ᐅ Interior painting after major renovation with silicate wallpaper or eco-friendly non-woven wallcovering?

Hello, I need some expert advice because I have received different information. The landlord wants the apartment wallpapered and preferably painted with silicate paint, not painted directly. The walls are smoothly skim-coated and will be handed over ready for wallpapering. I assumed that silicate paints cannot be applied directly on wallpaper indoors or that it wouldn’t make sense. Today, a painter told me that special silicate paint can be applied on eco-friendly fleece wallpaper. At the hardware store, I was told it doesn’t make sense if the walls have been pre-treated with primer. So what is the correct approach? I am reluctant to be sold an expensive option that doesn’t work. At the hardware store, there is an interior paint that states it can be applied on textured wallpaper (e.g., woodchip). For me, as someone with asthma, the main priority is a paint with minimal irritants that, if possible, also reduces the risk of mold growth. What do I need to clarify? I thought about checking which primer is on the wall, whether it is possible to paint directly, and the urgent question for the forum is: does smooth fleece wallpaper or eco-friendly fleece really work with silicate paint, or is that nonsense? Thank you very much.

I don’t quite understand the question yet. What does the LANDLORD want? What does this have to do with you? Are you planning to move in, or have you renovated the apartment after living there and now need to return it?

What exactly is meant by silicate paint? Pure silicate, sol-silicate, or dispersion silicate? Each is suitable for different substrates. What kind of plaster is involved? What type of primer is being used and why? Why is a fleece backing desired?

Mold growth should not be an issue in a newly renovated apartment. The type of paint does not matter as long as there is proper ventilation and heating. In general, mineral-based paints are mold-resistant (pure silicate without organic additives or lime paint).

Always surprising...
Purely mineral-based paints are not mold-inhibiting. Pure mineral paints cannot develop mold because mold requires an organic food source.

Dispersion silicate paints are mold-inhibiting because they contain less than 5% organic components and are alkaline, with a pH value around 11.

However, the original explanations are far too confusing for me.
Smoothly skim-coated? Ready for wallpapering? These are mutually exclusive. If it is smoothly skim-coated, why would you wallpaper? If it is ready for wallpapering, you have to apply textured wallpaper because the substrate no longer allows for more...
Applying wallpaper with paste... and then painting with silicate paint (dispersion silicate paint)? Complete nonsense.

I also find it surprising what @xMisterDx leaves out here.

Mineral-based paints are unfortunately only "milde antifungal." The pH value of silicate paint—whether dispersion-based or pure silicate—is over 11, so highly alkaline in both cases. Unfortunately, over time, the paint on the wall loses some of its alkalinity (especially in the case of lime paint, which is still considered an alternative), and organic particles settle on the surface. Combined with persistent moisture (which is the biggest issue!), even a mineral-plastered and mineral-painted wall can develop mold.
That’s exactly why no manufacturer claims full protection, only inhibition. And this applies regardless of whether it’s dispersion, lime, or pure silicate paint.

But yes, the effect is really good. Complete mold prevention is unfortunately not guaranteed—particularly if the plaster underneath is not mineral-based. Then the alkaline layer is very thin.

An alternative to paint, which is even more effective, is a dry and warm wall. In that case, the type of paint doesn’t really matter, and the budget can decide.

Unfortunately, the original poster only asked a "confused" question, maybe read the answer once more, and then the thread disappears again...

I will take the last question as a starting point.
Yes, you can apply a (dispersion) silicate paint on smooth fleece wallpaper.
It does not lose its mold-resistant properties in the process.
It simply does not bond with the substrate (another advantage of silicate paints on lime-cement plaster), but obviously, your landlord does not want that (prefers wallpaper).