For 14 metres of wall, 2.6 metres high, minus a 2-metre door, you need 8 rolls of standard wallpaper (53 cm wide, 10.05 m long): 23 drops, with three drops per roll. If the wallpaper has a pattern, enter the repeat, because it increases waste.
How do you calculate the number of wallpaper rolls?
Wallpaper (behang in Dutch) is calculated in drops, not square metres. First work out how many drops you need: total wall length divided by the roll width, rounded up. Then work out how many drops one roll gives: roll length divided by drop length, rounded down. The drop length is the wall height plus 10 cm trim, plus the pattern repeat. Finally divide the number of drops by the drops per roll.
Example: 12 metres of wall (after subtracting the door), 2.6 m high, with a roll 53 cm wide and 10.05 m long. Drops: 12 ÷ 0.53 = 22.6, so 23. Per roll: 10.05 ÷ 2.7 = 3.7, so 3 drops. Rolls: 23 ÷ 3 = 7.7, so 8.
Pattern repeat
For patterned wallpaper the pattern must line up, so each drop starts at a different height. The repeat is the distance after which the pattern repeats, printed on the label (for example 32 cm). Add it to the drop length. A large repeat of 64 cm on a 2.6 m wall leaves you with fewer drops per roll and may mean one or two extra rolls. Plain non-woven wallpaper has no repeat.
Roll sizes
| Type | Width × length |
|---|---|
| Standard paper or non-woven | 0.53 × 10.05 m |
| Wide non-woven | 1.06 × 10.05 m |
| Photo wallpaper | Per panel, made to measure |
Change the roll width and length if yours differs. A roll of 1.06 m needs roughly half the drops.
Tips
- Buy all rolls at once with the same batch number, as colours can vary between batches.
- Do not subtract sockets or radiators. You paper around them.
- An extra roll is cheaper than a second order if you cut wrongly or damage a drop.
Planning a full makeover? Calculate a new floor with the Laminate Flooring Calculator and fabric for window dressing with the Curtain Calculator. For an awkward diagonal in a sloping room use the Pythagoras Calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the length of all walls you will cover.
- Subtract the width of doors and full-height windows.
- Enter wall height, roll width, roll length and any pattern repeat.
- Press Calculate and buy one extra roll from the same batch.
Key figures at a glance
| Standard roll | 0.53 m wide, 10.05 m long |
|---|---|
| Drop length | wall height + 10 cm + repeat |
| Drops per roll | roll length ÷ drop length, rounded down |
| Spare | 1 extra roll, same batch |
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the perimeter and height. A room of 4 × 3 metres with normal height usually needs 6 to 8 standard rolls.
The distance over which a pattern repeats. The larger the repeat, the more wallpaper you waste.
Only full-height openings, and only their width. Small openings are not subtracted.
10.05 metres at 53 cm wide, covering about 5.3 m².
Non-woven is stronger, easier to hang and can usually be peeled off dry in one piece.