Sliding Door Shutters

Shutters for sliding glass doors that still let you use the door.

Bypass panels that glide, bi-fold panels that stack, or Bi-fold 180™ that folds flat against the wall. Measured for the handle, the track, and the walk-through by PAPABLINDS across the Greater Seattle Area.

Three ways the panels move.

A door needs a track, not hinges on the wall. Which track depends on the wall space beside the door and how often you walk through it.

Bypass

Panels slide past each other on a top track, like a closet door. Open one side to walk through; the other side stays covered. Best when there is no wall space beside the door.

Bi-fold

Panels hinge in pairs and fold accordion-style to one or both sides, clearing most of the opening. Best for wide doors and big-view glass.

Bi-fold 180™

Norman’s exclusive: the panels fold completely flat against the adjacent wall, with no stack projecting into the room. Best for a high-traffic door to a deck or patio.

What we measure at the visit.

A door is measured differently from a window. These are the six things that decide whether the panels clear the handle and the floor.

Handle and lock position: the track and panels must clear them.
Header depth above the door for the track.
Floor guide location, so panels do not swing.
Which side you walk through, and how often.
Adjacent wall space for a Bi-fold 180 stack.
Louver size that matches the shutters on nearby windows.

Lines that fit sliding doors.

Woodlore®: bypass and bi-fold
Woodlore® Plus: bypass, bi-fold, Bi-fold 180™
Normandy® hardwood: bypass, bi-fold, Bi-fold 180™
AquaShield™: ask at the visit

Panels on a track use the same louvers, tilt, and colors as wall-mounted shutters, so a door and the window next to it match.

Not sure shutters are right for the door?

Two alternatives we install on the same doors, for different reasons.

SmartDrape™ shades

Fabric vanes that part like a drape. Walk through anywhere along the door, no track to slide, softer light. The choice for doors used all day.

See the options

Vertical blinds

The budget option for a rental or a rarely used door. Less finish than shutters, but quick to install and easy to replace.

See the options

Sliding door shutter questions.

Do bypass shutters block the door from opening?

No. The panels slide on their own track in front of the door. Slide the panel aside and use the door as usual. We size the track so the handle clears.

How much wall do I need for Bi-fold 180?

Roughly the width of one panel on the side you fold to. We measure the exact stack at the visit and show you where it lands.

Can the louvers tilt while the panel is on a track?

Yes. Track panels use the same louvers and tilt as wall-mounted shutters, including split tilt.

What about French doors?

French doors take hinged shutters mounted to the door itself, with cutouts for the handle. That is on the specialty windows and doors page.

Plantation shutters for sliding glass and patio doors

A slider to the deck is the most used door in many Seattle-area homes and the hardest one to cover well. Shutters on a track keep the look of the windows beside it, give real privacy at night, and still let you walk through. PAPABLINDS measures and installs bypass, bi-fold, and Bi-fold 180™ shutters in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and nearby communities.

Bypass or bi-fold

Bypass panels slide past each other on a top track and need no wall space, which suits condos and townhouses where the slider sits between a wall and the kitchen. Bi-fold panels stack to one or both sides and open more of the glass; Bi-fold 180™ folds them flat against the wall so nothing projects into the room. The walk-through side and the wall beside the door decide it, and we measure both.

Matching the door to the windows

A door and the windows beside it should read as one installation: same line, same louver size, same color. Woodlore®, Woodlore® Plus, and Normandy® all offer track systems, so the choice made for the living room windows carries over to the door.

French doors and other doors

French doors take hinged shutters mounted to the door itself, with a cutout for the handle. Those, along with arched and other specialty windows, are on our specialty windows and doors page.

Request a free in-home visit and we measure the handle, the header, and the floor guide while we are there.