How to Calculate Wallpaper Measurements

Putting up your own wallpaper can save you a lot of money in service fees. Calculating the amount of wallpaper you need is the first step, and if done correctly, can save a lot of headaches.

Things You'll Need

• Wallpaper
• Yardstick or measuring stick

Instructions

1. Measure the length, width and height of the space you plan on wallpapering.

2. Calculate the square footage of the space by adding together the measurements of each of the walls and multiplying that number by the height. For example, if wallpapering a room that is 8 feet long and 10 feet wide with 10 foot high ceilings, you would need to cover 360 square feet. The equation is (8 + 8 + 10 + 10) * 10 = 360.

3. Multiply the height and width of any doors or windows in the room to get the square footage.

4. Take the total square footage of the openings, and subtract it from the room's square footage.

5. Divide this new square footage by the length of your wallpaper, and that will give you the number of rolls needed.

6. If you are using a wallpaper with a repeating pattern, add the length of the pattern to the length of the rolls. If your roll is 6 feet long and your pattern is 18 inches, add them together and divide the square footage by that new number (7.5 feet) instead.

7. Round up to the nearest foot to make sure there is enough wallpaper.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a little extra wallpaper. Some sources say not deducting for windows and doors will allot enough extra wallpaper.

• Do not skimp on your measurements. Always round up to the nearest foot for the best results.

• Many wallpaper companies will offer charts online to help you estimate the amount of wallpaper needed.

Resources

• Information about how to measure for wallpapering
• Tips for calculating measurements for vertically printed wallpaper