harmful to the human body. In particular, the following components are contained in the polyvinyl chloride film:
- Phenol. No wonder it is banned in many countries. It disrupts the heart, kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Burning the nasopharynx, it can lead to pulmonary edema. Cancer, infertility, heart disease - that's what insidious phenol can do. The bad thing is that it is very resistant (almost eternal), and does not decompose for a long time. One plus - it is excreted quickly from the body. But the trouble has already happened, and health can not be returned.
- Cadmium, a dangerous substance of the second class, on the contrary, leaves the body for a long time - from ten to thirty years. This heavy metal, settling mainly in the liver and kidneys, causes stones in them, does not work normally, and promotes the appearance of cancer cells. This carcinogen partially settles in other internal organs and bones.
- Toluene (otherwise methylbenzene) belongs to hydrocarbons, it is made from oil. It is a strong solvent for paints and varnishes. It does not dissolve in water, but it mixes perfectly with air, getting into the lungs, and then into the blood, poisoning the owners of the ill-fated ceiling. They sleep poorly, complain of lethargy, headaches and loss of appetite. The poison affects the kidneys, eyes, hearing, memory worsens. Toluene is especially dangerous for pregnant women - babies with pathologies can be born to them.
- Chlorine is, like cadmium, a dangerous substance of the second class. Even a small amount of it can affect the mucous membranes.At the same time, a person begins fever, he coughs dryly and strenuously, often breathes. Heart pounding, chest pain. And if you constantly breathe the vapors of chlorine (being in a room with a strongly smelling "chemistry" ceiling), then you can reach severe depression, lung diseases, and even oncology. After all, this substance is carcinogenic.
Thus, the harm of stretch ceilings mounted from a film of dubious quality is quite obvious. It should not be forgotten that this may be indicated, in particular, by a suspiciously low price. So do not trust unreliable companies, but try to buy and order the installation of ceilings from those whom you can fully trust.
The reverse side of the waterproof PVC sheet
The fact that the polyvinyl chloride film ceilings do not let water through is just fine. No drips on top - a dense film will hold everything. However, such a tightness suggests that such a ceiling also does not pass air. But this is already worse, and opponents of tensile structures happily cling to this shortcoming, talking about the "greenhouse effect". Well, we will not deny the obvious - the film really cannot “breathe”. But after all, many synthetic building materials also do not let air through.
Take, for example, plastic windows - how many have been scolded and scolded, but that does not make them less popular. Or vinyl wallpapers - they turned out to be very convenient and practical. So we will not dwell on this point - the problem is completely solvable. Nobody canceled the ventilation of the supply and exhaust type, and it is available in every apartment. This is enough to remove harmful substances from the room.
Are fabric stretch ceilings harmful?
The cloth of such a ceiling is a polyester fabric, which is impregnated with polyurethane for strength. The result is a beautiful, strong and “breathable” product. Its cost, of course, is much higher than the film ceiling, but there can be no doubt about it. Indeed, unlike PVC films, ceiling fabrics are always marked along the edges - they are cut off during installation. There are only two of the most famous manufacturers of these products - Clipso from France and Descor from Germany. The French, by the way, are easily recognizable by the red thread woven into the fabric.
There is no phenol with toluene and cadmium in the composition of tissue products, so that they are completely harmless. This is evidenced by a certificate confirming that the product meets the requirements of ISO 14000. As for the smell, it is usually not present. Only occasionally can a light aroma be felt, similar to the smell emanating from washed laundry. But it does not last long, disappearing very quickly. So you can safely stretch fabric ceilings in any room - under them it is absolutely safe to sleep for both adults and kids.
