Glass doors are always a nice option for the entrance to your backyard garden, but they can let in a lot of light depending on what direction your house faces.
One option is to cover those glass doors with curtains, but sliding glass doors and curtains don’t work that well together. It’s extra material you have to push aside every time you exit and enter the room.
You could tint the glass doors, but that option doesn’t help much with privacy. It also doesn’t really add anything to the room.
Consider plantation shutters for sliding glass doors, instead.
Plantation Shutters for Sliding Glass Doors
Plantation shutters are a great choice for sliding glass doors for two main reasons.
First, they’re very energy-efficient, helping keep your house cool by keeping heat and excess light out. And second, they’re durable, meaning they’ll survive the many times they’ll be opened and closed.
Here are nine types of plantation shutters to consider.
Faux Wood or Composite
Faux wood shutters, also known as composite shutters, are extremely versatile and water-resistant. They’re available in a bevy of styles and are often made to resemble wood without having any of the same issues.
Due to being faux wood, composite shutters are also some of the most affordable options.
Vinyl
Vinyl plantation shutters are another affordable option for your home. Not only is vinyl material smooth and durable, but it’s also suitable for humid environments.
They’re easy to care for and resist warping from sun exposure, and they can withstand heavy use. Vinyl also absorbs excess sound, helping you isolate your home’s interior from your exterior.
PVC
PVC plantation shutters are made of Polyvinyl Chloride and fillers such as wood floor and air. This combination makes them more durable than standard vinyl, but they’re also heavier as a result.
Because they’re basically plastic, the material works well in humid conditions or when exposed to water. However, they will look distinctly shiny and like plastic, which may make or break your home design.
Wood
Wood is the quintessential, classic building material you’ll see everywhere in the world. Nothing compares to the look and feel, and properly treated wood can last for decades without losing its luster.
Wooden plantation shutters can reduce heat loss by 75 percent, but it must be properly fitted. This is especially important with true wood, as an improperly placed shutter can pinch and break with repeated use.
Plywood
For anyone desiring the luxury of plantation shutters on their sliding glass doors but dealing with a limited budget, DIY plantation shutters might be your best option.
DIY (or do it yourself) means making something out of typically cheaper materials. In the case of plantation shutters, you can create your own out of something as simple as plywood.
In fact, making your own shutters can cost less than half the price of having them built and installed for you.
Granted, this requires some experience with crafting and woodwork, but it’s an option not many people might consider.
Full-Height Shutters
Besides the build material, you also need to consider the style or type of plantation shutter you’ll want.
Full-height shutters are one of the most common types due to their simplicity and iconic look. Suitable for just about every window setting, these plantation shutters cover the entire glass sliding door.
With a divider rail in the middle of the shutter, you can separately control the top and bottom half for optimized lighting conditions.
Tier-on-Tier
Like full-height shutters, the tier-on-tier style covers the entire length of the window or glass door. The main difference is that instead of one giant panel covering the glass, you have multiple tiers of panels sectioned off from each other.
One benefit of tier-on-tier shutters is how much flexibility they have. You can open the entire shutter, open only the top sections, or open only the side shutters.
Typically, these types of plantation shutters are much more popular with windows, but you can customize your tier-on-tier shutters to work with glass sliding doors. Think cowboy saloon doors, only with shutters.
Solid Panel Shutters
As the name implies, solid panel shutters have solid panels built into the design.
This means you can have a set of shutters that completely blocks out light and airflow when shut, or you can make it so only the top half lets light in.
Solid panel shutters are the best solution if you want to darken a room without completely blocking out the windows or installing a heavy black curtain. Additionally, these will block out sound and are available in a variety of colors and wood types.
Cafe-Style
Cafe-Style shutters refer to those that don’t cover the entire window. Instead, they cover just the bottom half and sit in a three-sided frame.
They’re most useful for ground-room floors and commercial establishments, but they could be a great way to keep pets from scratching up and dirtying the bottom half of your sliding glass doors.
The main drawback for cafe-style plantation shutters is the limited privacy, but this could be amended with short curtains above the shutters.
Deciding on a Plantation Shutter for Your Needs
As you can see, there are many different options to choose from when deciding on plantation shutters for sliding glass doors. The kind you ultimately choose should match your needs and your interior and exterior design.
After all, wood shutters will stand out against a modern aesthetic, and PVC shutters will clash with an all-wood interior.
Reach out to us today if you have any questions on our products or to arrange a free, in-home consultation across Central Florida.
