Sliding Patio Doors with Built-In Blinds Review

Sliding glass doors are a great option for homeowners who want to increase the amount of natural light that enters their homes. Larger sliding glass door models are sometimes called sliding glass walls because the panels are so large they take up most of the wall space from top to bottom. That’s a lot of glass and a lot of light which is great but being able to control how much light enters our space is also important.

Blinds help us limit the amount of light that enters our homes and they protect our privacy. For external window coverings, homeowners have lots of options: curtains, drapes, and many types of blinds.

Doors with blinds between the glass use Venetian blinds. Venetian blinds are horizontal slats that allow you to control the amount of light that passes through the glass. You can tilt and raise the slats to your liking.

Closeup photo of venetian style blinds on window

Choosing doors with blinds already installed between the glass offers convenience among other benefits and some drawbacks. We'll review the below to help you make the best choice for your home:

Are Built-in Blinds Worth It?
Best Doors with Built-in Blinds
Hinged Patio Doors with Blinds Between the Glass
Should I Get Sliding Doors With Built-in Blinds?

Are built-in blinds worth it?

Pros

Fully-integrated design
Offer privacy
Low maintenance
Durable
Kid & pet-friendly

Doors with built-in blinds offer lots of benefits, starting with the fact that you won’t have to shop for additional window coverings unless you absolutely want more.

Blinds are a great window accessory because they offer a sense of privacy and give you control over the amount of light that will enter your home. Having this additional control is particularly helpful when that sunlight starts hitting your television or computer monitor.

Opting for blinds between the glass is also a good choice for homeowners with children and pets. Unlike external blinds, integrated blinds have specially designed operators built into the door. External blinds typically have loose cords that can be damaged easily and pose a hazard risk to children and pets.

Doors with built-in blinds also look tidier without the loose cords and they’re also considered low-maintenance. Because the blinds are trapped between the glass panes they are less likely to build-up dust.

Photo of sliding patio door with white built in blinds

Cons

Less energy-efficient
Susceptible to dust & condensation
Not easily repaired

Unfortunately, products with blinds between the glass aren’t perfect either.

One of the major drawbacks of doors with blinds between the glass is that they are less energy-efficient than doors without. That’s because there’s a difference in what is between the glass panes.

Glass units within doors are typically filled with non-toxic gas which acts as an insulator and contributes to the unit’s energy ratings. Doors with built-in blinds don’t include gas fillers because the gas is dense.

The density of the gas would make it difficult to operate the blinds so doors with built-in blinds have air between the panes instead.

Homeowners also run into a couple of other problems with this type of door. The first problem is with the operator that raises and lowers the blinds. The operators are usually magnetic and sometimes detach from their counterparts on the interior side of the glass unit. They can usually be repaired easily but the shock of running into this problem without knowing the solution can cause some frustration.

Another problem is condensation between the glass and dust build-up on the blinds. I did say these were a low-maintenance option but dust and condensation can become a problem when the seal around the glass unit breaks. Unfortunately, in most doors, the blinds won’t be accessible and the only solution would be to replace the window unit.

Best doors with built-in blinds

Among the brands, we carry Andersen, Milgard, and ProVia offer sliding doors with built-in blinds.

Andersen

Andersen is one of America’s leading manufacturers of windows and doors. They offer blinds between the glass on a variety of patio doors and windows.

Milgard

Milgard is one of the biggest window and door manufacturers in the country. They offer blinds between the glass on their Tuscany Series vinyl patio doors.

Tuscany Sliding Patio Doors

ProVia

ProVia is one of our favorite entry door vendors. They also offer several patio doors with the option of internal blinds.

These aren’t the only brands that offer doors with built-in blinds but it’s a starting point for your door exploration.

Hinged patio doors with blinds between the glass

The same benefits and drawbacks that apply to sliding doors with built-in blinds apply to hinged patio doors and windows. Andersen also offers blinds between the glass on hinged patio doors in the E-Series and on 400 Series Frenchwood hinged patio doors.

Photo of french door with white built-in blinds.

Should I get sliding doors with built-in blinds?

There’s a lot to consider as you make your decision. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks in the long term? If you’re on the fence, it would probably make the most sense to only choose this type of door if external blinds or window treatments legitimately hamper your ability to open or close doors.

As with all remodeling projects, we recommend getting a few bids to compare the cost of doors and installation.

If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, give us a call at 817-860-9767 or submit this form and one of our representatives will contact you to schedule a free in-house consultation.