CALCULATING HOW MUCH PAPER YOU WILL NEED

* Click Here to use the Wallpaper Calculator *

To figure your wall area in square feet, measure
the width of the walls and multiply by the height. Divide your total square
footage by 50 to determine the number of double rolls you will need for your
job. A standard roll of wallpaper covers approximately 56 square feet. The
suggested divider of 50 square feet to determine the number of rolls will allow for pattern waste in matching.

Example: A wall is 8′ high by 10’ long. 8’ X 10’ = 80’ sq.
feet.,

80’ divided by 50 = 1.6, 1.6 rounded up = 2 double rolls.

A general rule of thumb is you can cut three 8’ pieces

and one 6’ piece from one double roll.

WALLCOVERING ROLLAGE CALCULATOR

PLANNING YOUR WALLPAPER LAYOUT

You’ve made an investment in your new wallcovering
and you deserve a professional finish! Preplanning will save you time and help
eliminate mistakes. Before preplanning your layout, keep in mind, your wallpaper
will EXPAND anywhere from 1/4″ to 1/2″ when wet or pasted. Test a piece and
allow for this when measuring.

How to pre-plan –As a general rule, start in the
most visable corner planning to meet in the least visible corner in your room
and measure the width of your paper around the room in both directions meeting
in your inconspicuous corner. Try to avoid small strips (2″ or smaller) in
corners or around windows, doors, cabinets, etc. If you are only doing one wall
(especially full length 8′ pieces like in a bedroom), start somewhere in the
middle, work your way to each corner, marking off off where your pieces will
fall as you go. Try to avoid any small strips in the corners.

When pre-planning – Be sure to take into account if
you have window sills that you will be wrapping. Plan your layout so there will
be sufficient paper to wrap inside your sills without having to strip in a
piece.

PREPARING and PRIMING WALLS

A LITTLE WALL PREPARATION GOES A LONG WAY TO INSURE EASE OF INSTALLATION AND
THE LONG LASTING BEAUTY OF YOUR NEW WALLCOVERINGS.

Priming – Its
always a good idea to prime your walls with a PRIMER RECOMMENDED ESPECIALLY FOR
PREPARING WALLS FOR WALLPAPER. This will promote adhesion, plus when you want to
remove your wallpaper, the job will be easier.

Hanging over Painted Wall – If hanging over
painted walls, priming is a must! In many cases, especially in new homes where
the paint has been applied with sprayers, the paint will let loose if it is not
primed first. Many kitchens and baths have been painted with glossy enamel
paints. Treat these with a wallpaper primer before installing your new paper.

Marking Wall – Use chalk or a pencil to mark your
wall; never use ink as it may bleed through your paper and stain.

HANGING OVER OLD WALLPAPER OR PANELING

Primin – If hanging over old wallpaper, priming is
a must. Use a primer that seals the paper to a hard, impermeable finish. Test
your old paper first by wetting the surface in a small test area. If it bubbles
easily, then you would be better off to remove it.

Hiding Old Wallpaper Seams – To hide old wallpaper seams so that they won’t show under
your new paper, after the wallpaper primer dries, lightly skim the old wallpaper
seams with joint compound. Let the compound dry, sand lightly, and coat the
skimmed areas with your wallpaper primer.

Hanging wallpaper over paneling – There are a number of liner papers on the market that
address this task. Almost any wallpaper center or paint store handles liners,
generally known as Wall Felt. Liners should always be pasted with a heavy duty
vinyl to vinyl adhesive or a “clay-based” adhesive to insure proper adhesion.
Generally, the liner must dry 24 to 48 hours before hanging over it with your
wallcovering. Before hanging your liner, be sure to check the paneling for loose
areas and secure these areas. Most liners recommend priming before hanging your
wallcovering. After you have primed the liner, you may want to float out joints
and any unlevel areas with sheetrock mud.

Liners – can be installed horizontally or vertically
(sometimes called railroading). Hanging the liner vertically is oftentimes
faster. Be sure to butt the seams, don’t overlap, then skim the join with
sheetrock mud.

Another alternative is a number of new wallcoverings that are designed to
especially address hanging over paneling. Check with your local decorating
center for information on these products.

LEVEL LINES

Using a plumb bob, chalk line – Remember always use a plumb line (a vertical level line)
out of a corner or on your first piece. Make a true vertical line with plumb
line and chalk a paper’s width away from your intended starting point. A plumb
line, chalk and plumb bob is included in every WalWiz Wallpapering Tool Kit.
Attach the line to the plumb bob. Fasten the string with a pin or small nail 2″
from the ceiling and rub the string with the colored chalk. Let the bob hang
above the floor. When the plumb bob stops swinging, hold it firmly against the
wall and snap the line leaving a chalk mark. Keep the plumb line and chalk
handy, because you’ll want to mark a true vertical around every corner or
starting a new wall.

Using a level – Make a true vertical line with a
level a paper’s width away from your intended starting point. Hold the level
vertical until the bubble is centered (within in two marks) and trace along the
level with a pencil. Line up the level with your previously drawn line and
repeat this process until you have reached at least 2″ from the floor.

Dealing with Out-of-Plumb Walls – Walls are never
perfect. Waves in sheetrock oftentimes will cause your patterns to pull off the
match. To camouflage this, match the pattern at eye level (rather than starting
at the top) and work up to the top, then down to the bottom of the wall.

My ceiling is out of plumb causing my pattern to run off at the ceiling line.
What Can I do? – Choosing a mini-print or plain paper is the easiest solution
for this problem. If you already have your paper, you may want to consider
hanging trim to a level line, caulking the gap at the ceiling.

An alternate solution is not easy, but can be accomplished with a good eye
and artful skill, depending on your pattern and where the paper is being
installed, i.e., a solid wall, over a kitchen cabinet, etc. The technique to
camouflage this type of problem often requires hanging the strip off level, but
careful placement makes it look to they eye like it is level.

A good example of this is often used when hanging plaids. This technique
works best when hanging smaller pieces but a more skilled craftsman will use
this on full length pieces too. Place the paper so that it looks level to the
eye with the ceiling, cabinet, etc. allowing it to overlap the previously
installed piece. Pay attention to how the overlapped paper lines up with the
pattern.

You may have to split the difference and adjust the paper somewhat. The idea
is that you can cheat the match enough to visually fool the eye. Once the paper
is in place, double cut the overlap.