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Wallpaper Calculator

Calculate rolls needed for any room - including pattern repeat waste, door and window deductions, and paste quantities. Multiple rooms with a running total.

Wallpaper Calculator

Rolls, paste, and lining paper - with pattern repeat, door & window deductions, multiple rooms

Standard UK: 0.52 m (52 cm)
50 mm (5 cm) top + bottom trim allowance per drop
Plain / texture wallpaper with no pattern to align. Maximum number of drops per roll - no waste from pattern matching.
Recommended under heavy / embossed paper and on poor plaster. Hung horizontally across walls - add ~10% extra rolls for turns and waste.
Powder paste: typically covers 6-12 rolls per pack. Ready-mixed: check label.
10%
10% recommended - covers miscuts, pattern matching waste, and one spare roll per room.

Rooms

Job Costing (optional)

Results

Total Rolls
-
inc. waste allowance
Wall Area
-
m² (net)
Paste Packs
-
packs / tubs

Room Breakdown

Room Perimeter Height Wall Area Drops Needed Drops per Roll Rolls (net) Rolls to Buy

How the Calculation Works

  • Drops per roll - roll length ÷ (ceiling height + pattern repeat). For no-match paper, pattern repeat = 0.
  • Total drops - wall perimeter ÷ roll width, minus full-height drops saved by doors, minus half-height drops saved by windows.
  • Rolls needed - total drops ÷ drops per roll, rounded up, plus waste allowance.
  • Half-drop patterns alternate between two offset columns - this means only half the offcut from one drop can be used for the next column, so you lose more per roll.
  • Always buy at least one spare roll from the same batch number - dye lots vary between print runs.

Pattern Match Types

  • No match / plain - solid colours, textures, or random patterns. No waste from alignment. Easiest to hang.
  • Straight match - the pattern aligns horizontally across every drop. The top of each drop must start at the same point in the pattern. Waste = pattern repeat length per drop (worst case).
  • Half drop - adjacent drops are offset by half the pattern repeat. Every other drop uses the same starting position. More complex to hang; typically more waste than straight match.

The pattern repeat and type are printed on the wallpaper label - look for the repeat measurement in mm and a symbol (↔ for straight, ↕ for half drop).

Standard UK Roll Sizes

TypeSize
Standard wallpaper10 m × 52 cm
Wide roll10 m × 60 cm
Lining paper10 m × 57 cm typical
Lining (heavy)10 m × 56 cm
European / designer10 m × 53 cm

Always check the label - roll sizes vary by manufacturer and product range.

Lining Paper

  • Hung horizontally (cross-lined) before the decorative wallpaper - this stops the seams aligning
  • Use grade 1200 for normal walls, 1400-1700 for poor or very uneven plaster
  • Leave to dry fully before hanging decorative paper - usually overnight
  • Calculator adds 10% extra for turns, corner cuts, and waste in horizontal hanging

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