Figuring wallpaper requires a bit of math
Q: How many rolls of wallpaper will be needed for a room 16 by 16 feet with 16-foot ceilings, 30 yards per roll, 53 inches wide?!!
A: The room you describe contains 1,024 square feet (each wall is 16 feet wide times 16 feet high times four walls).
What you’re asking about is a full commercial roll of wallpaper, known as a bolt. A full bolt is typically 30 yards long by 54 inches wide.
That translates to 90 feet times 4.5 feet, which is 405 square feet.
Your room is 1,024 square feet, so you would need three bolts (1,024 divided by 405 equals 2.53, so you'd have to round up to 3).
For people dealing with standard rolls of wallpaper, the average single roll of wallpaper contains 28 square feet, and the average double roll contains 56 square feet.
For calculation purposes, I typically figure coverage of 25 and 50 square feet, respectively. So for your room, you would need 41 single rolls or 21 double rolls.
In either case, that does not take into consideration doorways or windows, which could reduce how much you need. On the other hand, if the paper has a wide pattern match, it could increase how much you need.
With wallpaper, you always want to order more than you need. You never want to run short and be faced with having to buy more, because it may no longer be available, or the dye lot may have changed and the new rolls may be a noticeably different shade from the old rolls.
Q: So I came across your “do’s and don’ts” column for dryer venting. While you hit everything and, as an electrician, I understood everything you wrote, I could still use a little help.
My dryer is in a tough location, and I’ve been getting all types of false info. I bought a house that was built in the ’60’s and it seems as though the woman was venting her dryer right next to the location where the dryer was sitting into a “ventless dryer box,” which seems to be wrong, like you’ve said.
The dryer is located in my finished basement, which is about 40 feet from an exterior wall that would take two 90-degree bends to get outside. Another route could be into my garage, which is right on the other side of the dryer, which is cinder-blocked walls and the ceiling has Sheetrock.
So what are your thoughts on this? I’m in a tough situation, just trying to get this done the smart way so I don’t burn my house down!
A: First of all, I applaud you for wanting to do this right! A lot of people would stick with what the previous homeowner had done, or at best simply vent it into the garage and call it good.
You mentioned that the first route through the basement was 40 feet with two 90s. You didn’t say how long the second run was, but if it’s straight across the garage I’m going to assume something around 26 to 30 feet, and probably with limited bends. So if that’s correct, the route across the garage would be preferable.
The actual installation will be dependent on the site conditions, but you’re in the trades and you sound like you know a lot about construction, so it shouldn’t be a difficult DIY project for you.
Here are my suggestions:
• Consult with the manufacturer of your dryer to see the maximum length of vent allowed, including any elbows. You might need a booster fan, but I’m thinking probably not.
• You might need to have a company that does concrete cutting and boring come out and bore a 4-inch hole through the cinder block to accommodate the duct.
• Use 4-inch galvanized duct work throughout, and terminate it outside the house with a louvered dryer duct. Everything you need is available at any home center or hardware store.
• Wherever the duct runs through spaces that could fall below 32 degrees, insulate the outside of the duct with fiberglass insulation to prevent freezing of the condensation inside.
Have a home repair or remodeling question for Paul? He can be reached by email at improvingyourhome@ykwc.net.
With wallpaper, you always want to order more than you need. You never want to run short and be faced with having to buy more.