Shades Versus Blinds For Patio And Sliding Glass Doors

Patio Door Blinds and Shades

Patio door blinds and shades diffuse light to protect furniture from sun damage while offering privacy and energy efficiency. Horizontal blinds made from wood, metal or vinyl can be heavy, difficult to lift and do not work well for doors. Shades differ slightly from vertical blinds as shades may have wider vertical panels and some ultra sheer shades connect directly to the patio door. Most blinds rotate vertically allowing a view to the patio. Most shades do not rotate but may have panels that draw back to allow a view of the patio and reveal the doors.

Cellular Shades Insulate Beautifully

Cellular shades have insulating properties making this style the most energy efficient patio door shades available. Cells trap air, creating a heat barrier that traps heat inside the home during winter. The same cellular pattern works to keep outdoor heat out of the home during the summer, which can lower energy bills. Honeycomb cellular fabrics work the best to reduce UV light that can damage flooring, artwork and furnishings. Cellular shades also work to reduce noise from the outdoors and provide maximum privacy. Sheer cells allow the most light to pass, while the semi opaque cells allow only some light to pass. Dark or blackout fabrics reduce the amount of light the most and provide the greatest privacy.

How Shades and Blinds Open and Close

Innovative shade styles now have a vertical draw making shades a new choice as patio door treatments. There are two types of panel tracks available that allow shades or vertical blinds to be opened at one side or in the middle. One-way draw slides the shades or blinds along a track from one side to the other side without an opening in the center. Split draw has two sides with an opening in the middle that allows the shades or blinds to cover one side of the sliding patio door, the other side or open both sides. A cord controls the draw to open or close the shades or blinds, and the chain rotates the blinds.

Patio Door Shades Add Soft Style

Buy patio door shades when you want to merge the softness of sheer material drapes with the shading supplied by vertical blinds. Two sheer vertical blind brands available are Bali and Comfortex. Bali’s Sheer Enhancement collection has four different fabrics available in several textures and weights. Each fabric is available in white and off-white colors to add a soft appearance that matches sheer window drapes. Comfortex offers affordable sheer vertical patio door blinds with light diffusing properties in a vast selection of colors and textures.

Ultra Sheer Solar Shades

Solar shades are an ultra sheer fabric shade and blind style that allows a specific amount of sunlight into the home. Levelor has solar screen shades for sliding patio doors in three percent, five percent and 10 percent light admittance. Three percent allows the most amount of light into the room, while 10 percent is the least light admittance. Panel tracks open and close ultra sheer solar shades for sliding glass doors, making it easy to match patio door treatments with solar shade window treatments.