Wallpaper Yards Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate the total yards of wallpaper you'll need for your room, accounting for room dimensions, wallpaper roll size, and pattern repeat.
Calculation Results:
' + 'Total Wall Perimeter: ' + roomPerimeterFeet.toFixed(2) + ' feet' + 'Length per Wallpaper Strip (including repeat & trim): ' + lengthPerStripFeet.toFixed(2) + ' feet' + 'Number of Strips Needed: ' + numStrips + '' + 'Estimated Total Wallpaper Length Needed (before waste): ' + totalLengthNeededYards.toFixed(2) + ' yards' + 'Total Wallpaper Yards Required (with ' + wasteFactor + '% buffer): ' + finalYardsNeeded.toFixed(2) + ' yards' + 'Based on your roll length, you will need approximately ' + numRollsRequired + ' rolls.' + 'Always round up and consider purchasing an extra roll for future repairs or pattern matching.'; }Understanding the Wallpaper Yards Calculator
Wallpapering a room can dramatically transform its look, but accurately estimating the amount of wallpaper needed is crucial to avoid costly mistakes, either by running out mid-project or buying too much. Our Wallpaper Yards Calculator helps you determine the precise quantity of wallpaper in yards, taking into account all essential dimensions and factors.
Why Use a Wallpaper Calculator?
- Prevent Waste: Over-ordering wallpaper can be expensive, especially for high-end designs.
- Avoid Shortages: Running out of wallpaper in the middle of a project can cause delays and frustration, especially if the batch or pattern is no longer available.
- Account for Pattern Repeat: Patterned wallpapers require extra material for matching, which is often overlooked in manual calculations.
- Factor in Trimming: You'll always need extra length for trimming the top and bottom of each strip.
- Save Time: Quickly get an accurate estimate without complex manual calculations.
How to Measure Your Room for Wallpaper
Accurate measurements are the foundation of a successful wallpapering project. Here's what you need:
- Room Length and Width: Measure the length of each wall and add them together to get the total perimeter. For a rectangular room, you can simply measure one length and one width, then multiply their sum by two:
2 * (Length + Width). - Room Height: Measure the height from the floor to the ceiling. If your ceiling height varies, use the tallest measurement.
- Wallpaper Roll Width: This is usually specified on the wallpaper packaging, typically in inches (e.g., 21 inches, 27 inches).
- Wallpaper Roll Length: Also found on the packaging, usually in feet or meters (e.g., 33 feet, 11 yards). Our calculator uses feet for input.
- Pattern Repeat: If your wallpaper has a pattern, there will be a "pattern repeat" measurement, usually in inches. This is the vertical distance before the pattern repeats itself. This extra length is needed for each strip to ensure the pattern aligns seamlessly. If your wallpaper is plain or has a random match, the pattern repeat is 0.
- Waste Factor / Buffer: It's always wise to add a small buffer (e.g., 10-15%) to your total. This accounts for mistakes, tricky cuts, or future repairs.
How the Calculator Works (The Math Behind It)
The calculator follows these steps to determine your wallpaper needs:
- Calculate Room Perimeter: It first determines the total linear distance around your room (
2 * (Room Length + Room Width)). - Determine Length Per Strip: It calculates how long each individual strip of wallpaper needs to be. This includes your room's height, the pattern repeat, and an additional 6 inches (0.5 feet) for trimming at the top and bottom.
- Calculate Number of Strips: It divides the total room perimeter by the width of your wallpaper roll (converted to feet) to find out how many vertical strips are required to cover all walls. This number is always rounded up.
- Total Length in Feet: The number of strips is then multiplied by the length of each strip to get the total wallpaper length needed in feet.
- Convert to Yards: This total length in feet is then divided by 3 to convert it into yards.
- Apply Waste Factor: Finally, the specified waste factor percentage is added to the total yards to give you a recommended final quantity, ensuring you have enough for the project.
Example Calculation
Let's say you have a room with the following dimensions and wallpaper:
- Room Length: 12 feet
- Room Width: 10 feet
- Room Height: 8 feet
- Wallpaper Roll Width: 21 inches
- Wallpaper Roll Length: 33 feet
- Pattern Repeat: 21 inches
- Waste Factor: 10%
Here's how the calculator would process it:
- Room Perimeter:
2 * (12 ft + 10 ft) = 44 feet - Roll Width in Feet:
21 inches / 12 = 1.75 feet - Pattern Repeat in Feet:
21 inches / 12 = 1.75 feet - Length Per Strip:
8 ft (height) + 1.75 ft (repeat) + 0.5 ft (trim) = 10.25 feet - Number of Strips:
ceil(44 ft / 1.75 ft) = ceil(25.14) = 26 strips - Total Length Needed (Feet):
26 strips * 10.25 ft/strip = 266.5 feet - Total Length Needed (Yards):
266.5 feet / 3 = 88.83 yards - With 10% Waste Factor:
88.83 yards * (1 + 10/100) = 88.83 * 1.10 = 97.71 yards - Roll Length in Yards:
33 feet / 3 = 11 yards - Number of Rolls:
ceil(97.71 yards / 11 yards/roll) = ceil(8.88) = 9 rolls
Based on these inputs, you would need approximately 97.71 yards of wallpaper, which translates to 9 rolls.
Important Considerations
- Doors and Windows: For simplicity, this calculator assumes a continuous wall area. For rooms with many large doors or windows, you might slightly overestimate. However, the waste factor often covers this, and it's generally safer to have a little extra.
- Sloped Ceilings or Irregular Rooms: For complex room shapes, it's best to break down the walls into simpler rectangles and calculate each section individually, then sum the results.
- Batch Numbers: Always ensure all your wallpaper rolls come from the same dye lot or batch number to avoid slight color variations.
- Professional Advice: If you're unsure, consult with a professional wallpaper hanger or your wallpaper supplier.