How Much Does Wallpaper Cost

Painting the walls may be a good way to revamp the look of a room. However, paint has very limited decoration offers to rooms. More often than not, paint cannot offer different textures, patterns, and colors that you are eyeing for the walls. This is where wallpaper comes in. Installing wallpaper is one great way to enhance any room where you can play with different patterns, textures, and colors that are usually impossible to come up with paint. Plus, good quality wallpapers can serve your house for 15 to 25 years and some can even last longer. Hence, investing on wallpaper is never a bad idea.

The Cost Of Wallpaper

The typical cost of wallpaper is $15 to $50 per roll.

This refers to one roll of good quality basic style wallpaper. The surface can either be screen-printed, surface-printed, vinyl coated, vinyl, or custom-colored.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of Wallpaper

Type. The above-mentioned estimate refers to basic wallpapers. There are designer wallpaper options that are on the more expensive side. Designer wallpaper prices start at $30 and can go as high as $250 per roll. Some wallpapers also come with a built-in adhesive already. These wallpapers are more expensive as compared to dryback wallpapers or those that come with no adhesive.

Material. The quality of wallpapers for sale differs from one paper to another and their prices vary depending on their quality. High quality wallpapers are more expensive as compared to typical wallpapers that are either surface-printed or screen-printed. Wallpapers that are made from vinyl, vinyl-coated, and made with metals, glass, or cement are more expensive.

Style or pattern. Some wallpapers come with a very basic pattern. These wallpapers are on the cheaper side. There are, however, wallpapers with more intricate details such as a mural or a complex blend of patterns and borders. These wallpapers are more expensive to begin with. Though relatively bigger in size, a wallpaper mural costs from $200 to $2,000 depending on the design, size, and subject matter of the design.

Purchase. The store where you purchase the wallpaper can also affect prices as wallpaper costs vary from one store to another. There are some stores that can offer a discount for double and triple rolls as compared to buying a single wallpaper roll.

Additional Costs

Wallpaper installation is an extra cost in line with the purchase. Usual wallpaper installation costs range from $3 to $5 per square foot. Installation rates can go higher if the wallpaper to be installed is an expensive designer paper. This is true because mistakes are costly with expensive wallpaper installation.

You need to purchase adhesive for the installation. This is true even if the wallpaper comes pre-pasted.

Wallpaper borders are also an extra cost.

If you are trying to hang the wallpaper yourself, you'll likely need materials for the installation. Some of the things you need for the task include adhesive paste, acrylic primer, roller, wallpaper brush, utility knife, caulk, and the like.

If there is existing wallpaper installed in the room, wallpaper removal must be called for to give way to the installation of the new wallpaper.

Tips Before You Buy A Wallpaper

Shopping for wallpaper may sound easy. However, there are a lot of things you have to consider to make sure you will make the right purchase. First thing you have to do is measure the room. Take into account every wall that needs to be coated with paper. Making good measurements is important so you don't end up buying insufficient wallpaper for the project or buying too many rolls for the entire room.

It is important that the wallpaper of your choice will match or complement the rest of the elements in the room such as the flooring, furniture, and the like. You may want to get samples such as fabric swatches and paint chips and bring them with you when shopping for wallpaper so you can get a good view of how the wallpaper will look like with the elements of your room.

Consider the materials of the wallpaper before purchasing rolls after rolls of it for the project. The material must not only be easy to put up but as well as easy to clean. You must also find wallpaper that is easy to remove in case you want to redecorate the room in the future.

When shopping for wallpapers, make sure to get patterns and designs that are easily available. Keep in mind that future repairs may require you to purchase the same kind of wallpaper. If the availability of the wallpaper of your choice is in question, you'll likely suffer a mismatched wall or a complete need to install new wallpapers in the room.

You can find wallpapers that are at discounted rates, usually as low as $5 per roll. You will find them mostly in home improvement stores from time to time. However, keep in mind that most discounted wallpapers can be limited in number. Even if you have enough to cover the walls of a room, you must keep in mind possible repair needs in the future.

Photo by hey skinny

Finding The Perfect Wallpaper

The number of options of wallpaper in the market these days can be overwhelming. Indeed, it is very easy to make the wrong purchase and can be very difficult to find the best choice. This section of the article will help you choose among options of wallpapers today.

Material. Wallpapers come made from various materials. Each of the materials have their own set of pros and cons so you better know both sides of the story in every wallpaper material option.

**Material**	**Description**	**Clean**	**Hang**
**Embossed**	This is a textured paper that can be painted. It can cover walls with imperfections efficiently.	Easy	Easy
**Fabric**	This is a textile-based wallpaper. Installation reqires a special cleaer paste.	Difficult	Difficult
**Flocks**	This is a patterned wallpaper with velvet-like raised designs that can be either on vinyl or paper. Most flocks are not easy to handle  and are washable.	Moderate	Difficult
**Foils**	This is a metallic-looking wallpaper that reflects light. This can efficiently add brightness to a room. However, this type of wallpaper is best used only on walls with no flaws.	Easy	Difficult
**Grass Cloth**	This is woven from long strands of grass. However, this is usually difficult to remove.	Difficult	Difficult
**Vinyl**	This is the most common type of wallpaper because it is easy to clean, easy to handle, and easy to install.	Easy	Easy

Pattern. Patterns in the wallpaper determine the created effect it offers to the room. Here are the three wallpaper patterns and how they can be effectively used: - Vertical. The pattern is arranged vertically. With its effect, it can make the ceiling appear higher. However, this must not be used on walls that are not perfectly vertical or square. - Horizontal. This works to make a room appear wider. Hence, wallpapers with this kind of pattern can work for smaller rooms. - Drop. The patterns here repeat diagonally across the strip. This is a good choice for rooms that are not perfectly squared. However, this may require additional paper to match up the pattern on a complete wall.

Installation. There are three different kinds of wallpaper depending on the hanging process they promote. - Pre-pasted. This wallpaper is pre-coated with adhesive already. To hang this type of wallpaper, a special activator or simply water is needed. - Self-adhesive. This wallpaper has a backing that, when peeled, is ready to stick in place. Hanging this type of wallpaper requires no paste, activator, or even water. - Non-pasted or dryback. This has no adhesive or pre-paste so adhesive is required for hanging. The manufacturer usually specifies the right adhesive to use for best results.

Removal. Dryback wallpaper is basically the most difficult to remove. However, pre-pasted and self-adhesive wallpapers are easier to handle during removal. There are strippable wallpapers that can be removed even without the use of chemicals or water. If you start at one corner of the paper, it will easily pull away from the wall. On the other hand, there are peelable wallpapers that can be removed the same way, only that there is usually a thin layer of the wallpaper that can remain on the wall after pulling it off. The remaining paper, however, can be completely removed using soap and water.

Use. If you need wallpaper for bathrooms, moisture-resistant ones are the best options. Go for stain-resistant wallpapers for hallway, children's room, and kitchen use.