Choosing Beautiful Curtains for Patio Doors

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Every homeowner loves their patio where they can barbeque, grow plant pots and cook outdoors. They decorate their patio with furniture and create a cosy space for themselves to relax outdoors so it’s important to choose the right curtains for patio doors that look great and last for years.

When you come in at the end of the day, you don’t want to stare out into the night through your transparent sliding glass patio doors, and you don’t want anyone looking back at you from the outside.

But many people don’t consider purchasing curtains or blinds for the glass doors. They leave their doors bare – you wouldn’t leave your front door uncovered if it was made of glass, so why leave your patio door uncovered?

If you find yourself agreeing with what I have just said, then this article is for you. Below, we have created a simple guide to choosing curtains for your patio doors.

It’s not a complicated process and it’s a lot like selecting curtains for your windows. There are several types of curtain you can choose from and you need to learn how to size your doors to get the right curtain size.

So keep reading, if you want to get started finding the perfect patio curtain…

Table of Contents

What Size Curtains Do I Need for Patio Doors?

To start, you need to get accurate measurements of the patio door.

Step 1: Measure the height of the door by starting at the floor and continue up until you reach the top of the frame of the door. Once you do that – add seven to fifteen centimetres (it’s up to you) for the curtain to be able to extend over the door frame.

Step 2: We must measure out the width. To do this, measure from one side of the door frame to the other side. After that, add ten to 20 centimetres to each side of the frame.

The curtain must trail over the door’s width and not stop directly at it. Finally, you need to add more material to the curtain so it can look full and not hang stiffly off the curtain rod.

There is no exact measurement of how much more material you should add.

It’s up to personal preference with the amount of gather should be estimated depending on how your patio doors are constructed in your home.

Best Curtains for Sliding Glass Doors?

Some people mistakenly opt for verticle blinds but these are not the best curtains for composite or sliding doors.
Many people have this type of curtain but if you look online and search around you will soon find that vertical blinds do not have a good reputation in relation to patio doors!

They are hard to clean, not suitable for quick access to the patio and the individual blinds often bend or become damaged when caught in the patio door.

Instead, the best type of curtains for sliding glass doors are fabric curtains. Whether they’re thin or heavy, fabric curtains consistently have the best features to enhance your sliding glass door.

And there are so many features you can choose from with fabric curtains. Fabric curtains can be thermal, which keeps in the heat on cold winter days, or they can be thin and let in plenty of natural light. They are easy to clean and simple to replace as well.

Thermal Curtains for Patio Doors

If you live in a cold area year-round or your winters are chilly and brutal then you need to have a set of thermal curtains in your home. Also if your house does not have UPVC double glazing then you can help eliminate draughts with some nice thick thermal curtains.

Made from unique insulated fabric, thermal curtains are designed to keep the cold air coming from the glass windows from entering into your home.

Patio doors are large and can easily let a lot of cold air through, leaving everyone in your house shivering and running towards the fireplace. Plus thermal curtains can help you cut down on heating by preventing heat loss through the doors.

When you buy thermal curtains, make sure to select ones that are “energy-efficient” – that is machine washable and dryable. Make sure the rod that holds your curtains is easy to remove from the mounts that keep it in place.

If you do this, it will be easier for you to exchange your thermal curtains for lighter, thinner curtains once you are in the middle of spring.

Blackout Curtains for Patio Doors

If you want a curtain that will completely block out all of the direct and indirect sunlight coming through the patio doors, then you need to purchase blackout patio door curtains.

If you like rooms to be completely dark, then blackout curtains can make that happen. Blocking out light is the primary job of all curtains and sliding glass doors let in a lot of light, especially if the sun shines directly through the doors.

If your patio glass doors directly face the sun, then your home will heat up very quickly. On hot summer days, you’ll have to leave all of your windows and doors open to lower the temperature inside the house.

But choosing heavy fabric curtains from letting in sunlight will prevent all of these problems. These types of curtains will also keep your electricity costs down, as you won’t have to fight off the incoming heat with the air conditioner. Some of these curtains can every reduce the noises coming from the outside.

Are these curtains expensive? Sometimes…but if you have a local Dunelm near you then take a look at the bargain section near the till areas. You will often see reduced-priced items that are end of line or the packaging is damaged.

Patio Door Net Curtains

If you are someone who likes to see elegant features in their home, then you will love patio door net curtains. Sometimes called voile curtains, these curtains are made of soft fabric or yarns and are attached directly to the patio door itself.

Voile curtains shield the outside from looking into your home but allow as much natural light as possible to enter through. The most popular colour is white, but you can find voile curtains in many different colours and prints.

If you know how to knit or sew, you can create your net curtains in a day or so. Do not try to attach voile curtains on sliding glass doors. They are meant for single or double doors.