Wallpaper – How to calculate how many rolls are needed!

Wallpaper is not difficult to put on the wall. Before you order wallpaper, you should calculate exactly how many rolls you will need. Otherwise, you may end up with an excess, or worse, a shortage of wallpaper. To determine exactly how much wallpaper, you need for your wall, you should measure the room you are wallpapering. You should also deduct those parts of the walls occupied by windows and doors. In addition, pay attention to the wallpaper pattern. When measuring, consider the repeated decoration to achieve the desired effect.

To avoid unpleasant surprises during wallpapering, please refer to the next section. In this blog, we will briefly explain how to measure your wallpaper. In this way you don't have to stand in front of a wall in the middle of the installation process, realising that there is not enough material to cover the whole thing.

Cool wallpaper for the wall - Wallpaper rolls and their format

When ordering new wallpaper, pay attention to its dimensions. This information can be easily found on the datasheet. Most of the wallpaper is available in so-called "Euro-rolls", which are the standard size in Europe.

Depending on the type of wallpaper, other formats and dimensions are also possible. For example, a large surface motif wallpaper is sometimes also available as fibreglass wallpaper, which is often much longer and wider. Therefore, always pay attention to the datasheet of your chosen wallpaper to order the right amount of wallpaper rolls. In the following, however, we will limit ourselves to the calculation of euro rolls, which are most common for vinyl, non-woven and paper wallpaper.

"Euro-roll" - A standard format roll

The so-called "Euro-roll" is a wallpaper that meets the European standard and is 0.53m wide and 10.05m long. The advantage of a standard roll is that it is easy to apply due to its small width and provides little loss. One Euro-roll can cover a wall of about five m².

Wallpaper pattern fit

You should first check if the wallpaper has an offset, and if so, how big. This information can easily be found in the technical data sheet.

The choice is between wallpapers that do not require a pattern shift, wallpapers with a simple pattern fit and those with a shifted pattern. They will differ in the way they are laid on the wall and the need for more wallpaper. Especially for offset wallpaper, it is recommended to leave an additional five centimetres at the top and bottom when cutting to size, which can then be cut exactly at the edge of the wall. This allows for final corrections and a clean finish of the wall and ceiling edges.

Wallpaper for the wall that does not require a matching pattern

Non-fitting wall coverings are usually the easiest to put on the wall. Single-colour or striped wallpaper usually does not need to fit, making it easy to install and cut. This way less wallpaper will remain unused/wasted.

Wallpaper with a simple pattern fit

Wallpaper with a simple pattern match is usually patterned wallpaper whose motif or pattern can be used at the same height.

When assembling, focus on a good pattern fit and avoid unsightly mistakes. In some cases, the technical data sheet of such wallpaper also contains additional information about the length of the pattern, which should make it easier to move and cut to size. It is advisable to plan the purchase of an additional roll in case of a mistake.

Wallpaper with offset pattern fit

Wallpaper with a shifted pattern fit will require the greatest care when applying wallpaper to the wall. This means that the first stripe can be applied normally and the next stripe can be applied a little further up or down so that the pattern fits together perfectly. Use the first trimmed wallpaper strip as a template for the subsequent ones. Because of this, it is advisable to plan the purchase of an additional roll of wallpaper.

For example, for Euro rolls, a 53/26 offset is then determined. The first number refers to the distance at which the pattern is repeated along the roll. The second number refers to the number of centimetres of the offset.

Measurements: How to calculate the demand for wallpaper?

Basically, for rooms with a ceiling height of 2.25m and a room width of 10m, a calculation of about five wallpaper rolls is used. If the room width increases by five metres, two additional rolls of wallpaper must be added.

For a ceiling height of 2.50m and a room width of 10m, it is recommended to buy six wallpaper rolls. Also, here, if the room width increases by five metres, two more rolls of wallpaper must be added.

With a room height of 2.75m and a room width of 10m as a starting point, six wallpaper rolls must also be planned. From a room height of approx. 2.75 to 3 metres, three additional wallpaper rolls must be allowed for every additional five metres of room width. For a ceiling height of 3m, the starting value is six rolls of wallpaper for a room width of 10m and seven rolls for a ceiling height of 3.25m.

Dimensions: Please note this when purchasing wallpaper

As a general rule, before buying new wallpaper, the walls should be measured. Any recesses such as doors and windows should be considered, i.e. subtracted from the calculation. It is recommended that you buy an additional roll. Especially for wallpaper with a clear pattern, as there is a high risk of cutting. Especially when selecting the "offset" wallpaper pattern, it is recommended to plan to buy at least one more roll of wallpaper. Please note that when cutting to size, it is best to allow an additional five centimetres at the top and bottom to facilitate application.