How To Pick The Best Window Treatment for Sliding Doors in Southern California
When homeowners look for the best window treatments for Southern California homes, sliding doors can sometimes get forgotten. That’s bad news, since picking the right window treatment for your sliding door could be more important than anywhere else, given how much they are utilized and the potential visual accent they can offer your space.
Sunburst Shutters Southern CA is ready to lend a hand in finding the best window treatment for the sliding door in your home. Let’s first look at the most important considerations to bear in mind for sliding door products, and then look more closely at specific options that may work in your space.
Sliding Door Window Treatment Priorities
Keep the following aspects in mind when looking for your ideal sliding door window treatment:
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Longevity: Doors tend to be busier than windows, so pick a treatment that can handle the usage.
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Orientation: Sliding doors move horizontally, while typically windows operate vertically. Be mindful that your window treatment doesn’t obstruct the usage of the door, bearing in mind the amount of space is available to the sides of the door.
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Light & Privacy: Sliding glass doors are fairly big in comparison to most windows, so a window treatment that offers great control over light and privacy is important.
Our Top Treatments for Sliding Doors
Polywood Plantation Shutters
The first window treatment we’ll look at is also the solution we recommend most highly. Plantation shutters meet each of the requirements for a great sliding door treatment. In particular, Sunburst Polywood® plantation shutters are a fantastic option. Polywood will never discolor or fade, so your house preserves that classic, elegant feel. Plantation shutters are also very energy-efficient, granting you the greatest control of light and heat entering your home.
Possibly the biggest strength of shutters when it comes to sliding doors is their resilience. Sliding doors will usually be opened and shut much more than windows, so the ability to stand up to repeated usage is key. Polywood shutters are immune to breaking, warping, or cracking, so you can be sure that no matter how heavily-trafficked your sliding door is, your shutters will last for years.
Vertical Blinds for Sliding Doors
Another common choice for sliding doors in Southern California is vertical blinds. Like their name implies, these blinds hang vertically, suspended from a track mounted atop your sliding door. If you have a certain color palette you want to follow, vertical blinds would be a good option for you, as they’re sold in a variety of different colors, materials and patterns. You can further customize with a cord tilt, wand, or automatic mechanism to make adjusting them easy.
Bear in mind though that there may be a couple disadvantages with vertical blinds. They tend to not block nearly as much light as shutters will, even when the blinds are completely closed. Blinds also have a tendency to sway, which means less privacy when closed. Blinds are also infamous for breaking if subjected to constant usage.
Panel Tracks for Sliding Doors
Sliding panel tracks are primarily chosen for larger windows, making your sliding glass door a great spot for a beautiful panel track installation. With their capacity to control light and privacy and effortless operation, panel tracks are ideal for sliding doors in rooms in which you’ll entertain guests.
Basically, panel tracks are individual wide panels of material that adjust on a track—like very wide vertical blinds, although they only open and shut, meaning they don’t tilt. They can be purchased in a variety of materials, from wood to natural fibers to fabrics and beyond - so you can find a panel track that goes with your Southern California home’s style.
Depending on the dimensions and orientation of your sliding door, you can select arrangements for a sliding panel track so it can open from one end or in the center, so you can add function to your fashion.
