How to Calculate Rolls of Wallpaper

You can make wallpapering a room into a fun project if you have the right tools and the correct amount of wallpaper. Follow a simple calculation to easily determine how much wallpaper or border you will need. If you have too much wallpaper, you can always return the unused rolls; if you do not purchase enough, however, you may have to wait weeks to finish your project if the store has to order more. Plus, you run the risk of the manufacturer discontinuing your wallpaper if you put the project off after purchasing the paper.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure or yardstick

Instructions

1. Determine whether the pattern of wallpaper you have picked out is a straight match, as with vertical striped wallpaper, where cutting it at any point would allow the ends of different sections to match. If the wallpaper pattern has a drop match—it has a pattern that you have to complete before cutting it, for instance in a paper with a scene on it or a specific design—buy extra to allow for the matching.

2. Measure the wall height and width and multiply these two numbers, this will give you the square footage, according to the interiormall.com website.

3. Determine how many square feet the rolls of wallpaper you have chosen will cover. You can find this information on each roll. For instance, if you need a total of 90 square feet of wallpaper and each roll covers 20 square feet, you will need five rolls of paper, and maybe even six rolls if you've chosen a drop-match style.

Tips & Warnings

• Wallpaper border, popular and easy to use, will make a big difference in the look of your room. It usually comes in rolls that cover at least 5 yards but comes in many different widths, depending on the design.

References

• Interior Mall: Wallpaper Pricing and More