Glass patio or balcony doors provide a stylish and functional way of adding natural light to a room and allowing fresh air in on warm days. However, that lovely outlook can leave your home exposed when it comes to privacy. So, what is the best solution to this problem? Traditionally, net curtains were the usual means of keeping prying eyes away, but now voile roller blinds are becoming increasingly more popular. Here's a comparison between these two styles of window dressing to help you make an informed decision on which would be best for you.
Net curtains
Although net curtains allow light into a room without permitting onlookers to see inside, they are rather old-fashioned and are not as versatile as voile blinds.
Nets are not particularly easy to move aside if you want to open your doors and they can easily become caught, leading to tearing and snagging. If you open the doors behind the nets, the chances are that the fabric will be dragged through the doors by the breeze.
The only way to keep nets clean is by periodically taking them down and washing them, which can be a time-consuming hassle. You may also find that you need to replace your nets fairly regularly to keep them looking fresh and tidy.
One advantage of nets is that they are cheap to buy and install. However, a good quality voile roller blind will give you many years of hassle-free operation whilst retaining its good looks.
Voile roller blinds
Voile is a delicate, sheer fabric that has an open weave construction, allowing light to filter through whilst providing you with privacy when you need it. Just like nets, you can see the world outside through the blinds, but the view into your home is effectively blocked. This versatility is particularly useful in rooms such as bedrooms and bathrooms
On warm days, or when you want to enjoy the view from your balcony or patio, raise the blinds, open the door and allow the fresh air in. Unlike curtains, blinds will not become caught in the breeze and dragged out through the window.
Roller blinds are very easy to keep clean. All you need to do is run a soft vacuum cleaner brush attachment over the blinds each week to get rid of any dust, and wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Some styles of roller blinds can now be fitted to timber, metal and UPVC door frames without the need for screw fixings. This means that if you decide to change your window dressings in the future, the frames won't be left with unsightly screw holes.
In conclusion
Unless you are a confirmed traditionalist who loves nets, a voile roller blind is the perfect solution to the window dressing dilemma for your patio or balcony glass doors.
