Solutions
French Door Solutions by Solar Shield Blinds
French doors and single swing doors are great for letting in light through their full panels of glass. However, that light and direct view in and out can create some issues for inside the space. Not every window treatment is right for a swing door due to proper fit and function. But we've got a number of great solutions for you to choose from when you need to add privacy, light control, or added insulation to your doors in your home.
Solutions That Work
Solutions for French Door Window Coverings
Privacy after dark and light control by day, on a door that still has to open and close all day long.
If you have French Doors and want to add privacy or light control to them, we have many different options that will work great, and look amazing with your doors. Often times French Doors are in areas or rooms that you might not want people to be able to see inside when it's dark outside. Having the proper product will assure you get the function you need, while maintaining the look and function of your French Doors. Read more about how we can help provide you great solutions for your French Doors or swing doors.
Magnetic Hold Downs
Shades that stay put while the door swings
Shades that are mounted to French doors or single swing doors often want to sway around and bang as the door is opened and closed. However, our Solar Shield Blinds Shades have magnetic hold downs that allow you to raise and lower your shade without the need to bend down and unhook any clips. The magnets snap together automatically when the shade is lowered, and they pull away when the shade is raised. This is another solution that we have designed with our clients in mind!
Watch the clip and you'll see the magnets catch on their own as the shade comes down, then let go as it goes back up.
Solutions For Doors
Products that work well with French Doors and single swing doors
We have some very specific products that work well with French Doors and single swing doors.
Plantation Shutters
Plantation Shutters offer a very strong, solid product that offer tilting louvers for maximum privacy and light control. The door hardware is no issue as our shutters can have French Door cutouts that fit perfectly around your door handle, deadbolt, or knob.
See Our Plantation Shutters
Roller Shades
Roller Shades are a very sleek option that allow the fabric of the shade to stay very close to the face of the door and glass. This is a great option when you really want your door glass to be as open as possible during the day, but at night you want to close off the glass for full privacy. With our magnetic hold down system, you will have a very easy user experience, and have the control over your glass all day long.
See Our Roller Shades
Honeycomb Shades
Honeycomb Shades are another great option depending on your goal with your doors. Our Honeycomb Shades can be mounted with a frame system to provide you ample light control and very good structure on your door as it opens and closes. You also have the option for Top Down Bottom Up operation so you can set your privacy line anywhere you'd like throughout the day.
See Our Honeycomb Shades
Faux Wood Blinds
Faux Wood Blinds are not always considered the best option for a swinging door, but there are some cases where they still work great, look amazing, and give the exact function you are looking for when mounted on a French Door. Much of this depends on your other windows surrounding the door, as well as the swing of the door, and the position of the hardware.
See Our Faux Wood Blinds
Natural Woven Shades
Natural Woven Shades offer a very good functionality with swing doors and French Doors. The fabric sits tight against the glass for maximum privacy and light control, and the fabric offers a softening of the door. Use this option to tie colors and textures to your room.
See Our Natural Woven Shades
Banded Shades
No matter what you are wanting to achieve with your French Doors or swing doors, we have a great solution that we will customize just for you!
See Our Banded Shades
Our Process
Planned, measured, and installed by our team
- Free ConsultationWe bring our shop to your home or office. We'll listen to what you're wanting to accomplish with your windows, take a good look at every opening, and explain the options that will actually work for them.
- On the spot quoteWe take the time to make sure you know exactly what you're getting, and you'll have a complete and exact quote before we leave, so there are no surprises on install day.
- Installed by our teamYour shades are custom built to the exact measurements of your windows, and when ready, professionally installed by our full time installers. Most projects are installed in less than a day.
The longer version
Our process is very thorough and designed to give you the best experience possible. When we meet with you during your initial consultation we'll discuss your specific needs. We'll listen to your concerns and make sure we understand exactly what you're wanting to accomplish with your window coverings. Then we'll help educate you on the product options available to you and offer our best recommendation based on our assessment of your windows.
We take time making sure you understand exactly what you're going to get, and we make sure there won't be any surprises at the time of install. You get a complete and exact quote on the spot, so you can be sure we're working within your budget before you commit to anything.
This simple, yet very effective in-home service has proven to save our clients time, money, and the energy not spent running from store to store. Once the order is placed, sit back and let us handle all of the details while you get to enjoy your new window coverings!
Installed Projects
French Door Solutions Installed by Solar Shield Blinds
Straight Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Our Plantation Shutters can have French Door cutouts that fit around your handle, deadbolt or knob, so the louvers cover the glass all the way down and the hardware still works the way it did. Your Design Specialist measures the handle position on site and the panel is built to it.
Not on our doors. Our Solar Shield Blinds shades have magnetic hold downs that snap together on their own when the shade is lowered and pull away when it's raised, so there are no clips to unhook and nothing to rattle as the door swings. Honeycomb Shades can also be mounted in a frame system that gives the door real structure as it opens and closes.
They do, and they bring Top Down Bottom Up with them. Lower the top for daylight while the bottom stays covered, and set that privacy line wherever you like through the day. Honeycomb Shades also have the smallest headrail of any window covering, which suits the shallow casing on most door glass.
On some doors, yes. Tilting slats give you daytime privacy with a view out, and cord free options keep things tidy where kids and pets come and go. Much depends on the windows around the door, the swing, and where the hardware sits, so we'll look at all of it during the consultation and tell you honestly whether a blind or a shade is the better fit.
Roller Shades. The fabric rolls up into a three inch roll at the top of the door and stays close to the face of the glass when it's down, so by day you see all of your door and at night you close it off for full privacy. Pick a light filtering or decorative fabric for privacy after dark, or a screen fabric if you'd rather keep the view and accept less privacy at night.
Yes, and we'd rather do them together. A French door with bare windows either side of it looks unfinished, and the swing of the door and the position of the hardware change which product makes sense for the whole wall. We measure every opening on the same visit so the doors, sidelights and nearby windows read as one job. Our Sidelight Glass page covers the narrow panels beside a front door.
It is. The fabric sits tight against the glass for privacy and light control, and it softens a door in a way a hard treatment doesn't. With thousands of custom fabrics you can tie the door into the colors and textures already in the room, and a lined shade blocks real light if the door faces the evening sun.
That depends on the product you pick, and we'll tell you before you order. Shutters and blinds tilt closed and give you full privacy. Roller Shades in a light filtering, decorative or blackout fabric are private day and night, and screen fabrics are not private after dark. Honeycomb Shades come in light filtering and room darkening, and room darkening still has small light gaps at the sides.
Yes. A Design Specialist brings samples to your home, measures every opening, and gives you an exact itemized quote on the spot with no high pressure, and that price holds for 180 days. Interior treatments average 4 to 6 weeks from order to install, Plantation Shutters 8 to 10 weeks. Our own full time Install Techs hang everything, clean up, and operate every product with you before they leave.
The Whole Team
Designers, installers, warehouse and office
Our Design Specialists, Install Techs, warehouse and office team all work together on every project, from your free consultation to install day. You can meet them on this page.
Meet The Whole Team