How much wallpaper do I need?
The amount of wallpaper needed depends on the width and height of the wall, as well as the pattern repeat of the wallpaper. The pattern repeat refers to the vertical distance at which the pattern repeats, which affects how much wallpaper is needed for pattern matching.
Little Greene wallpapers are sold by the roll. Check the roll width and length on the product page.
Calculation Example
The wall is 300 cm wide and 260 cm high. The wallpaper has a pattern repeat of 26.5 cm, and the wallpaper roll is 52 cm wide. One roll is 10.05 m long.
1. Calculate the number of drops
Divide the wall width by the wallpaper width:
300 cm ÷ 52 cm = 5.7
Always round up. In this case, 6 drops are needed.
2. Consider the pattern repeat
The first drop can be cut directly according to the wall height: 260 cm
For subsequent drops, the pattern must be aligned according to the repeat. Since the repeat is 26.5 cm, one repeat is added to the length of the drop:
260 cm + 26.5 cm = 286.5 cm
A total of 5 drops of this length are needed.
3. Calculate the total consumption
The total wallpaper consumption is:
1 × 260 cm + 5 × 286.5 cm = 1692 cm
In meters:
1692 cm = 16.92 m
4. Calculate the number of rolls needed
One roll is 10.05 m long.
16.92 m ÷ 10.05 m = 1.68
So, 2 rolls of wallpaper are needed.
How do doors and windows affect wallpaper consumption calculation?
When calculating wallpaper consumption, doors and windows are generally not subtracted from the wall's width. Wallpaper is always cut in full drops from floor to ceiling, and the part that goes over openings is cut off only when on the wall. This means that even if there is a window or door in the wall, the same drop is still needed.
In most cases, a window or door does not reduce the number of drops required. The pieces created around openings are often too small to be used elsewhere, especially if the wallpaper has a pattern repeat that needs to be matched.
However, if a room has several large windows or wide doorways, useful pieces are often created when cutting. These can sometimes be utilized, for example, on shorter walls, above doors, or below windows.
A simple and safe way to calculate consumption is to:
- calculate the number of drops for the entire wall width
- calculate the drop length based on the wall height and pattern repeat
- do not subtract doors or windows from the calculation
If the room has many openings and a significant amount of wallpaper is left over, some of the pieces can often be used on other walls. If you are only wallpapering one wall, it is good to be prepared for a small amount of extra consumption.
The quality of the wallpaper also affects how easily pieces can be utilized. High-quality non-woven wallpaper, such as Little Greene wallpapers, is dimensionally stable and durable. The wallpaper does not stretch during pasting and can be removed and repositioned if necessary without damaging the material. This makes installation easier and reduces unnecessary waste.
Consider potential waste
When calculating wallpaper consumption, it's good to consider potential waste. Extra material might be needed during installation, for example, when wallpapering tricky corners, sloped ceilings, around window and door openings, or behind pipes. Sometimes, wallpaper can also stretch, go crooked, or pattern matching might not succeed on the first try.
Therefore, it's often a good idea to prepare for needing slightly more wallpaper than calculated. In practice, this usually means 1-2 extra drops.
However, the quality of the wallpaper plays a significant role. Poor-quality wallpapers can stretch during pasting or tear easily, leading to more waste.
Little Greene wallpapers are extremely high-quality non-woven wallpapers. The material is dimensionally stable, and the wallpaper does not stretch even if it needs to be removed from the wall and repositioned. The wallpaper also doesn't tear easily, even if it has to be folded during installation. This makes installation easier and significantly reduces unnecessary waste.
However, if you are unsure about the quantity needed or are wallpapering a particularly challenging space, it is safe to reserve a little extra wallpaper.
Good to note
We recommend ordering all necessary rolls at once to ensure the color batch is the same. If you are wallpapering multiple walls, the consumption should be calculated for the entire space at once.
