A sliding glass door is often the widest stretch of glass in the room, and it is also a door your family walks through all day. The covering has to handle both jobs: privacy and glare control across a big opening, plus easy movement every time someone heads out to the deck. Below are the options I install on sliders and patio doors around the Des Moines metro, what each one does well, and how I measure for them.
Panel track shades: built for sliding doors and wide spans
A patio slider is the classic use for panel track shades. Large flat fabric panels glide along a track and stack neatly to one or both sides, and they slide the same direction your door does, so the shade moves with the opening every time you step outside.
Fabric choices run from light filtering to room darkening, including solar screen options for west-facing glass. Tracks can also run wide spans, so one system can cover a slider along with the windows beside it on the same wall.
If you are replacing dated vertical blinds on a slider, panel tracks are the upgrade most homeowners are looking for. You keep the same sideways operation, with wide fabric panels in place of clacking vanes, and the system runs quieter and looks cleaner.
Roller shades: one large shade or a pair over the door
A large single roller shade, or a pair of rollers side by side, works well over a slider. A roller is essentially invisible when raised, which keeps the view to the yard open, and the fabric range covers light filtering weaves, solar screens that cut heat while preserving the view, and true blackout.
I carry both rollers and panel tracks and can compare them at your door. Rollers are also one of the easiest treatments to motorize, which matters on a door you open several times a day. See the full range on the roller shades page or browse every style on our custom shades page.
Hunter Douglas Luminette for patio doors
Hunter Douglas is one of the brands I install, and its Luminette is built for wide windows and patio doors. Rotating fabric vanes hang on a sheer, and the light control glides side to side. I bring it alongside the other options so you can compare them in your own light. The full lineup is on our brands and options page.
Motorized shades for sliders behind furniture
A slider with a sofa or dining table in front of it is a strong case for a motor. Instead of leaning across furniture, you run the shade from a remote, a wall switch, your phone, or a quick word to Alexa, Google, or Siri. Battery powered motors mean no wiring in most homes.
Schedules help on a slider too. A west-facing door can close on its own during the hottest part of a summer afternoon and open back up in the evening. Banded shades are another good motorized choice for sliders, since the bands stop at exactly the same height every time. Read more on the motorization page or in my honest take on whether motorized blinds are worth it.
Exterior patio shades for the deck outside the door
Interior shades filter light after it is already inside. Motorized exterior and patio shades stop sun and heat before they reach the glass, so the patio and the room behind your slider both stay cooler. They also keep bugs and wind off the patio while you keep the view.
- Side channel: the fabric runs in slim channels on each side for a sealed edge, a clean choice for porches and three-season rooms.
- Cable guided: stainless steel cables hold the shade steady on big, tall, or windy openings.
- Fabric openness: from a light sheer that keeps the view to a denser weave for deep shade and privacy.
Battery or hardwired motors run from a remote or your phone and can lower on a schedule. My exterior solar shades guide covers the details.
Measuring and installing for a door you use every day
Track length, panel count, and stacking direction all depend on your opening and how you use the door. I measure and plan the layout with you at the estimate, including which side the panels should stack toward and whether an inside, outside, or ceiling mount fits best. Anything that sticks into the opening has to be cleared through the shade's full travel, and that gets checked before anything is ordered.
On install day every shade is leveled, cycled through its full range, and checked for smooth operation. Motorized shades get their limits programmed and remotes paired before I leave. If your patio door is a hinged French door, plantation shutters with cutouts for the handles are a standard part of what I measure and install; see shutters installation.
The quickest way to settle the right covering for your slider is a free in-home estimate. I bring panel track and roller samples to your door, measure the opening myself, and give you an itemized quote with no obligation. Call (515) 850-9700 or request your free in-home estimate. We take appointments seven days a week.
Frequently asked questions
Are panel track shades better than vertical blinds for a sliding door?
Can roller shades cover a sliding glass door?
Can a shade on a patio door be motorized?
What works on a hinged French door?
See all window solutions or browse every product we install. Serving Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, and the surrounding metro from Norwalk.
Ready to see samples on your own windows? Call (515) 850-9700 or request your free in-home estimate.