While wallcoverings are commonly sold by the meter, wallpaper usually comes in rolls of 10 meters in length with widths of either 52cm or 72cm. We recommend treating walls with windows and doors as a 'full wall' when calculating how much wallpaper is required, because it is likely that as much paper will be used cutting and piecing around the recesses as would be used on a 'straight drop'.
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A Guide to Calculating Wallpaper Requirements
Determining the Length of Each Wallpaper Drop
1. To calculate the length of full drops needed, measure the height of the area you want to decorate and add an additional 30cm, (15cm at the top and 15cm at the bottom), for trimming purposes. After that, include the pattern repeat as specified in the pattern book or on the label, for instance, 52cm.
2. After calculating the total required length, divide it by the length of a standard roll (usually 10m). This will tell you the number of full drops that can be achieved from one roll. Remember to count only complete drops and exclude any partial ones.
TIP: If you opt for a wallpaper with a ‘random match’, ‘free match’, or the one suggested to be ‘reverse hung alternate lengths’, there's no need to include the pattern repeat while calculating the drop length. These wallpapers don't require pattern matching, making the drop length calculation simpler.
EXAMPLE:
Wall height: 2.5m
Trim waste: 15cm top & 15cm bottom
Pattern repeat: 52cm
250cm + 30cm + 52cm = 332cm
Total drop lengths = 3.32m
3.32m ÷ 10m (roll length) = 3 full drops per roll
Determining the Number of Wallpaper Rolls Needed
To find out the total number of rolls required, divide the total number of drops needed for the room by the number of drops that can be achieved from one roll.
For designs with a pattern match of up to 26cm, add 10% to the nearest full roll to account for wastage. In the case of designs with a pattern repeat of over 26cm, it's advisable to add 15 - 20% to ensure you have enough wallpaper to accommodate any pattern alignment and wastage during installation.
Figuring Out How Many Drops You Need
1. To find the wall width, measure each individual wall from one corner to the opposite corner.
2. Simply divide the width of each wall by the width of the wallpaper roll to know how many wallpaper drops (widths) are needed for each wall. Repeat this process for all walls, and the sum will give you the total number of drops required to cover the entire room.
TIP: To ensure a smooth application and avoid creasing, it's best not to turn full widths of wallpaper into corners. Only turn 2 - 3cm into the next wall. For calculating purposes, treat any part-widths as full-widths to determine the accurate amount of wallpaper needed.
EXAMPLE:
Wall width: 3.5m
Wallpaper width: 52cm
350cm ÷ 52cm = 6.7 drops (widths) of wallpaper
Rounded up to the nearest full drop = 7 drops required
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