blind options for sliding & bifold doors?

Read our helpful guide to deciding what blinds are best for your sliding or bifold doors. 

vertical blinds in sliding & bifold doors

Fabric vertical blinds have long been the go to window covering when it comes to glass sliding doors, bifold doors and large glass windows.  Our made to measure vertical blinds are a light, hardy and cost effective window treatment for these situations.  Up to 5 metres in width they seamlessly cover very wide doors and windows.  They can stack completely out of the way either to left or right, or they can be split in the middle to stack evenly on both sides providing unobstructed views.  They can also be fitted to the outside of the door frame so that the blinds stack to the outside of the frame and do not obstruct the doorway. However, if you feel that vertical blinds aren’t the look you are after you can also use roller blinds on sliding & bifold doors.

roller blinds in sliding & bifold doors

You might not think of using a roller blind on a sliding or bifold door but you will be pleasantly surprised at how functional they are and how fabulous they look.  Made to measure roller blinds are being used more and more for this application and are perfect when there is limited space to stack a curtain or blind on the sides of the door.  You can also maximise your window size as the blinds roll up to the top of the door frame, thereby making your room look bigger. If you have a large slider area you will most likely need multiple blinds that split at the point of the mullions.  This gives you a lot of versatility with light control putting some blinds up and leaving some down as shown in the image to the right. Depending upon the room you may want to go with either a sunscreen or blackout (standard or thermal) fabric.  Sunscreen fabric allows light to enter the room when the blinds are down during the day and the blackout fabrics are great for bedrooms or rooms where you want to minimise the amount of light entering the room such as an entertainment room. The clean lines of roller blinds always offer a very contemporary look, but if you want to soften or add a layered look to your window treatments try using dual blinds or curtains over roller or venetian blinds for extra protection and privacy.

measuring sliding and bifold doors

If you have a large window, sliding or bifold door you will need to carefully consider what type of blinds you wish to install in the window. Alternatively, one of our consultants can come to your home anywhere in the Auckland region and take you through the various options as well as working through all the fitting and measuring complexities for you. The key considerations for fitting and measuring blinds in sliding or bifold doors are as follows:

• Is there sufficient room on the inside of the door frame so that when the door slides or opens it does not hit the blind – take special notice of the sliding door frame.
• Will the door handle interfere with the operation of the blinds when the blinds are opened or closed.
• Should the sliding or bifold door area be split into two or three blinds so that the blind covering the sliding door can be operated independently of the other blind(s).
• As a general rule have the chain side or vertical blind stacking on the opposite side of the door opening so that they do not get caught in the wind when the door is open.
• If the door can be used as an external entry point to the house you may want to consider having the chain / control side of the blind on the side where the door opens so that the blind can be opened when entering the house through the sliding door or bifold.
• For vertical blinds allow for any mats / rugs that may be placed on the floor when measuring the drop (height)
• The blinds will reduce the headroom in the sliding or bifold door to some degree. When the blind is raised (or stacked to the side in the case of vertical blinds) will this create any problems for people walking in and out of the sliding or bifold door.  Depending upon the blind the reduction in headroom is approximately as follows:
  - Roller blinds: 70mm
  - Vertical blinds: 50mm
  - Wooden or synthetic wood blinds: up to 260mm depending on sliding door drop (height)

Sometimes it may be necessary to fit the blind(s) to the outside of the door frame or wall to achieve adequate clearance.  Please refer to our ‘How to measure your window for blinds page for further information. Need more assistance?  Request a no obligation in-home consultation now!