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Sliding glass doors can be fantastic additions to any household. You can improve your home even further by seeking the right window treatments for sliding glass doors.

Pairing your sliding doors with the appropriate treatments is well worth your time. The benefits you can gain from creating those pairings will be useful now and long-term.

So, which window treatments should you pair with your sliding glass doors? You have numerous options to consider. Because of that, finding the right items can turn into a difficult task.

Allow us to help make the selection process a bit easier. We will highlight the best window treatments for sliding glass doors in this article. After you go through the top options available, you can pick out the ideal window treatment for your home.

Drapes

In search of a way to beautify your newly installed entry doors, you can try outfitting them with some drapes. You can use both curtains and drapes to cover glass doors, but we are choosing drapes because we want to take advantage of their length.

Drapes are great to use for this purpose because of how versatile they are.

It starts with your color options. Drapes are available in all colors, so you should find one that works with your current home décor. You can opt to contrast the drape’s colors with the rest of your home or create more harmony by choosing a complementary shade.

Drapes give you more control over your color scheme and that is part of the reason they appeal to so many homeowners.

You also have control over how thick your drapes are. That is important because the thickness of the drapes will affect natural lighting and your privacy.

Sheer drapes are useful because they allow plenty of natural light and air into your home. Unfortunately, they will not offer you much in the way of privacy. Save them for glass doors that do not directly face outdoor traffic.

Opaque drapes offer you plenty of privacy but will block natural light.

You must also look for drapes that use rings. These drapes are better suited for sliding glass doors because you can operate them easily. You will not fumble around with your drapes when you need to open or close them.

Vertical Blinds

Installing vertical blinds over your sliding glass doors is another option worth trying.

Vertical blinds are similar to drapes in terms of versatility. If you put the time in while shopping, you should find vertical blinds that match up with your sliding glass doors perfectly.

Carefully select the color for your vertical blinds so they can mesh well with your established décor. Pay attention to the material you are using as well because that can affect the overall appearance of the blinds.

Another factor you want to consider while selecting vertical blinds is the width of each slat. How wide are the slats, and will they suffice for your sliding glass doors? Nailing the proper width of the slats is crucial to creating the right type of setting.

You should be mindful of how the blinds operate. Ideally, you want to choose vertical blinds that you can easily operate since you will use them frequently.

Vertical blinds that allow for precise opening are also best for sliding doors. Thanks to that feature, you can control exactly how much natural light you allow into your home. You can easily adjust your vertical blinds based on your lighting needs.

We do not recommend horizontal blinds for sliding glass doors. When used in that position, the blinds will get in your way constantly. They will prevent smooth movement in and out of your home.

Save the horizontal blinds for your windows because they do not belong on your doors.

Vertical Cellular Shades

Next up, you can also choose to cover your sliding glass doors with vertical cellular shades. These window treatments are also known as honeycomb shades.

Cellular shades are made from one piece of fabric. It is a long piece of fabric that may be folded upon itself multiple times to create several layers. Homeowners can choose from single, double, or triple-layered cellular shades.

For many homeowners, the main selling point is they improve insulation.

According to the Department of Energy, tightly installed cellular shades can reduce heat loss through windows by around 40%  during the heating season. They can also reduce solar gain during cooling seasons by about 20%.

Given those impressive numbers, it is not hard to imagine how beneficial those cellular shades can be, even if you decide to use them on your sliding glass doors.

Although insulation is the number one reason most homeowners like cellular shades, you should not overlook their aesthetic appeal.

You can find honeycomb shades sold in different colors. Pick the right one that works well with your home décor so you can implement some functional design. Using honeycomb shades of different colors is also a valid option if you want to spice things up.

Pleat sizes also vary for cellular shades. The pleat size is an important factor to keep in mind because it significantly affects the appearance of your chosen window treatment. You want to choose a size that fits your sliding doors perfectly.

Do not forget about the thickness of the cellular shades. You can use that to control the amount of natural light that enters your home.

Install cellular shades that work on side tracks to ensure that you have complete coverage over your sliding glass doors.

Sliding Panels

Do you want treatment options that fit your sliding glass doors like a glove? If so, you should strongly consider picking up some sliding panels. These specially designed coverings pair incredibly well with those sliding doors.

