French and Patio Door Window Treatments

The majority of homes have some form of glass door leading to the backyard, outside patio area, deck, or balcony. These patio doors generally fall into three categories: French doors, sliding doors and single doors with panes of glass. For each type there are certain window treatments that work the best in terms of style and function. It can be very difficult to find the right door window treatment that matches the décor of your home and provides the appropriate operating features to meet the needs of your room. This article will offer some very helpful information on which door window treatments are available and which ones should be used depending on the type of glass, patio door.

french doors with screens

French doors, which consist of two glass doors opening in the middle, are very tricky to decorate. The problem with finding window treatments for French doors is the positioning of the handles, which makes them stick out. To overcome this problem of protruding decorative handles choose a window treatment that will hang flush against the door. Some possible window treatments that will fit snug against French doors are roller shades with standard roll option and one inch wood blinds. Both of these window coverings are not too deep and therefore will not interfere with the use of the handles. Another concern with decorating French doors is how often you will be adjusting the blinds or shades. If you will be opening the French door blinds or shades frequently you will want something that is easy to use and if you will be leaving them closed you can add brackets to hold the bottom closed.

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Sliding glass doors generally slide from one side of the door frame to the other. If your patio door slides side to side, you'll want a window treatment that mirrors this side to side operation. Since there is a wide variety of sliding glass door window treatments that operate this way, it's simple to cater to your existing home decor. For example, many fabrics choices for panel track blinds are also available as roller shades or roman shades. Also, keep in mind how you want the patio door blinds or shades to stack when they are open. They can stack on either side or both if the sliding glass door window treatment opens down the middle. If you want the stack of vanes or slats to be fully off the window when gathered, you will need to add extra width so they will leave an unobstructed view. This is very important for the aesthetic of your window.

Single doors with glass panels are also decorated with window treatments. The main factor with this kind of patio door is the size of the internal window. If it spans the entire door then you should use either a vertical door blind or shade. These panes of glass leave your home vulnerable to the outside weather. To insulate this glass you will need to use cellular shades otherwise known as honeycomb shades. For smaller windows you may only need a horizontal mini blind or a small faux wood blind.

Overall, blinds and shades are hard to pair with patio doors and hopefully this article provides useful information for those in the buying process. Always remember to keep in mind both style and function when choosing your door blinds.

French and Patio Door Window Treatments

Whether your patio doors are French doors, sliding doors, or single doors with glass panels, there are a variety of door window treatments including door blinds and door shades that will look and function beautifully.

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French Door Window Treatments - Getting the Best Curtains For Your French Doors

There are many French door window treatments available today and this is why it's not an easy task going out there and buying the best for your French doors. There are also many considerations that you need to take note off before spending your hard earned money on a new set of window treatments that might or might not suits your own French doors very well.

french doors interior

For example you might want to check how much light you want the curtains to let in the house. Also what type of room decor you have, will the style you buy fit in nicely with the rest of the furniture? And let's not forget about the fact that you need to spend money on it. How much money are you willing to spend on your new drapes? All these should not be overlooked when buying your new window treatments for home.

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One of the best types I can personally recommend are the Honeycomb ones. They are very common and popular among many homeowners. The fact that they are available in many styles is a big plus. Very durable in quality, they have also a softness to them that people love. The reason for their interesting name is the fact that they have layers of air pockets made in the form of a honeycomb. This allows the temperature to be regulated at all times, enhancing the room insulation. Of course the more honeycombs you have on your drapes, the better the insulation.

You can find the Honeycomb drapes in either single, double or triple style. The single one doesn't provide as much insulation as the double, which provides less than the triple. Also if you get curtains with larger pleats you are better off than going for smaller ones. A popular version seems to be the one with 3/8 inches double cell shades that have a really reasonable price tag attached to them. So as you can see, proper insulation is a major consideration when buying your new French or patio door window treatments, such as the patio door curtains.

You can easily find drapes with strong light filtering if you have rooms in the house such as a media room or others that need to be dark for longer periods of time. Also some added features of these curtains are them being motorized and the availability of the top-down versions, as opposed to bottom-up, which are the most common ones on the market today.

Finally let's not forget about Roman blinds, which are very popular as well for French doors. These are a very powerful alternative if room decor is a strong point in getting French door window treatments. They are available at a really good price nowadays.

French Door Window Treatments - Getting the Best Curtains For Your French Doors

If you've ever wondered what are the best sliding patio door curtains or patio door curtains in general for your home, you can learn so now. Visit my website to get more information.

