How to Figure Out How Much Wallpaper I Need

Wallpaper is a suitable decorative touch.

Wallpaper is an ideal decorative material to use in any room, if you want to enhance the space but don't want to add tile or paneling. While applying wallpaper is relatively simple, measure the space carefully to determine how much wallpaper you need. Buying the proper amount of wallpaper is essential. It may be possible for the vendor to run out of stock after you order a specific pattern, leaving you with a semi-wallpapered room.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Steel tape measure

Instructions

1. Draw a diagram of the room you want to wallpaper. Included in your basic drawing should be windows, doors, ceiling and other decorative features like fireplaces or built-in bookcases.

2. Measure the size of the room. Use a steel measuring tape since it will provide you with more accurate measurements than a cloth tape. Take down wall height measurements, and exclude molding or trim in your calculations. Write those in the appropriate space on your drawn diagram. Measure the length of the walls, and include any doors or windows into your full measurements. Write down measurements of the doors and windows separately, and include them on your diagram.

3. Determine the room's square footage. To do this, you simply add the length of each wall together, and multiply that number by the room's height. Calculate the square footage of each door and window separately. For example, if your window is 3-feet-wide by 5-feet-tall, the window's square footage is 15. Subtract the square footage of the areas you won't be covering--such as doors and windows--from the total square footage of the room.

4. Take your measurements to the wallpaper shop. Each roll of paper will list the square footage it covers.

5. Determine how many rolls of paper you will need to cover your space. Divide your square footage total by 25 to determine how many single rolls of paper you will need. Divide that number in half to determine how many double rolls of wallpaper you need. Dividing the total square footage by 25 ensures you have plenty of paper, even if you have a large pattern to work with. Matching a large pattern will use up extra wallpaper, since you won't be able to use the whole roll.

References

• Wall to Wall Wallpaper: How Much Wallpaper Do I Need?