How to Estimate the Amount of Wallpaper Needed

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Wallpaper can help add color, patterns, and texture to a room to make it more inviting and comfortable. If you plan on adding wallpaper in your home, accurately estimating how much you need helps ensure that you don’t get too much or too little for your project. By finding the surface area of your walls and measuring the pattern of the wallpaper you want, you can easily plan how many rolls you’ll need. Once you finish your calculations, you’re ready to hang it!

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Measuring the Wall Surface Area

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  1. Put the end of a tape measure in one of the corners of your wall, and extend it toward the other side. Once you reach the other end, write down the measurement rounded up to the nearest whole number so you have a little extra when you need to calculate. Continue finding the lengths of each wall you plan on putting wallpaper on, and write each of them down so you don’t forget. [1]
    • For example, if the length of one wall is 119 1 ⁄ 4 inches (302.9 cm), then round it up to 120 inches (304.8 cm).
    • If your room is rectangular, then you only need to find the lengths of 2 walls since the ones on the opposite side of the room will be the same measurement.
  2. Find the highest point of your wall and take your measurement there so you don’t underestimate what you need. Place the end of your tape measure against the wall and extend it up toward the ceiling. Keep pulling the tape measure out until it reaches the floor so you can find the measurement. Round your measurement up to the closest whole number so you can have some excess wallpaper. [2]
    • For example, if your wall is 95 1 ⁄ 2 inches (242.6 cm) tall, round it up to 96 inches (243.8 cm) instead.
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  3. Since wallpaper is usually measured in square feet or meters, you need to convert any measurements you took. If you were measuring the lengths and width in inches, divide each of your measurements by 12 to find the total distance in feet. If you found the length in centimeters, divide the measurements by 100 to calculate the wall dimensions in meters. [3]
    • For example, if your wall is 120 inches (304.8 cm) long, divide it by 12 inches (30.48 cm) to find it’s length in feet or meters, which is 10 feet (3.0 m).
  4. Add the lengths of the walls you measured to find the total perimeter that you’re covering with wallpaper. Multiply the total perimeter by the height of the wall so you can find the total surface area of the room. Use a calculator if you need to so you can find out exactly how much area you need to cover. [4]
    • For example, if your total perimeter was 48 feet (15 m) and the height was 10 feet (3.0 m), then the total surface area equals: (48)(10).
    • Multiply the numbers together to find the solution: (48)(10) = 480 square feet (45 m 2 ).

    Tip: You don’t need to subtract the surface area of your doors or windows since it’s better to have some extra paper rather than too little.

  5. If your walls come to a point at the ceiling or are shaped like a triangle near the top, you may need to take different measurements. Find the length from one of the bottom corners of the triangle to the other bottom corner to measure the base. Then, measure from the top point of the triangle down to the base to find the height. Multiply the length of the base and the height of the triangle together, and then divide the result by 2 to find the surface area. [5]
    • For example, if the base of the triangle is 10 feet (3.0 m) and the height is 5 feet (1.5 m), then the surface area is (10)(5)/2.
    • Simplify the equation: 50/2 = 25 square feet (2.3 m 2 ).
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Determining the Number of Wallpaper Rolls

