Sliding glass doors allow light into a home, make it easier to appreciate beautiful views, and are pet friendly.

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They can add style and convenience. It is common for builders and homeowners to install vertical blinds on sliding glass doors to control light and privacy. However, there are other options; many provide a decorator touch and increased function. Shades, horizontal blinds, curtains, and shutters are trendy options. Ultra-modern, lightweight panel tracks are also a great option.

1. Horizontal Window Treatments Add Interest

While vertical blinds give sliding glass doors a clean look and do a good job blocking light, they don’t suit everyone’s taste. Some homeowners choose horizontal blinds for sliding glass doors, because they provide all the benefits of vertical blinds but with more style.  

Horizontal window treatments are easier to operate. Suppliers offer a variety of choices in a range of colors and materials.

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2. Curtains Provide a Decorator Touch

Install several long curtain panels on your sliding glass door to create a decorator touch. If your home also has tall windows, you can hang complementary panels on them for a polished look.  

Apartment Therapy professionals recommend double-wide, lined curtains that will block the light. The extra width ensures a full look when the curtains are closed. One of the benefits of curtains is that you can choose from an extraordinarily wide range of styles, fabrics, and colors.   

3. Use Shades for a Minimalist Vibe

Consider shades for sliding glass doors if you like an uncluttered, minimalist style. You can find shades with natural or synthetic panels that hang flat, typically in overlapping segments. Panels also hang from individual tracks; when you open them, they stack neatly.

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Depending on the weave, material, and texture, shades may be transparent or opaque, offering various levels of light control. There are also cellular shades with wide vertical pleats. You can pull them open or closed or gather them in the middle.

You can opt for extra-long solar shades that block UV rays and provide a neat, clean look. Cordless cellular shades also give your home a simple, stylish feeling, and you can position them at any height and never see unsightly cords.

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4. Introduce Style with Shutters

Plantation shutters have long been a popular window treatment. Easy to operate and energy efficient, shutters give rooms a stylish dignity. Homeowners can order shutters for sliding glass doors, too.  

Per Better Homes & Gardens experts, there are various shutter styles available. They may slide open and close on tracks or have hinges that allow them to swing open and closed.

You can find shutters in wood and faux wood and select narrow or wide louvers. Once installed, shutters make it easy to control your view and the room’s light.

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5. Install Window Panels for a Sleek Look

If you like an incredibly sleek, modern vibe, use fabric panels as a window treatment for sliding glass doors. Commonly called panel tracks, the thin coverings resemble screens more than curtains. Despite their cool, light appearance, they block light effectively.   

Panel tracks are simple to use-just slide an entire panel left or right. They are easy to clean and not easily soiled. If they do need cleaning, you can vacuum or dust them.

Vertical blinds are often the default window dressing for sliding glass doors, but there are other choices. They include shutters, horizontal blinds, shades, and lined curtains. Airy, good-looking panel tracks that give rooms a polished look are also great options.

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