How to read a wallcovering spec sheet before you place the order
Width, repeat, match type, washability, and the run number decide whether an order goes smoothly. A quick tour of the lines on the spec that actually matter.
The spec sheet is the contract between what you picture and what shows up on the pallet, and most ordering problems trace back to a line nobody read. It takes two minutes to check, and it settles questions that are expensive to answer after the rolls arrive.
Width and roll length come first, because they drive the roll math and tell you how many seams the room will have. A wider width means fewer seams and less matching waste, which is why commercial goods often run 54 inches wide. Note whether the length is quoted per single or per double roll so you are comparing like with like.
The pattern repeat is listed as a vertical measurement, and often a horizontal one too. The match type sits next to it: straight (or straight-across), drop (usually half-drop), or random. A random match — common on grasscloth, stripes, and some textures — needs no vertical alignment and wastes almost nothing, while a large half-drop is the hungriest for material. If the sheet says 'reverse hang alternate strips,' that is a real installation instruction that keeps shading even, not a suggestion.
Washability and durability are usually given as a classification rather than prose. Many goods are rated under ASTM F793, which runs from Category I (decorative only) through Category III (decorative with high serviceability) and on to Categories IV, V, and VI, which correspond to the Type I, Type II, and Type III commercial grades scored on scrubbability, abrasion, and stain resistance. A powder room can live with a Category II paper; a kitchen, a bath, or a hallway with children wants a Category V or VI vinyl, and that category, not the pattern, should decide the purchase.
Watch for a few flags that change the order. 'Untrimmed' or 'selvage' means the installer trims the edges by hand and double-cuts the seams, which is normal on better goods but adds labor. 'Paste the wall' versus 'paste the paper' tells you the substrate type and how it hangs. And the run, batch, or dye-lot number is the line to confirm on the packing slip against every roll: same pattern, same color name, different run can still read as two shades on one wall.
If any line is missing or ambiguous, ask before ordering, not after. A one-email question about repeat or run number is free; a wall hung from two dye lots is a redo.