FRENCH DOORS

Best Window Treatments For French Doors

No matter what window treatment you decide on for your French doors, always bear in mind the need to allow for easy access through the doorway. There are a number of window treatments that work well with French doors, and this article discusses some of these.

french doors exterior

One solution to prevent obstructing the doorway is to place the curtains well above the frame and to have the curtain rod clear of the frame on each side so that the curtains won't get caught in the door. Alternatively you could have curtains or blinds installed on the actual door, so there's no concern about fabric being caught in between the doors.

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If you going to use curtains, you'll want them to be floor length, or you could have them a little longer and have them puddle at the base. You could have them hanging down loosely or have them with tie-backs to each side. The curtains could be finished off with a valance; either scalloped across the top of the curtains or sitting straight a few inches down the curtain for a more formal look.

A pair of Roman magic blinds attached to each door also looks very effective. You could have these on the doors by themselves or you could accentuate them with some side curtains. If you went for this look, the blinds could be in a plain color and the side curtains in a contrasting or complimentary color or pattern.

You could also get some mini blinds that could be fitted on each door, and have those either on their own or complimented with curtains. Another window treatment for French doors is to have one large curtain that covers ¾ of the doors, and then having it tie back so it leaves one of the doors free for easy access.

Best Window Treatments For French Doors

Christine Anderson is a freelance writer who enjoys writing on a variety of home decorating topics. To read her latest blog visit http://www.magicblinds.org for useful information and advice on all types of Magic Blinds.

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French Door Window Treatments - You Have Plenty of Options!

French doors, also named French windows can be used for different purposes - they are very popular as patio doors, as dividers between large living spaces, and as doors to a balcony. There are modern and traditional French doors and both of them create an inviting and a relaxing atmosphere in a room.

french doors exterior

Usually French doors look wonderful even without any additional dressing, but if you wish to cover them, you have plenty of choices. To decide what kind of French door window treatments is a best one just for your interior, determine first your needs and wishes: do you want to get more privacy and light blockage, or are you just looking for a beautiful dressing for your French door? And don't forget about your existing interior style.

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Variations of French door window treatments:

Horizontal mini blinds

You can choose wooden, aluminum, or vinyl mini blinds. It depends on your budget, taste and on your entire room appearance. With wood blinds you will get a classic informal look in the room, while aluminum blinds better match modern interiors. Vinyl mini blinds are a very practical choice, especially for high humidity areas, like bathroom or kitchen, but they may look not very attractive in such living spaces as living/dining room, patio, or a bedroom with a balcony, especially if you want your interior to look stylish.

If you decided about this kind of French door window treatments, keep in mind, that horizontal blinds need enough space when they are completely opened. Look for an appropriate slat size. Wooden mini blinds usually come in 1" slat size, while vinyl and aluminum mini blinds can be 1/2" or 1". Some manufacturers provide special shapes for their blinds. You may consider so called "cut-outs" option, if you order custom made window blinds and need space for door knobs.

Fabric French door window treatments

Draperies - most traditional type of window treatments for French doors. There are endless of variations. With a wide range of fabrics and drapery styles, you can not only make your French doors more stylish, but also give a finished look to the entire room. If the space of the room allows - hang your draperies wide and high enough above the doors. It provides an additional elegance to the room and makes a door movement easier. Sheers - you can hang them on your French doors using drapery rods on the top and the bottom of the doors. However, many people don't like sheers because of their outdated look. You may consider screen shades or solar roller shades instead, which still provide outside view, protect furniture from sun rays and also reduce glare. You can install these shades in addition to draperies, or without them.
Window Shades

Fabric roman shades - look nice for many interior styles - contemporary, country, classic, and so on. The level of privacy and light blockage depends on the type of fabric you select for your shades. As for your roman shades styles, you can choose one that you like the best and that match best your room interior. Bamboo roman shades or bamboo roller shades go well with several interior styles - modern, orient, exotic, even classic. Depending on their texture, these shades may gently diffuse light, or block it completely.

If you choose blinds or shades for your French doors, consider to get something that holds them on the bottom and prevents from flopping when you open and close the door. For horizontal blinds you can install hold-down braclets, and for roman shades some people use Velcro. You may also find your own solution.

French Door Window Treatments - You Have Plenty of Options!

Alina Belchikov
For more home decorating and window treatment ideas visit http://window-blinds-project.com/

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