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How To Install Vertical Blinds For Sliding Glass Doors

how to install vertical blinds for sliding glass doors

Table of Contents

  1. What Will I Need to Install Vertical Blinds?
  2. How to Install Vertical Blinds for an Inside Mount
  3. How to Install Vertical Blinds for an Outside Mount
  4. Contact the Vertical Blind Experts at Allure Window Treatments

Sunlight glare from a sliding glass door can bother your eyes as you walk around your house. Window blinds with adjustable vanes give you both privacy from nosy neighbors and a front-row seat to the action in your backyard. Offering glare protection and a modern appearance for your home, vertical blinds are the most low-maintenance and long-lasting blinds available on the market today.

Vertical blinds are efficient for sliding glass doors or patio doors because they follow the same motion pattern. If you’re going to mount vertical blinds for the sliding glass doors in your home, follow these vertical blind installation tips to get started. You can install vertical blinds inside the door frame or on a mount outside the frame.

What Will I Need to Install Vertical Blinds?

Invest in these important tools to attach vertical blinds to your sliding glass door:

  • Blinds
  • A blind installation kit
  • Writing utensils
  • Claw hammers
  • Screwdriver sets
  • Step ladder
  • Power drill
  • Level
  • Steel measuring tape

 

The installation process from start to finish should take about two hours to complete. While this project is easy enough to do on your own, consult a blind installation professional if you need additional assistance.

How to Install Vertical Blinds for an Inside Mount

Mounting the vertical blinds inside of the door frame gives the sliding glass door a clean, sleek appearance. Before ordering the blinds, you need to measure the space around the sliding door.

measuring for an inside mount

 

Measuring for an Inside Mount

To measure a sliding glass door for vertical blinds, use steel measuring tape to get the most accurate measurements. Measure the width of the space first, then the height. When you write your measurements to send to the manufacturer of the blinds, make sure you put the measurements in a “width x height” format.

Here are the measurements you need to buy the right size blinds:

  • The depth of the sliding glass door frame, from the front of the opening to the glass.
  • The width of the sliding glass door opening from left to right.
  • The height of the sliding glass door opening from the top frame to the bottom frame.

 

When you place the order for the blinds, make sure you order with the measurements of the exact opening size. The blinds manufacturer will consider any deductions when creating your blinds. Before sending them the measurements, double-check you marked the width and the height correctly.

Installing Inside Mounted Blinds

When the blinds arrive, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions before you begin. The blind installation kit should include all the products you need, including the bracket clips, valance, vane stems, vanes and screws. Here are some vertical blind installation tips to consider as you attach your blinds to the sliding glass door:

  1. Measure: Using a steel measuring tape for accuracy, measure the distance away from the window recommended by the manufacturer to allow your vanes to rotate freely. This measurement will determine where to place the headrail brackets.
  2. Mark measurements: Using a pencil, mark a few inches from the sliding door frame. This mark will determine where to drill the holes and attach the brackets.
  3. Drill: For each screw, drill two pilot holes and attach bracket clips. Drive each screw into the bracket clips with the valence screws attached and adjust the bracket clips, so they are evenly spaced. The width of the blinds determines the number of brackets you need.
  4. Assemble: Install the headrail in front of the brackets, rotating down until you hear it snap into place. To install the vanes, use the wand or cord to position the stems evenly throughout the headrail. Then, rotate the stems until each front part is visible. Attach the vanes by sliding them into the stems until they snap into place.
  5. Finish: If your blinds have a cord, install the safety bracket and pull until it’s completely tight. Once the vanes are installed, you can attach the valance onto the valance clips. Test the operation of your blinds by using the cord to open and close them.

 

How to Install Vertical Blinds for an Outside Mount

Installing your vertical blinds outside of the sliding glass door frame allows you to have more space for your blinds.

measuring for an outside mount

 

Measuring for an Outside Mount

The process for measuring for an outside mount is simple. Check the mounting requirements for vertical blinds to make sure you have enough of a flat surface to install the mounting hardware. Using a steel measuring tape for accuracy, measure the following areas before ordering blinds:

  • The length of the sliding glass door, from the floor to a few inches above the molding or the top of the paneling.
  • The width of the door outside the molding in a straight line from left to right. If you don’t have molding or a sliding glass door frame, add two to six inches to the measurement for the width for additional sunlight protection and privacy.

 

When you place your blinds order, double-check your measurements to make sure you properly label the width and the height. The blinds manufacturer will create your blinds with the exact measurements you give them.

Installing Outside Mounted Blinds

When the blinds arrive, check the manufacturer’s instructions for measuring and assembling. The vertical blinds kit should include everything you need to complete the project. Here are some tips for the installation of vertical blinds for an outside mount:

  1. Measure: Pick a point under the sliding glass door where you want the vertical blinds to reach. Measure the height of the blinds up to the top of the sliding glass door.
  2. Mark measurements: Using a pencil, mark the measurement of the height of the blinds. Have a helper place the headrail on the pencil mark while you confirm the headrail is level on the wall. Measure a few inches in from each end of the headrail, marking the spot with a pencil directly above the headrail.
  3. Drill: Attach the brackets to the wall with the included screws. If the brackets are being attached to drywall instead of a door frame, drill a hole and install wall anchors first.
  4. Assemble: Hook in the headrail until it snaps into place. Attach the vanes by pulling the cord to space the stems evenly and snapping the vanes into place.
  5. Finish: Mount the valance by pushing the bracket clips into either side of the front, then attach the side pieces. Snap in the provided clips along the headrail and slide the valance into the clips.

vertical blind experts

Contact the Vertical Blind Experts at Allure Window Treatments

If you live in the Philadelphia area and are looking for vertical blinds for your sliding glass door, explore our gallery of vertical blinds. We offer blind design and installation services for residents and businesses of East Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

Contact us today to get started on your vertical blind installation project.

shani

Shani is the Marketing Director of Allure Window Treatments. She has over a decade of experience in the home improvement and window treatments industry.

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