Standard wallpaper in India usually comes in rolls of 5 metres in length by 1.06 metres width. This equates to 57 square feet per roll.
The design affects how much wallpaper you need
How much wallpaper you need depends on the pattern of the wallpaper.
If you are using a textured wallpaper, or any other no-repeat pattern, it doesn’t matter where your wallpaper is joining the next roll on the wall. That means there is very little wastage when the wallpaper is put on the wall.
When you have a pattern, you need to make sure each roll matches the one next to it. This means there is more wastage, as you may need to shift the wallpaper up or down to match the seams at the right place.
The amount of usable wallpaper in each roll depends on the distance between the patterns. First, you need to measure the distance between each repeating pattern on your wallpaper, for example between each repeating flower in a floral design. See the image below to see the distance between two repeating patterns in this design.
Based on the size of the repeat, you can use the below guide to see how much of a standard roll you can use. Divide this usable amount of wallpaper per roll by the total square foot area of the wall you want to cover to get the number of rolls.
- 0–6 inches repeating pattern = 41 square feet of usable wallpaper per roll
- 7–12 inches repeating pattern = 36 square feet of usable wallpaper per roll
- 13–18 inches of repeating patterns = 33 square feet of wallpaper per roll.
- 19–23 inches of repeating pattern = 24 square feet of usable wallpaper.
No. of Rolls required = Surface area of wall (Sq ft) / Usable wallpaper per roll (Sq ft)
Always buy some spare, just in case
Buying a little extra wallpaper is a good idea. If your wallpaper is damaged and needs replacement a few years after installation, it’s not always easy to find the same design.
Even if you find the same design, slight changes in colour can occur when a factory produces a new batch of wallpaper, so wallpaper bought later may look a little different. This will be obvious on the wall.
It’s always a good idea to purchase an additional 20% wallpaper, just in case.