Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds hang as a row of upright vanes across the opening, which is why so many sliding glass doors and long runs of glass wear them. When a single shade would have to be very wide, or the opening is a door you walk through every day, vertical blinds are usually the first thing people look at. This page groups our made-to-measure vertical blinds with the shades shoppers most often weigh against them for wide glass, so you can compare them side by side before you order.

Vertical blinds, roller shades or solar shades

Vertical blinds lead this page. You choose the size and configuration for each opening on the product page, and every blind is made to the measurements you send. If you are replacing tired builder-grade verticals on a patio door, this is the like-for-like swap.

Light filtering roller shades are the cleanest alternative: one panel of fabric that rolls up into a cassette at the top of the opening. They soften daylight without blocking it.

Solar shades are the option for glass that gets strong sun. The fabric comes in set openness levels. Order a solar sample in 1%, 3% or 5% openness to see the difference against your own window before you choose.

Blackout roller shades round out the page for the slider in a bedroom or media room, where the goal is a dark room rather than a view.

A few design notes. On a wide door, a light, solid color reads as part of the wall and keeps the room feeling open. If the door sits next to windows, use the same color, and ideally the same product family, on all of them so the wall reads as one. Darker colors frame the view and suit a room with dark floors or trim.

Sizing and specifications

Size limits and configuration options for our vertical blinds are set on the product page as you build the blind, so check them there for your opening. If a door or window is unusually wide or tall, send us the measurements and we will confirm what can be made.

If you are comparing roller shades, their limits are documented and width is the one that matters on a slider. On our standard cassette, light filtering roller shades reach 98 3/8 inches wide and 137 3/4 inches high. Blackout and solar fabrics are milled on narrower rolls, so they stop at 94 1/2 inches wide and 118 inches high. A few fabrics are narrower still, and when the fabric roll is narrower than the system, the fabric sets the maximum. Any roller shade over 100 inches high moves to a larger tube and a larger cassette. Cordless roller shades need at least 23 5/8 inches of width, and motorized ones at least 20 1/8 inches.

Measuring and installing them yourself

Measure the width in three places, top, middle and bottom, and the height on both sides, and write down every number. For an inside mount use the smallest width. Send us the exact opening rather than taking anything off yourself. On a sliding door, check that handles and locks clear the blind or shade, and measure each door separately even in a matching pair.

Roller shades go up on a cassette bracket. Screw each bracket through at least two of its four pre-drilled holes on opposite sides, hook the groove at the top of the valance onto the bracket latch, then press the valance back until it clicks. Check that both the top and rear are locked before you let go. Use the extra holes if the shade is wide or heavy, and pick the anchor that matches your wall, since both a drywall and a masonry type come in the box.

Wide glass is often the biggest window in the house, so it is worth getting the covering right. Compare vertical blinds with roller and solar shades here, order samples to see the fabrics in your own light, then send your sizes and we will make it to measure and ship it direct to your door.