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DIY September 18, 2025 4 min read

How Many Rolls of Wallpaper Do I Need? The Easy Calculation

Wall area minus openings divided by usable roll coverage. Here is the quick math.

Step 1: Calculate wall area. Room perimeter (add all wall lengths) × ceiling height = total wall square footage. A 12×14 room with 8-foot ceilings: perimeter 52 ft × 8 = 416 sq ft. Step 2: Subtract openings. Each door: 21 sq ft. Each window: 15 sq ft. One door + two windows: 51 sq ft. Net wall area: 365 sq ft.

Rolls Needed

A standard US single roll covers about 28 usable square feet after accounting for pattern matching and trimming (the roll itself is about 60 sq ft but waste is significant). 365 / 28 = 13 rolls. A US double roll covers 56 usable sq ft: 365 / 56 = 6.5, round up to 7 double rolls. Always order 1-2 extra rolls for mistakes, future repairs, and pattern matching waste that exceeds estimates.

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