Measuring Your Space for Wallpaper Rolls
Was I a stellar student in algebra and geometry along side the art clubs? Absolutely. Do you need to be a math whiz to measure wallpaper? Not even close.
QUICK MATH SPECS:
We’ve included our own line of wallpaper specs (noted below), but the conceptual math in this guide can be applied to most standard wallpaper rolls — even those outside the byHopeatHome collection. Below, you’ll find our specs that we’ll use throughout this post and on our own downloadable guide (a deeper dive), along with two calculation methods — a simple by square foot method and a more advanced panel calculation. Let’s get to it.
ROLL WIDTH | 27 inches wide
ROLL LENGTH | 27 feet long (9 yards)
ROLL COVERAGE | 60.75 square feet
Let’s practice and say you’re wallpapering one wall that is 15 feet wide and 10 feet tall. Using the above specs of our wallpaper, we’ll do some easy math.
Wall Coverage Area Square Feet = 15 feet x 10 feet (width x length)
Wall Coverage Area Square Feet = 150 sqft
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
We know that one roll covers 60.75 sqft. Therefore, it will take 2.46 rolls to cover your 150 square foot wall, rounding up to 3 rolls.
TAKE NOTE FOR MULTIPLE WALLS:
For multiple walls, you simply add the area (length time width) of each wall together for a total cover area square feet needed.
Let’s practice and say your wall height is 8 feet.
27 feet (of wallpaper) ÷ 8 feet (of wall height) = 3.375 panels
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Based on an 8 foot wall height, this means you’ll get about 3 “drops” of wallpaper coverage for every one roll.
Next, we’ll figure out how many drops it takes to wrap your wall.
Let’s practice and say you have a square shaped room, and all four walls are 10 feet wide.
That’s 480 inches of wall width (40 feet x 12 inches per foot). Our line of wallpaper rolls are 27 inches wide. We know we can get roughly 3 “drops” out of one roll for our 8 foot ceilings (see previous page’s step). So, one roll covers 3 “drops” and 81 inches of width coverage.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
This means that one roll covers 3 eight foot drops and 81 inches of width. With a total wall width of 480 inches, you will need 5.92 rolls, rounded up to 6 rolls.
ANGLED OR SLOPED WALLS
While some might recommend you separate your sloped wall into sections or whip out more advanced techniques for calculating the area of triangle shaped wedges, we recommend measuring your sloped walls just like you would a rectangle shaped wall.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
To measure a sloped wall, start by measuring the tallest point from the floor to the ceiling. Then, measure the widest part of the wall from side to side. Use these two measurements to calculate your wallpaper needs—just like you would for a full rectangular wall. Your installer will trim away any excess to match the slope during installation, so it’s best to plan for full coverage.
You will have more excess waste for sloped walls, but you can always save those pieces for any repairs or a DIY project.
The full guide gives a bit more detail on dos and don’ts with corners, how to handle doors and windows, and a Q&A for and from your installer.
SOME QUICK HOUSEKEEPING: While we stand behind the methods outlined in this guide for estimating wallpaper needs, we strongly recommend having a professional installer verify your measurements before placing an order. byHopeatHome is not responsible for miscalculations or excess/insufficient quantities resulting from self-measured estimates.
by Hope Johnson | inspired by nostalgia and comfort
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