How Much Wallpaper Do I Need?
How to measure for wallpaper using the linear foot method.
In the post we will learn how to measure for wallpaper using the linear foot method. This method tells you how many strips of wallpaper you need to cover an area, rather than just the square footage. Knowing the exact number of strips you need makes it simple to buy the correct number of rolls, and ensure you don’t end up with seams where there shouldn’t be.
Before You Begin
You need to have picked out the wallpaper you plan to use. Every wallpaper has a different width, length, and pattern repeat. Knowing these things is vital to ordering the correct number of rolls.
Supplies Needed
- Tape Measure
- Calculator
- Measurements of your chosen wallpaper
How to Measure for Wallpaper
Step One: Measure Your Space
Use your tape measure to measure the width of each wall you plan to cover. Then add all the widths together. Record this number.
Tip – When measuring, don’t exclude the windows and doors. Measure each wall as if it was solid. You will cut these things out as you hang the wallpaper, but in order to make the patterns match and have as few seems as possible you need to include the footage in the measurements.
Next, measure the height of your walls. If you have a vaulted ceiling, measure to the highest point. Record this number.
Sample Room Measurements:
Total wall width: 10ft + 9ft + 10ft + 9ft = 38 feet
Ceiling height (at highest point): 12 feet
Step Two: Get Familiar with the Measurements of Your Chosen Wallpaper
You can put your tape measure away, all you need to do for this step is look at the specs on the wallpaper listing. Make note of the length, width, and pattern repeat (distance between each repeating pattern). The pattern repeat is important because you’ll need to line up each strip of wallpaper with the design of the previous strip. This will cause waste, which needs to be accounted for.
Sample Wallpaper Measurements:
Width: 20.5 inches
Length: 33 feet
Pattern repeat: 24 inches
Tip – Convert all your specs into the same unit of measurement to make comparisons as easy as possible. To convert inches into feet, just divide by 12 (Ex: 36 inches / 12 = 3 feet)
Step Three: Determine the Number of Wallpaper Rolls to Order
First, divide the total width of your walls by the width of the wallpaper you plan to order. This is the number of floor-to-ceiling wallpaper strips you need to cover your walls. Round this number up. (Example: 38 ft total wall width (456 inches) / 20.5 in wallpaper width = 22.2, or 23 floor to ceiling strips of wallpaper)
Next, find the adjusted wall height by adding the wall height to the pattern repeat. The adjusted height accounts for the waste you will have from lining up the patterns. Remember, the goal is to have full-length strips without horizontal seams. (Example: 12 ft ceilings + a 24 inch (2 ft) pattern repeat = 14 ft adjusted height)
Then, find the amount of useable full-length strips on each roll by dividing the length of the wallpaper roll by the adjusted height. If you have a remainder, round down. (Example: 33 ft wallpaper length / 14 ft adjusted height = 2.3, which rounds down to 2)
Lastly, divide the number of strips you need by the number of usable strips on each roll. Round this number up to determine the number of rolls you need to buy. (Example: 23 full-length strips / 2 strips per roll = 11.5, rounded up to 12 rolls of wallpaper needed)
Tip – Wallpaper can vary slightly from batch to batch, so make sure to order all your wallpaper at the same time and from the same company.
As a precaution, order an extra roll or two in case of mistakes in measurements or installation. For our example room we need 12 rolls of wallpaper, but I would order 14 just to be safe.
Now that you know how much wallpaper you need, you are well on your way to a beautiful new space!
