What makes slider openings different
A sliding glass door is a moving panel plus a fixed panel — your treatment must clear the handle path and not fight the screen door.
- Handle and lock projection kill shallow inside mounts
- Screen doors limit outside-mount depth on the exterior side
- Wide spans favor one roller fabric span (or vertical vanes)
- Apartment turns often standardize on two vertical sizes
- Blackout rollers help when the slider faces a porch light
Products for sliding glass doors
Roller shades first. Vertical blinds second for cost and apartment turns. Vinyl mini and faux wood are the wrong tools for a full-width patio door.
Roller shades — recommended for sliders
Clean fabric line across the patio door. Fascia mount, cordless or continuous loop, blackout or light-filtering — the first pick for most homes.
3.5" vertical blinds — budget / apartment option
Stocked 68×84 and 78×84 reorder pairs for apartment turns and cost-sensitive patio doors.
Typical opening → blind size
Common patio-slider sizes — rollers for custom fit; verticals for stocked apartment reorders:
| Opening (approx.) | Order size | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 72" × 80" glass | Custom roller | Production-home patio (recommended) |
| 72"–96" wide | Wide / custom roller | Oversized patio wall |
| 68" × 84" | 68" × 84" vertical | Common apartment slider |
| 78" × 84" | 78" × 84" vertical | Wider apartment / budget patio |
Mounting by material & situation
Most patio sliders need face-mount or fascia above the header — not vinyl or faux wood across the full glass. Pick roller first; vertical when budget or PM reorder SKUs win.
Roller shades
View product line →The preferred cover for most patio sliders — one clean fabric span, fascia mount above the header, blackout or light-filtering.
Fascia mount above the slider
Pro often usedMeasure exact glass width and height. Mount fascia brackets to the wall above the frame (or to a flat soffit). Confirm handle and foot-traffic clearance at full drop.
- Min depth:
- Header / face mount typical
- Hardware:
- Supplied fascia brackets; #8 screws into solid header
Wide patio glass
Custom rollers fit most residential sliders. For openings over ~80"–94", see /roller-shades/wide-width.
Blackout vs light-filtering
Light-filtering suits living-area patio doors. Blackout helps when the slider faces porch lights or shares a bedroom wall.
3.5" vertical blinds
View product line →Still the budget / apartment reorder option — PVC or fabric vanes on a face-mounted track. Use when price per opening matters more than a fabric line.
Face-mount track above aluminum slider
Pro often usedMount the track above the frame with overlap past the glass. Use solid header fasteners — hollow soffits fail with lightweight anchors.
- Hardware:
- Supplied track and valance; #8 screws
Stack side — handle clearance
Stack vanes so they do not block the walk-through or fight the handle. Standardize stack direction across apartment turns.
Screen door clearance
Keep the vane stack and valance clear of the screen track. Measure from the glass face outward.
When to use professional install
We ship custom-cut blinds nationwide from Texas. In-home installation is available in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro only — outside DFW, send our measuring notes to your local installer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to cover a sliding glass door?
A roller shade is the best default — one clean fabric line, fascia mount, blackout or light-filtering. Vertical blinds are the budget and apartment-turnover alternative. Do not cover a full-width slider with vinyl mini or faux wood.
Should blinds go inside or outside the frame on a slider?
Face-mount / fascia above the header is most common on aluminum sliders. Inside mount only when depth and handle clearance allow.
Do you have a deeper patio-slider field guide?
Yes — see /guides/patio-slider-and-sliding-glass-door-blinds for mount diagrams, stack side, and size notes.