# How to Calculate How Much Wallpaper I need.



## Wagteil (Mar 25, 2014)

Im beginner who is looking for help with wallpaper order. We have powder room 201 sqf of walls (including one standard door 36x81). Wallpaper is 48" wide. VERTICAL repeat 18 3/8", 48" wide untrimmed. Sold by yard. How calulate amount of material needet? How much wallpaper I need?


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Wagteil said:


> Im beginner who is looking for help with wallpaper order. We have powder room 201 sqf of walls (including one standard door 36x81). Wallpaper is 48" wide. VERTICAL repeat 18 3/8", 48" wide untrimmed. Sold by yard. How calulate amount of material needet? How much wallpaper I need?


This cannot possibly go well:no:


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## Wagteil (Mar 25, 2014)

Why? 


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## Brian C (Oct 8, 2011)

get a pro paperhanger to do it for you.


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## Wagteil (Mar 25, 2014)

I was hoping find one here  Guys, Im looking for advise for future projects.


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## oldccm (Jan 23, 2013)

Buy 100 yards. That way you'll have extra to do it twice


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

There would be some variables involved simply with regards to the paper ordered, not to mention the room, but I'm sure Bill or some other wall paper guys here may provide more specific assistance. I know that if *I* was going to do a wall covering job again (it's been a long time), I'd take my wall measurements down to where I was ordering the paper and have their expert work it out for you - at least for the first few times.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Count the number of panels needed to cover the walls, times the height. Divide by 3 and there's your yardage. Kinda.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

I would call the manufacturer and explain your situation


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## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

Wagteil said:


> I was hoping find one here  Guys, Im looking for advise for future projects.


contact CD Painting. I heard he was gonna give it a shot. :whistling2:


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

chrisn said:


> This cannot possibly go well:no:


The PT Curmudgeon strikes again! :thumbsup:


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## Underdog (Mar 9, 2013)

How tall are the ceilings and how does the material come packaged?
And how wide is it trimmed?

:cowboy:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Underdog said:


> How tall are the ceilings and how does the material come packaged?
> And how wide is it trimmed?
> 
> :cowboy:


there are just 3of the possible 88 other questions that need answered:whistling2:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

come on Bill, join the partyarty:


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## Gwarel (May 8, 2012)

Alright new guy here it is:
Assuming you have 8' ceilings, 96" divided by a repeat of approximately 18.35" would be 5.23 repeats per drop. That means you would need to figure each drop at 6 repeats to get back to the top on the next drop, if the pattern is a straight across match. Still working on the assumption of 8' ceilings, the square footage of the room would indicate a 25' perimeter, which would give you 6.25 drops to get around the room. So you'll need 7 drops at 110.1 inches each(which will work even if you have to trim 4" off each drop). That would be 770.7" divided by 12" to give you 64.225' of material, which is 21.4 yards. I would call it 25 yards to be safe. You're welcome, and please remember me in the future if, by some weird twist of fate, I ever get nominated for "PT Paperhanger of the Month"........


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Well writ, Gwarel, and if Wagtell understands that, we'll give him his second lesson on paperhanging, which is 

LEARN THE TRADE FIRST HAND FROM A PROFESSIONAL, NOT from the internet .

seriously, Wagtell, this is a trade one can not learn from reading how-to books, posts, or pamphlets from Home Depot. 

if you are serious about learning it, let us know where you are located, and someone might be able to either volunteer or give you a name of a good teacher.

BTW, teaching is a talent unto itself - one I have great respect for and no ability or patience. 

Welcome to a wonderful trade, but please allow yourself the chance to learn it correctly.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

slinger58 said:


> The PT Curmudgeon strikes again! :thumbsup:


Ahhhh, when was I dethroned ?


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Gwarel said:


> Alright new guy here it is:
> Assuming you have 8' ceilings, 96" divided by a repeat of approximately 18.35" would be 5.23 repeats per drop. That means you would need to figure each drop at 6 repeats to get back to the top on the next drop, if the pattern is a straight across match. Still working on the assumption of 8' ceilings, the square footage of the room would indicate a 25' perimeter, which would give you 6.25 drops to get around the room. So you'll need 7 drops at 110.1 inches each(which will work even if you have to trim 4" off each drop). That would be 770.7" divided by 12" to give you 64.225' of material, which is 21.4 yards. I would call it 25 yards to be safe. You're welcome, and please remember me in the future if, by some weird twist of fate, I ever get nominated for "PT Paperhanger of the Month"........