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  1. Look at the edge of the wallpaper roll you have to find 2 identical parts of the pattern. Hold the end of your tape measure on a point in the pattern and extend it to where the pattern repeats itself. Write down your measurement so you can estimate how many rolls you’ll need for your wall. [6]
    • For example, if your wallpaper pattern has flowers on it, measure the vertical distance from the center of one flower to the center of an identical flower.
    • If the wallpaper has a random pattern or is non-repeating, then you don’t need to find any measurement.
    • Many times, the pattern repeat for your wallpaper will be printed on the packaging.
  2. Even though the total surface area is listed on the wallpaper packaging, the amount that’s usable varies depending on the pattern and how much you need to trim to make it line up. After you find the measurement for the pattern repeat, use the following to calculate how much usable wallpaper there is per roll: [7]
    • If the pattern repeat is 0–6 inches (0.000–15.24 cm), then there is 25 square feet (2.3 m 2 ) of usable wallpaper.
    • For a pattern repeat between 7–12 inches (17.78–30.48 cm), then you can use 22 square feet (2.0 m 2 ) of wallpaper.
    • If the repeat is 13–18 inches (33.02–45.72 cm), then use 20 square feet (1.9 m 2 ) of wallpaper.
    • For a pattern that repeats every 19–23 inches (48.26–58.42 cm), then there is 15 square feet (1.4 m 2 ) of usable wallpaper.
    • While wallpaper rolls may be different widths, they cover the same total surface area.
  3. Use a calculator so you can easily find the result, and round it up to the nearest whole number so you have enough wallpaper. If you want, add another additional roll to the amount you need in case you make a mistake or need to make a repair in the future. [8]
    • For example, if your total surface area is 480 square feet (45 m 2 ) and each roll gives you 25 square feet (2.3 m 2 ) of usable wallpaper, then 480/25 = 19.2.
    • Round the answer up to the nearest number. So, you would need 20 rolls total to cover your wall.
    • Wallpaper is sold in single and double rolls. For example, in the previous calculation, you can buy either 20 single rolls or 10 double rolls to cover the same area.
  4. Look at the total number of rolls you need based on your calculation and multiply it by 0.1 or 0.2 to find 10-20%. Add the number of additional rolls to your order so you have excess in case you make a mistake or need to make repairs in the future. [9]
    • For example, if you needed 20 rolls to complete your project, get another 2-4 rolls in case you need them.
    • Bring your estimate into a wallpaper retailer and have them double check your estimate to ensure that you have enough for your job.

    Tip: Make sure you order all of your wallpaper from the same batch since others could vary slightly in color and pattern.

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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Will wallpaper hide imperfections?
    Kanika Khurana
    Interior Designer
    Kanika Khurana is an Interior Designer and the Owner of Kanika Design. With over 12 years of experience, Kanika specializes in remodeling, refurnishing, and color consulting. Kanika holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University, a Redesign and Home Staging Certification, and an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Cañada College.
    Kanika Khurana
    Interior Designer
    Expert Answer
    It depends. If your wall is heavily textured, the wallpaper won't work as planned. If the imperfections are recessed, though, the wallpaper cover could work.
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  • Question
    How many feet of wallpaper are in a bolt?
    Community Answer
    European bolts are 20.5 inches wide and 33 feet long, and should cover up to 56 square feet. American bolts are about 27 inches wide and 9 yards long, containing about 70 square feet of paper.
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  • Question
    What is the exact formula to calculate the amount of wallpaper needed for a room?
    Community Answer
    Multiply the length with the width (LxW). Do this to all the walls that you want to put wallpaper on. If there is a door or a window in the wall, then calculate the area that is taken up by it using the same formula as before. Subtract this from the area of the wall. Add all of the sums together, and you should have the amount of wallpaper nedeed for a room in square cm/m (Ft for Americans).
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      • There are many wallpaper estimation calculators online that you can use to find out how much you need.
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      • You do not need to subtract surface area for windows or doors since it's better to have extra wallpaper than too little.
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      • Many wallpaper suppliers will give you an estimate for how much you need if you bring your wall measurements with you.
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      Things You’ll Need

      • Tape measure
      • Calculator

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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/hZo7Wbogn38?t=27
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/hZo7Wbogn38?t=61
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/H5hLVFqlx_0?t=59
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/H5hLVFqlx_0?t=59
      5. ↑ https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/wallpaper-calculator/
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/H5hLVFqlx_0?t=255
      7. ↑ https://www.inchcalculator.com/wallpaper-calculator/
      8. ↑ https://www.inchcalculator.com/wallpaper-calculator/
      9. ↑ https://www.inchcalculator.com/wallpaper-calculator/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To estimate the amount of wallpaper you need for a room, start by measuring the length and height of each wall in feet with a tape measure. Once you’ve recorded the length and height of the wall, multiply those numbers together to calculate the wall’s surface area in square feet. Repeat this for each wall in the room. Then, add all of the surface areas together to find your room’s total area. Add 10-20 percent to the total surface area to account for corners and any mistakes. Finally, divide this number by the surface area of each wallpaper roll to give you the number of rolls you need. For more tips, including how to calculate the surface area of a sloped wall, read on!

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