Vertical blinds

The case for verticals

On a four- or five-metre sliding door, most blinds become an engineering problem. A vertical does not: the weight hangs from a track, each vane is independent, and the whole thing draws off to one side like a curtain. For wide glass, a large office window or a sunroom, it remains the most economical way to get real light control across a big span.

Tilting the vanes towards the low afternoon sun cuts the glare while keeping a view through the gaps — useful in a Menlo Park family room where the garden is the reason the door is there in the first place.

Practical notes

• 89mm and 127mm vane widths; the wider vane reads calmer on a very big opening.
• Fabric, and washable PVC where the door goes out to a pool.
• Draw left, right or to the centre — specified at the measure so the stack lands where you actually walk.
• Weighted hems and chain-linked bottoms keep the vanes hanging true; child-safe wand control available.
• Also works well in a shaped or angled window where a horizontal blind cannot follow the line.

When we would suggest something else

If the room is formal, or the door is the main event of a living space, a panel blind gives the same coverage with a much cleaner line. If heat is the real complaint rather than light, deal with it outside the glass with a zip screen or an awning and use the internal blind for privacy only.