The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
HOW TO MEASURE
FOR WALL PAPER
Modern Tendency Is to Bring the Win
dow Treatment to Floor with
Panel of Wood Beneath.

Inquiries such as these are frequently
made, says the Delineator: "WM yoJ
please tell me how to measure a room
for wall papers? Are the rolls stand
ardized? Where should the picture-
molding be placed?'
All American wall papers are stand
ardized on the basis of a single roll con-
tanning thirty-six square feet. exclusive
OF the margins left for trimming. Prices
are all based on this unit, which the
dealers call a piece" Unfortunately for
! the layman, the term single rolf is
misleading; it does not mean the finished
roll you buy-that may be double, OF
triple, or quadrupIe roll. Suppose, for
the purposes Of measuring, we use the
term piece" A single roll, then, Is a
roll that contains one piece or thirty
| six square feet A double roll contains
two pieces, and so on. Always ask the
dealer how many pieces there are to the
roll when you have selected your wall
paper, because the longer the roll the
smaller will be the waste of short
lengths. The widths usually sold are IS,
| 2, 90. and 36 inches.
The mistake people often make when
measuring for wall papers is that they
forget they are not measuring for a
fabric. You can estimate exactly how
many yards of curtain stuff you will
need, for instance, because you can buy
fifty yards OF it in one piece If neces-
sary. and there will be practically no
waste. But wall papers come in short
rolls, and there is the inevitable waste
OF short ends to be reckoned with.
Important TO Know.
1t is quite important to remember the
length OF the roll when you are measur-
ing the room Suppose your side wall
requires strips nine feet long. and you
are using a 36-inch paper four yards
long. You will get only one long strip
and a leftover piece Of three feet out OF
each roll. The leftover scrap will be
useless unless you have an accidental
space beneath a window or above
door. It is best to be safe and order
few rolls too many il you are doing
your own estimating.
II the paper you use has a large fig
ure. you will have to allow for much
greater waste than If the paper is plain.
Suppose the repeat of the figure is
eighteen inches; you will have 10 allow
not eighteen inches extra, but thirty-siX
because the larger figure the more
wasteful at dashboard and picture rail
Multiply the length by the height OF
each wall to get the number of square
feet. and add the totals OF course. il
your room is square, it is obvious that
YOU have TO measure only one wall, and
multiply it by four. but there aren't
many such rooms nowadays. Divide the
number of square feet by thirty-six, and
you will have the number of single rolls
required For every single door and ordi-
nary window you can eliminate one-half
a single roll.
Allow for Matching Seams.
Do not deduct anything for the base
board space or frieze space, for you will
Of seams. sc. OF course, if the room
has a high wainscoting or paneling. you
measure only the space above it, but the
| ordinary Dashboard is not deep enough
to make an aPpreciable difference.
The best place for a picture molding
| is in line with the top Of the doors The
modern tendency seems to be to bring
the window treatment to the floor by
using a paneling of wood beneath the
sill. and to carry the tops Of doors and
windows TO a fixed line-the molding
| line. Thus the walls are divided into
rectangular spaces, and the decorative
effect Of a good paper is enhanced. 4
plain paper has the dignity of a panel
when so used. and one OF the foliage,
tapestry, or landscape papers becomes
as distinguished as a length of tapestry.