What Is Solution Dyed Nylon Carpet? Pros, Cons and Wool Compared

Solution dyed nylon carpet is nylon that gets its colour while the nylon is still liquid, before it is spun into fibre. The colour runs right through every strand instead of sitting on the outside. That is why it resists fading in sun, and why you can clean it hard without leaving pale patches.

You will often see it shortened to SDN. Most of the Belgotex carpet ranges Adore supplies in Sydney are made from it, so this guide uses their product specs to show what it means on a real floor.

How solution dyeing works

Nylon starts as small pellets. They are melted and pushed through a plate with fine holes, called a spinneret, to form the fibre.

In solution dyeing, pigment goes into the melted nylon before it reaches the spinneret. The finished fibre is coloured all the way through, like a carrot rather than a radish.

Conventional nylon carpet is made the other way round. The fibre is produced undyed and coloured later, after it is spun or tufted. That colour sits around the outside of each strand, so harsh cleaners and years of strong sun can strip it.

There is an environmental side too. Belgotex state that their solution dyeing uses no water, because there is no dye bath.

What solution dyed nylon does well

• Colour that holds in sun. Belgotex describe their SDN ranges as fade proof under Australian sun. A north facing room with big windows is where you notice it.
• Room to clean hard. The product notes for our Alexandria range say spills can be cleaned aggressively, including with diluted bleach, without stripping the colour. Check the care guide for your own range first.
• Spills you can lift. Because the colour is already part of the fibre, most water based spills sit on the surface long enough to be blotted up.
• Wear. Westminster, Baltimore, Naples, Alexandria and Parkview Gardens are all rated Extra Heavy Duty Residential, the top grade for a home.

The downsides to know about

SDN is a synthetic fibre. If you want a natural floor, it will not give you one.

It also lacks the natural flame resistance of wool. Belgotex test their nylon ranges to the Australian standard instead, and Westminster carries an AS ISO 9239-1 fire rating.

Oily dirt clings to nylon, so traffic lanes still need regular vacuuming. Pale plush colours can show shading and vacuum lines as well. A lower, denser pile such as Naples at 9.0mm moves less and shows fewer marks than a deep plush.

Stain resistant is also different from stain free. Red wine or oil left overnight can leave a residue that needs a proper clean.

Solution dyed nylon vs wool carpet

This is the comparison most people are weighing up. The table uses the specs of ranges in our own carpet collection.

	Solution dyed nylon	Wool
How the colour gets in	Added to the liquid nylon, so it runs through the fibre	Dyed after the fibre is grown and spun
Bleach on spills	Allowed on some ranges, such as Alexandria	Not suitable
Underfoot	Soft, with the feel set by pile height	Natural crimp helps the pile spring back
Fire	Tested to AS ISO 9239-1	Naturally flame resistant
Roll width in our range	4.0m	3.66m (Auburn Ridge)
Longest warranty in our range	20 years residential (Westminster, Baltimore)	15 years residential (Auburn Ridge)

Wool has one more trick. It takes up moisture in damp weather and gives it back when the air dries, which evens out a room's humidity.

Our Auburn Ridge wool carpet is made in Australia from 100% wool, in an 11.5mm braided loop. Its 3.66m roll matters in big rooms. Anything wider than that needs a seam, where a 4.0m nylon roll might have avoided one.

So pick wool for its feel and for a natural fibre. Pick SDN where cleaning and fading worry you more, such as rentals, sunny rooms and homes with pets.

Solution dyed nylon ranges at Adore

These Belgotex ranges in our carpet collection are 100% solution dyed nylon. Ratings and warranties come from each product's specs.

• Westminster: 9.5mm plush cut pile in Premium SDN. Heavy Duty Commercial as well as residential, with a 20 year residential warranty. Belgotex point to its sound absorption, which helps in apartments and upstairs bedrooms.
• Baltimore: 10mm patterned cut pile in Premium SDN. The two-tone fleck is tufted in, and it hides crumbs and pet hair well. Same ratings and warranty as Westminster.
• Parkview Gardens: 12.5mm cut pile with a fleck through the yarn. Medium Duty Commercial, 15 years residential.
• Alexandria: 11mm scroll loop with a fine linear texture. Heavy Duty Commercial, 15 years residential.
• Naples: 9mm low, dense cut pile. A home carpet, rated Light Duty Commercial only, with 15 years residential.

Not every carpet we sell is nylon. Some Access International ranges, such as Noranda Avenue, are polyester (PET), which costs less but is less springy than nylon.

Where SDN makes the most sense

It earns its keep anywhere the floor gets hard use or hard light.

• Rentals and investment properties. Tenants clean with whatever is under the sink.
• Homes with pets and young kids. Spills and accidents can be scrubbed without fading the spot.
• North and west facing rooms. Big glass and afternoon sun bleach surface dyed carpet over time.
• Stairs and hallways. A flecked or patterned SDN hides the wear path down the middle.
• Offices, hotels and shops. Check the commercial rating first. Westminster and Baltimore are Heavy Duty Commercial; Naples is not built for it.

Commercial carpet tiles are often solution dyed too. Our Lakeside and Mystique tiles are 100% SDN in 50cm squares, so one damaged tile can be lifted and swapped. Our guide to commercial carpet tiles covers backings and ratings.

How to clean solution dyed nylon carpet

Vacuum high traffic areas a couple of times a week. That stops grit cutting the fibre and oily dirt building into grey lanes.

For a spill, blot straight away with a white cloth and warm water. Work from the outside in and do not rub, because rubbing frays the tips of a cut pile.

A carpet spot cleaner handles most marks that water leaves behind. Save bleach for ranges whose care guide allows it, dilute it, and test on an offcut first.

A professional hot water extraction clean every year or two lifts the dirt that vacuuming leaves at the base of the pile.

What does solution dyed nylon carpet cost?

Adore's published supply price for carpet is $25 to $65 per m2, and each range shows its own price on the product page. Installation with standard 8mm underlay is $25 per m2, charged on the carpet cut from the roll rather than the floor area.

Stairs, removing the old floor and slab work are priced at the free measure. Our guide on how much carpet costs covers prices per m2 and per room.

We supply and lay carpet for Sydney homes and commercial premises through our regular installers. See every nylon and wool range in our carpet collection, or book a free measure and quote.