Isn't that what I said in 25 words or less? :jester:


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## Red dog (Jul 20, 2014)

I just order a few double rolls extra and whatever I have left I hide in my truck......did I mention I charge by the roll?


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Red dog said:


> I just order a few double rolls extra and whatever I have left I hide in my truck......did I mention I charge by the roll?


what do you do with all the extra rollage:blink:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> Ahhhh, when was I dethroned ?


I had NOTHING to do with it , (the _Coup d'état) that is_ :no::no:


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

daArch said:


> Ahhhh, when was I dethroned ?


About the time your screen name stopped appearing in green letters.:jester:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Had a guy call about needing repairs of wallpaper damage, some strips needing replacement.

"how many strips need to be replaced?"
"about 3 and a quarter"
"3 and a quarter?"
"yah, three full ones and then about five inches to the door, with a little piece above the door"

THEN came the explanation of why that meant FOUR FULL strips and why most likely the "full roll" left over prolly wasn't enough.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> Had a guy call about needing repairs of wallpaper damage, some strips needing replacement.
> 
> "how many strips need to be replaced?"
> "about 3 and a quarter"
> ...


hate that


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## Red dog (Jul 20, 2014)

chrisn said:


> what do you do with all the extra rollage:blink:


I was joking of course.:jester: But I do have quite a few rolls I need to do something with.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Red dog said:


> I was joking of course.:jester: But I do have quite a few rolls I need to do something with.


pre-schools like them for all sorts of projects.

I don't know WHY or how, but apparently paperhangers seem to attract orphan rolls of wallpaper :whistling2:


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## Underdog (Mar 9, 2013)

Red dog said:


> I just order a few double rolls extra and whatever I have left I hide in my truck......did I mention I charge by the roll?


 


daArch said:


> pre-schools like them for all sorts of projects.
> 
> I don't know WHY or how, but apparently paperhangers seem to attract orphan rolls of wallpaper :whistling2:


 Back in the day... when we used to do tract housing... we'd accumulate them like crazy. Nobody wanted them back because then they would have to store them.

My policy now is that if it causes a customer too much discomfort to know that there was an extra roll, I discretely dispose of it for them; to safeguard their emotional health. If they can handle it, I tell them they'll never need it but they can put it away somewhere and forget they have it.
I have a guy nearby that sells second hand items and I drop them off there.

There's a wallpaper outlet in SA that has a storage room full of old out of date patterns. I suggested E-bay but they haven't gone that route yet. These are RETRO retro retro. Dried out for sure but I can't imagine using them in anything but Brady Bunch reunion movies.
Maybe they'll come back... no, no they won't come back.



:cowboy:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> pre-schools like them for all sorts of projects.
> 
> I don't know WHY or how, but apparently paperhangers seem to attract orphan rolls of wallpaper :whistling2:


The first "contractor" I worked for( not long) used to order 2 or 3 extra double rolls of paper for every job( early 90's?) and tells us to sneak them out in our drops, then the basturd would sells them in his retail store.

Me, I always order one extra which is left with the home owner, I have none in my garage. Of course, I have only done 10 or 12 jobs in the last 5 years


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I do try to have at least two strip left over - always better to have too much than too little.

I advise the HO to order extra and to store them as ASSURANCE not INsurance. I then relate the story about the woman who came into the store when I did retail and asked if I could find a match to the sample of grass cloth she had. Apparently they had some water damage in the kitchen.

I doubted a match could be found and said it was too bad she didn't have any left over. She said they DID but had thrown it away 2 weeks ago.

Extra paper on hand PREVENTS damage.


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

Divide the square footage of the entire room by 12. That will give you the number of yards you require. Do not subtract any wall space for openings or cabinets.


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## two fingers (Sep 28, 2014)

I always add 11 percent to my square footage

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## Wallco (Nov 20, 2014)

This might help
1 bolt = 2 single rolls


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

*do not use tables such as the above to calculate wallpaper amounts!*

period !!!!


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Wallco said:


> This might help
> 1 bolt = 2 single rolls


depending on how long the "bolt" is, pattern match, repeat, etc


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

chrisn said:


> depending on how long the "bolt" is, pattern match, repeat, etc


ALSO, * FREAKING WIDTH* of the paper MAY be a determining factor


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> ALSO, *FREAKING WIDTH* of the paper MAY be a determining factor


that's what the "etc." was for:yes:


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## Underdog (Mar 9, 2013)

You need eleven strips for this and you can only get ten (with 27"):


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