Sliding panels are large fabric panels that mount onto the tracks. They almost work like additional panels that you add to the tracks next to your sliding doors.

These additions are quite interesting because they can essentially serve as replacement panels for your doors or windows. You can open up one of your doors and then cover it with a sliding panel to allow some light and air in. The panel should also stop insects from getting into your home.

On warm days, you can open your sliding doors and use the panels as layers of protection against insects and debris. You are still getting that fresh air and natural light, but you will not deal with unwanted pests.

Available material options for sliding panels are also quite plentiful. Think carefully about your choice of material because it will affect how well the panels facilitate the entry of cool air into your home. Your choice of material for the sliding panels will also affect their appearance.

Sliding panels will require considerably more maintenance than some of the other window treatment options we have mentioned in this article. That is because you will need to clean both the panels and the tracks.

If you are okay with taking on that additional maintenance work, then sliding panels should suit your home perfectly.

Shutters

You can also use shutters to decorate your sliding glass doors.

Shutters are remnants of old-fashioned design. They are large pieces of wood that they often cover in horizontal slats. The horizontal slats are also slightly angled to give shutters their trademark look.

Not too long ago, they almost always made shutters out of solid wood. While that kind of composition helped improve the strength of the shutters, it also meant that those treatments were vulnerable to the elements. Using wooden shutters to cover external sliding glass doors is not a good idea unless you want to replace them sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, they make shutters in this day and age out of materials other than solid wood.

Some of the shutters available today use composite, fiberglass, or vinyl. They mimic the appearance of wood, but they boast greater durability since they are not as vulnerable to the elements. You can use them to cover your sliding glass doors and be confident that they will remain intact.

Shutters are also great because they continually allow air in. You will find them useful if you live in a part of the country that gets warm weather most of the year.

Those shutters also give your home a more distinguished appearance. If you are going for a more traditional design, they should help.

You may also be surprised to learn that shutters now come in different designs. Sticking to the classic design is an option, but it is good to know that there are alternatives available if you want to feature something a bit unconventional.

Woven Wood Shades

Homeowners can also use woven wood shades to cover their sliding glass doors.

Woven wood shades do not look like they belong on doors or any other openings that you move frequently. It seems like they would be more at home with new windows that stay shut all the time.

These window treatments are perceived that way because of how they look. They appear delicate, so using them in a high-traffic area would seem like an obvious no-no.

Despite how they look, woven wood shades are quite durable. They typically make them from bamboo, rattan, and other natural woods. Although they look slim, they will not fray easily.

Woven wood shades are remarkably versatile from a design perspective. Add them to any home, and they will not look out of place.

If you want, you can also feature the woven wood shades at the heart of your interior design scheme. Use them to build that natural look that you have always wanted to feature. Pair them with pieces of wooden furniture to create a spectacular indoor setting.

Since these woven shades are wood, you may have assumed that your options are limited when it comes to color. You will be glad to know that this is not the case. Woven wood shades still come in different colors so you can match them with your established décor easily.

Make your sliding glass doors stand out by using woven wood shades to cover them.

Roman Shades

Last but not least, you can also choose Roman shades as the window treatments for sliding glass doors.

Roman shades often get confused with woven wood shades, but there are some notable differences between them. For instance, Roman shades do not need to be wood. According to Blinds.com, you may also see them fashioned out of materials such as cotton or silk.

Manufacturers of Roman shades also get more creative when they design those products. They will feature all kinds of patterns in the Roman shades to create something truly spectacular. Even if you are following a specific design scheme, you can find Roman shades that match it perfectly.

People also like Roman shades because of how customizable they are. You can change how they operate so they can work with your sliding glass doors more smoothly.

These window treatments are also available in a wide variety of sizes. Roman shades that are big enough to fit your newly installed sliding glass doors are out there. You only need to spend a bit more time searching for them.

Given the many features of Roman shades, you probably will not be surprised to learn that they can be pricey. It is up to you to decide if they are worth it for the sake of rounding out your home décor.

Transform your home by adding a stunning set of sliding glass doors. Here at North Shore Window Inc., we have the new doors and windows that you are looking for. Contact us today if you are interested in learning more about our selection of products.

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