Patio Doors: Covering Solutions
Patio and sliding glass doors are a beautiful feature in any home or rental home. They do come with some considerations when you are choosing window coverings as all do not work well in this situation.
Window Cover Ideas for Sliding Glass Doors
Sliding glass doors connect your inside and outside worlds while making it easy to access the outdoors and open them for some fresh air on nice days. Your sliding glass doors may be a separate interior feature on their own to enhance your overall indoor appearance or they may frame a stunning view of a beach or other natural beauty. The sheer size of patio doors enhances the spaciousness of any room, making them a great choice for a kitchen, patio, bedroom, or living room feature.
Sliding glass doors beg to be dressed so you can block out harsh UV rays of the sun, have a cooler interior that is energy efficient, and have privacy. You have many choices when you are searching for new window coverings for patio doors that will work out perfectly.
Difficulties/Considerations in Decorating Sliding Glass Doors
Sliding glass doors can be a challenge to cover with window shading products that will work well and not impede the functionality of the door when it’s opened and closed.
Your window treatment of choice will need to fit into a narrow windowsill so you want to choose something that will not protrude much from the glass when it’s installed. This allows the window treatment to lie behind the handle or lever on your sliding glass doors.
Most blinds for patio doors are installed as an outside mount so they don’t impede the door functions when it’s opened and people are walking through it.
Window treatments made of any type of fabric that hangs from a drapery rod can be installed high on the wall above the doors and quite a few inches wider than the doors. This allows you to push the fabric to the sides to open it and they will not cover any of the glass when fully opened. You also don’t want a thicker fabric or a very long and piddling fabric that may trip people when they are using the doorway.
Window Covering Ideas for Sliding Glass Doors
Certain styles of window coverings work best with patio or sliding glass doors. Since the doors slide horizontally, your window treatments should do the same to make it easier to operate them. The original window treatment of choice is traditionally vertical blinds; however, you now have many other newer and innovative window treatments for this area in your home or rental home from which to choose.
Vertical Cellular Shades
Cellular or honeycomb shades are a great solution for energy efficiency on large expanses of glass. They trap air next to the glass in tiny pockets when closed and they stack tightly together when your shade is open to give you a clean and unobstructed view. You can choose from a vast amount of pleat sizes, patterns, colors and textures. You can use one vertical cellular shade to cover the entire sliding glass door or two that work independently of each other for even more light and heat control. There are also several opacities from which to choose to filter light or block it entirely. This type of window covering also gives you the flexibility of using light filtering and room darkening fabrics on the same shade that are operated independently for the ultimate in light control.
New Versions of Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds have come a long way from the earlier types that were made of aluminum and only available in white and off-white. You can now purchase custom vertical blinds in vinyl, fabric and aluminum in a wide range of colors, textures, and panel styles. Flat vertical panels offer a contemporary and sleek appearance that maximizes your views. Soft vertical blinds offer you the appearance of drapery folds for a soft appearance with excellent sound absorption and they operate very smoothly.
Vertical Privacy Sheers
This type of patio door covering is a cross between vertical blinds and sheer drapes. It features soft fabric vanes that are attached to a piece of sheer face fabric. You can tilt the vanes open to diffuse natural light in your home as well as open them horizontally. The diffusion of natural light creates a soft ambiance n the room, you have hundreds of textures, patterns and colors from which to choose so you can match them to any decor in your home.
Vertical Woven Wood Shades
Woven wood shades are beautifully handcrafted from bamboo, reeds, grasses, and natural woods. They are an eco-friendly choice and they fit in the island theme while adding beautiful texture to your sliding glass doors. Since they are made from natural fibers, they will hold up for many years to come in a variety of weather conditions without warping. They are engineered to minimize bowing, breaking, fading, and stretching as well for a very durable window covering.
Beautiful and Timeless Plantation Shutters
Plantation shutters may not immediately come to mind when you are searching for sliding glass door window coverings. They do have major benefits of being energy efficient, extremely durable and constructed to last for many years. You can choose real wood or composite wood and a variety of louver sizes to match the level of lighting, privacy and ventilation that you wish. Custom plantation shutters can be mounted to open and close like a bi-fold door or in a bypass style where the shutter panels slide on a track and stack neatly behind each other.
Draperies for Sliding Glass Doors
Draperies always add a touch of elegance to any patio doors, especially if they are large. If you want a light and airy appearance in your draperies, choose a sheer fabric. You can always start dressing your sliding glass doors with another window treatment first next to the glass for more light and temperature control and then add any type of fabric draperies or side panels that you like. There are endless design options with so many textures patterns and styles from which to choose to match your decor seamlessly.
You have many different choices of window treatments when you are searching for a dressing on a sliding glass door. Keep in mind that you want your door to be fully functional and coordinate with the rest of your home or rental house. Other than that–the sky’s the limit.
