Backings
- Non-woven
- The modern default and by far the easiest to hang: paste goes on the wall, the drop goes up dry, and it does not expand when wet, so nothing shifts. It also strips off in one piece years later. If you are hanging it yourself, choose this.
- Traditional paper
- Pasted on the paper, then left to soak before hanging. It expands while wet and contracts as it dries, which is why seams open on a badly timed job. Cheaper, more forgiving of a curved wall, less forgiving of a beginner.
- Vinyl
- A plastic face on a paper or non-woven backing. Wipeable and tough, so it belongs in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. It does not breathe, which matters on a wall with any damp history.
- Textile, grasscloth and specialty
- Natural fibres, hand-applied. Batch variation is visible and deliberate, joins are always slightly apparent, and waste runs higher. Beautiful, expensive, and not a first project.
Reading the label
Almost everything is given as a symbol. The four that change a quantity estimate:
| Symbol | Means | Effect on quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Arrow pair, offset | Offset or drop match | Add roughly half a repeat per drop, or 15% overall |
| Arrow pair, level | Straight match | Every drop starts at the same point in the pattern |
| Arrows crossed out | Free match, no pattern | Trimming waste only — the cheapest to hang |
| Two arrows opposed | Reverse alternate drops | No quantity effect, but hang every other drop inverted |
The batch or lot number is also printed there, and it is the one you photograph. Colour drifts between production runs far more visibly on wallpaper than on tile, and a roll from a second order will show on the wall.
Roll sizes and the repeat
The European standard roll is 10.05 m long and 0.53 m wide — nominally 5.3 m² of wall. American rolls are wider and are usually sold as double or triple rolls, so the single-roll figure quoted in a price is often not what arrives.
That 5.3 m² is the number to distrust. A 2.7 m wall needs a 2.8 m drop once trimming is allowed, so a roll gives three drops and 1.65 m is lost before the pattern is considered. Add a repeat and each drop is rounded up to a whole number of repeats:
drop = ceil((wall height + trim) ÷ repeat) × repeat
| Repeat | Drop for a 2.7 m wall | Drops per roll |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 2.80 m | 3 |
| 53 cm | 3.18 m | 3 |
| 64 cm | 3.20 m | 3 |
| 90 cm | 3.60 m | 2 |
Note that a 53 cm repeat wastes less than a plain paper, because it happens to divide the roll more neatly. This is why the repeat is worth running through a calculation rather than assuming patterned always costs more.
Buying
- Buy every roll in one order and check the batch number matches across all of them.
- Buy one roll more than the calculation says on anything patterned. Running out mid-wall with a discontinued batch is the worst outcome available.
- Measure the wall height in three places; old rooms vary by centimetres and the drop must suit the tallest.
- Paste, lining paper and a seam roller are separate purchases. Non-woven needs wall paste specifically.
- Keep the last off-cut with the label. A repair needs both the paper and the batch number.
Roll dimensions vary by market; 10.05 × 0.53 m is the European standard. Always take the length, width and repeat from your own label before calculating.