Whether you are looking tocover French doors, sliding glass doors, or other types of doors that lead out
to the patio, you will want to dress them in style with just the perfect patio
door window treatments.
The thing to think aboutwhen selecting the perfect window covering for these doors is that you want to
let the light from the patio in, so you will perhaps choose a sheer style to do
this. In the evening, however, you do not want others to see inside your home
through the patio doors, so the covering should be more effective that way.
There are several types ofwindow coverings for your patio doors that will be effective either way. For
instance, you can use blinds, whether vertical fabric blinds, or wooden mini
blinds, or anything in between. This way you can pull up the blind when you
want to let the sunshine in, and you can lower and close the blind for privacy.
You will also find blackout curtains in case you want to keep the light out
completely. This would be ideal if you had a door from your bedroom that goes
out to the patio, and you wanted to sleep in, for instance.
You can also find full-lengthcurtains in many fabrics that will offer a beautiful look, let in the light,
and also give you privacy and
impact patio doors. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can visit yourlocal fabric store to see the endless selection of fabrics that will suffice in
this way. And you may even match that fabric making other window treatments to
offset your patio door treatment.
The choices continue withshutters, roman shades, pleated shades, faux wood blinds, panel track blinds,
sheers, bamboo, and other draperies.
But the aspect of hurricanepreparedness you will most likely be paying attention to are securing your
doors and windows.
Experts recommend hurricane shutters for windows andimpact patio doors When purchasing shutters,ask your supplier if they are rated to resist the impact of a hurricane.
Shutters can be expensive, and some people opt to use plywood instead. If you
choose to go that route, experts recommend ¾ inch plywood. Be sure to drill screw
holes about 18 inches apart all around the plywood so that the board stays
secure.
Of course, if you are justbuying your shutters or plywood after you hear the storm warning, you are
likely already too late. You should give some thought to your doors and windows
and hurricane preparedness as soon as you buy your house in hurricane country,
or, at the very latest, before hurricane season starts. If you plan ahead, you
will be able to measure and drill your plywood, or install all the necessary
hardware to hang your hurricane shutters. When a storm is bearing down, you
will be ready. Don't forget to keep a sturdy ladder and the right sized
screwdriver handy, too. You don't want to spend the hours before the storm hits
searching your garage. As grim as it might sound, if you live in a particularly
hurricane-prone area, you might find yourself becoming an old hand at
installing and uninstalling your hurricane shutters.
Doors, especially doubledoors, can swing inward from the impact of a hurricane. Use deadbolts with a
length of at least one inch. For double doors, which will be especially prone
to swinging inward at the weak point where they meet, also install heavy duty
barrel bolt anchors at the tops and bottoms of the doors. Installing doors that
open outward rather than inward will also protect your home from water and wind
during a hurricane.
Don't forget garage doorsand entryways covered by louvers. Garage doors should have extra steel struts
installed. Also, make sure they are rated for impact, just like your hurricane
shutters. Gable end vents are another common entry point. Though they are
protected by louvers, those louvers are not designed to keep out driving rain,
so shutter them or, at the least, protect them with plywood as you would with
windows.
If you live in a place thathas all four seasons, for the winter months you may want to invest in vertical
cellular shades. These are also called honeycomb shades. Or you can buy heavier
insulated curtains. Both of these choices will keep the cooler air out and save
on your heating bills.
If you live in a place thatis usually very sunny, solar shades may be the right choice for you, as they
will screen out ultraviolet rays, as well as glare. They come in a variety of
patterns for your own taste and compliment any room, whether your patio doors
come out from the bedroom, the living room, or a deck.
When measuring, you willwant to consider whether to start from the top of the door, or just beyond it.
If you are looking to hide the gap between the ceiling and the door frame,
there are many options you can choose, one of which is the ceiling mount
vertical blind.
And if you have a sidelightalongside your patio door, do not forget a treatment to match this, as well. If
you have trouble with the installation of these treatments, or you have just
never done it before, your local home and building supply center will gladly
install them, often for free. They can, of course also measure the door for you
and assist you in choosing just the right patio door window treatments for your
home
