Rotate
A wand turns every vane at once, from open to fully closed. Half open lets light in without a view from outside.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds for sliding doors and wide glass.
Vanes that rotate for light and slide aside for the door, on a quiet cordless track with no valance. Synchrony™ vertical blinds in fabric textures and faux wood, measured and installed by PAPABLINDS across the Greater Seattle Area.
How the vanes move.
A vertical blind does two things: the vanes rotate, and the whole set slides to one side of the track. Which side depends on the door.
Stack left
The vanes gather on the left, clearing the opening side of the door on the right. Chosen when the door slides open to the right.
Stack right
The mirror image. We match the stack side to the door’s fixed panel so the vanes park over the glass that does not move.
Where verticals win.
The deck slider
Walk through anywhere along the door after sliding the vanes aside. No panel to fold, no track on the floor.
Picture windows and walls of glass
One track spans the whole opening. A horizontal blind that wide would be heavy and would sag.
Durable and replaceable
A damaged vane swaps out on its own; the rest of the blind stays.
The most cover per dollar
For a large opening, verticals cost less than shutters, panels, or drapery of the same size.
Vane materials.
Synchrony™ comes in fabric-look collections and a faux wood vane. The texture decides how the door reads from inside.
| Collection | Look | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Classic and Sandblasted | Smooth or lightly textured solid | The quiet option for most rooms |
| Adobe, Shantung, Linen, Flaxen | Woven fabric textures | Softer, closer to drapery |
| Willow and Grasscloth | Natural, fibrous textures | For rooms with rattan, oak, or plaster |
| Faux Wood | Wood-look vane | Matches faux wood blinds on nearby windows |
Over 50 colors across the collections, from Pure White and Pearl to Taupe, Driftwood, and deeper accent shades.
What we measure on a door.
A sliding door is measured differently from a window. Five things decide whether the vanes clear the handle and the floor.
- Which panel slides and which is fixed, so the stack goes over the fixed glass.
- Handle and lock position, so rotating vanes clear them.
- Header depth above the door for the track, or the wall above for an outside mount.
- Floor clearance: vanes should stop a little above the floor, not drag on it.
- Whether the vanes should match faux wood blinds or shades on the windows beside the door.
Not sure about verticals?
Two other coverings we install on the same doors, for different reasons.
© 2021 Norman®. All Rights Reserved.SmartDrape™ shades
Fabric vanes that part like a drape and let you walk through anywhere. Softer light and a more finished look, at a higher price.
See the options
© 2021 Norman®. All Rights Reserved.Sliding door shutters
Bypass or bi-fold panels on a track. The architectural choice when the windows next to the door already have shutters.
See the optionsVertical blind questions.
Do vertical blinds still look dated?
The old look came from the plastic valance and the cord-and-chain controls. Synchrony™ has a valance-free headrail, a cordless track, and fabric-textured vanes, so it reads as a modern covering.
How do I open them without cords?
Slide the vanes by hand along the track and rotate them with the wand. There are no cords or chains, which is why the line is certified Best for Kids.
What if a vane gets damaged?
Vanes are individual. A single replacement vane clips in; the rest of the blind stays.
Can the vanes stack in the middle?
Synchrony™ stacks to the left or to the right. For a door with two sliding panels we talk through which side works, or look at SmartDrape™ or a bypass shutter instead.
Vertical blinds for patio doors and wide windows in the Seattle area
A slider to the deck or the backyard is the widest opening in most Seattle-area homes, and a vertical blind is the simplest way to cover it: one cordless track, vanes that turn for light and slide aside for the door. Norman’s Synchrony™ line has a valance-free headrail, fabric-textured and faux wood vanes, and over 50 colors. PAPABLINDS measures and installs them in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and nearby communities.
Sliding doors in condos and townhouses
Many Eastside townhouses and Seattle condos have a slider with a wall on one side and the kitchen on the other, and no room for a stack of panels. A vertical blind stacks over the fixed glass and needs no wall space, which is why it is often the only covering that fits.
Matching the door to the windows
The faux wood vane matches the slats of faux wood blinds on nearby windows, so a dining room with blinds on the windows and a vertical on the door reads as one set. The fabric collections pair with roller or roman shades instead.
Vertical blinds or shades for a slider
Verticals cost the least and take the most abuse. SmartDrape™ shades look softer and part like a drape. Sliding door shutters are the architectural option. We bring samples of all three when the door is part of the visit.
Care
- Dust the vanes with a cloth or a vacuum brush; wipe faux wood vanes with a damp cloth.
- Slide the stack fully open before walking through so vanes are not caught in the door.
- A bent or stained vane is replaced on its own.
Request a free in-home visit and we measure the door, the handle, and the stack side while we are there.