Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Carpet Dye: What You Should Know

If you want your carpets to take on a new look and don't want to spend the money to replace them you should consider carpet dye. It's a low cost alternative that will give your carpet a total face lift.

Both nylon and wool carpets can be dyed. Polyester, polypropylene, and acrylic cannot be dyed. The current color of your carpet will determine what color you can dye your carpet. For example if your carpet is red and yellow dye and you would get an orange carpet. Of if your carpet was blue and you added red you would get a purple carpet. White and light beige carpet can be dyed any color but you can never get a deep black. You can never go lighter when dying carpet, only darker.

There are two common methods used to dye carpet. One is by spraying the dye using a want that produces between 150 and 500 pounds of pressure. If you are performing a total color change this method can have some issues with penetration.

The second method is to apply the dye with a rotary scrubber which has nylon bristles. The machine is moved across the carpet in an overlapping pattern so no areas are missed. You need a great deal of experience to get a professional look but the penetration is excellent and its' the best method of the two.

You must be sure to use professional carpet dye to ensure your carpet dye job works. Just like a bad hair dye you can get a bad carpet dye too. Fiber pro dyes are designed to work on nylon, wool, and carpets that have a stain resistant coating. The colors are bright and they are fade resistant. You need to know what the material of your carpet is and ensure that it is capable of being dyed. Because dying a carpet is a complex procedure it would be in your best interest to have a professional come into your home, have a look, and let you know if your carpet can be dyed, how well it will take, and how much it will cost.

If you are having touch up work done a professional will use a match system to match up the color as close as possible. Automobiles often have their carpeting dyed and the professionals will match the carpet as close as possible to the original.

When the carpet dye is applied it is applied to the surface and the lightly brushed into the nap. The professional will know the exact amount of dye to apply to your carpet to obtain the color choice. To find a good professional make some calls to local carpet dealers. Remember you can use carpet dying to do touch up on spots that have had color discoloration or removal due to bleach.

Carpet dying is truly an art form. If you are going to give it a try yourself and eliminate the cost of the professionals I encourage you to get some scrap carpet, hopefully in a similar color to what you are going to dye, and then practice, and practice some more. If you feel confident you can do it, go for it. But remember the cost of the professional might be a good investment of money because you could wreck your entire carpet.

Carpet dye is an excellent way to give your carpet an affordable face lift and get a few more years out of it. It's also a good choice if you have changed your decor and your carpets no longer fit. So be sure to call a professional to find out more about the carpet dye option.

John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit the carpet rugs website.

No comments: