When it comes to home decor and design, window coverings play an important role in…
French doors are incredibly stylish and are an excellent way of providing natural light throughout the home, but we also know that they do provide a significant amount of light and a distinct lack of privacy, so blinds for French doors are a necessity.
Fitting blinds on French doors may seem like a daunting and insurmountable task, but it is much easier than you think! Below is a step-by-step guide on how to install your blinds on French doors to have your lovely new blinds installed in no time at all.
Best Blinds for French Doors
Before you worry about getting your blinds installed, you must select which blinds are going to be the best fit for your French doors. These blinds need to be able to fit nicely behind handles and not get in the way of their function as well as being stylish enough to fit in with your theme and room design.
Roller Blinds
The beauty of Roller Blinds is that they are so versatile. They combine elegance and practicality and can be designed to fit any door and window size, making it one of the best blinds for French doors. They are able to be made either as a translucent/light filtering blind, sunscreen blind which provide heat and UV protection with little obscurity to the outside, and blockout and room darkening blinds which provide the most privacy.
Aluminium Venetian Blinds
Aluminium Venetian Blinds are a great choice when it comes to blinds for French doors. The slimline range come in over 80 different colours, suiting any room design and theme. The great benefit of these slats is that they are able to sit behind your door handles and allow for natural light to enter when open, and great privacy when closed.
Roman Blinds for French Doors
Roman Blinds are very versatile, offering you a classic or contemporary finish to your French door depending on your style. Like roller blinds, they are available in translucent, sunscreen and blockout depending on the level of privacy and light filtering you wish. The ability to raise them to be stacked or lowered makes them great for easy access to your door handle on your French door.
How to Install Blinds on French Doors
Get the Measurements Right
The first thing to ensure when fitting blinds on French doors is that you have the right measurements. These types of doors are different from traditional windows, and they can be more complicated when fitting. Using old-fashioned measuring tape is fine to do your measuring. You will need to measure the width and height of the glass. You do not need to take any notice of the centre moulding. To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to add an inch to each side, so that you can ensure the blinds cover the entire door.
Which Tools Should I Use?
It’s important to use the right tools to get your blinds set up in the quickest time and make them last as long as possible. Because French doors are usually made from solid wood (cedar or oak, typically), it requires a little more work than an electric screwdriver and normal metal screws. We recommend using an electric drill with a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screws you will be using for your blinds. When you are creating the pilot holes, make them just below the surface. Insert the pilot hole with a mallet, making sure to use an anchor. At this point, it is now ok to use the screws you previously selected with your screwdriver.
Install at the Top Centre
The best place to install blinds on French doors is in the top centre of the door. This is because it is the strongest section of the door and so is the best way of avoiding any damage to your wood including splintering. This can happen, particularly as French doors are usually made from oak, cedar or another form of solid wood, which can be prone to splitting.
The ‘Two-Door’ Problem
As French doors have two doors instead of one, you need two blinds. Make sure that you have measured each door accurately, you will normally find that each door will measure exactly the same, but it is important to check as the installer may have made them slightly different.
And there you have a quick and easy way of installing blinds on French doors. We told you it was easy!
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