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.

What a vertical blind costs

Verticals are one of the more economical ways to cover a wide sliding door, and they are quoted per square metre installed: R1,000 to R1,600 manual on a chain and cord, and R2,500 to R3,800 motorised, which is worth thinking about on a very long track.

A narrow window is charged at a minimum, because the track, the carriers and the fitting visit cost the same at any width. The bands are a guide; the per-opening figure follows the free measure and arrives in writing.