Vertical Blinds
Slide open for full access to the door. Tilt closed for complete privacy. Vertical blinds from Custom Blinds South Africa were designed for the wide openings that horizontal blinds cannot cover, and they remain the most cost-effective way to dress sliding doors, patio doors, and floor-to-ceiling glass across South Africa. Available online with free delivery nationwide, or through a Garden Route consultation with the same expert advice and professional installation.
The patio door slides open. The kids run outside. An hour later, you close the blinds with one pull and the lounge is private, cool, and quiet again. No fumbling with a cord. No raising and lowering. Just a smooth lateral slide and a gentle tilt.
“Vertical blinds are still the best solution for sliding doors. Nothing else stacks as neatly, gives full door access, and covers widths over three metres on a single rail. They have evolved well beyond the office look people remember.”Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, 20+ years experience across the Garden Route
Vertical blinds are the recommended blind type for sliding glass doors and patio doors in South Africa. The louvres stack to one side when opened, giving full unobstructed access to the door. No raising, no lowering. A 3,000mm wide sliding door is covered on a single headrail from R950. No other blind type matches this combination of access, coverage, and cost.
Sliding doors and patio doors are standard in South African homes, from Sandton townhouses to Cape Town apartments to Garden Route beach houses. The opening is typically 1,800mm to 3,600mm wide, sometimes wider. Horizontal blinds (roller, venetian, honeycomb) need to be raised entirely to give access, and most cannot span the full width without multiple units. Vertical blinds solve this because the louvres stack to one side, clearing the doorway completely while the headrail stays in place.
This matters for daily life. You use a sliding door dozens of times a day: letting the dogs out, moving between the kitchen and the braai area, bringing laundry in. A blind that needs to be fully raised each time becomes a chore. A vertical blind draws back in one smooth motion and the door is clear. Over 80% of Custom Blinds® vertical blind installations are on sliding doors and wide patio openings.
For more on choosing the right blind type for sliding doors, including vertical, roller, and shutter options compared, read our guide to sliding door blinds.
Custom Blinds® supplies vertical blinds in blockout fabric as standard. Blockout vertical louvres provide complete privacy and near-total light block when the slats are closed, making them suitable for bedrooms, media rooms, and any space where darkness and privacy matter.
The fabric is durable, wipe-clean, and fade-resistant under South African UV conditions. Louvres are available in a range of neutral colours that suit both residential and commercial interiors. Each louvre hangs independently from the headrail, meaning individual slats can be replaced if damaged without replacing the entire blind.
Custom Blinds also supplies vertical blinds in sheer fabric for spaces where full privacy is not the priority. Sheer louvres filter light while maintaining a view through the blind when tilted open, the same adjustability as blockout, but with a softer, translucent effect. Sheer vertical blinds suit living areas with views you want to preserve, home offices where natural light aids concentration, and lounge spaces that face a garden or deck rather than a street. When tilted closed, sheer louvres reduce glare without darkening the room. When tilted fully open, they remain almost invisible against the glass. For sliding doors onto a private garden or coastal deck, sheer vertical blinds are often the better choice than blockout, you keep the connection to the outside while controlling heat and glare through the day.
Vertical blinds vs VertiShades: If you want the function of vertical blinds with a softer, more contemporary fabric, consider VertiShades. VertiShades use a contoured vane design that gives a panel curtain aesthetic with the practical stacking and tilting of verticals.
Vertical blinds suit any room with wide openings, but they earn their place most clearly in four situations.
Sliding and patio doors. The primary use case. Louvres stack to one side for unobstructed access, then close and tilt for privacy. No other blind type handles daily sliding door traffic as well.
Floor-to-ceiling windows. In open-plan Gauteng homes and modern Cape Town apartments, floor-to-ceiling glass is common. Vertical blinds cover the full height and width on a single headrail, creating a clean vertical line that complements tall windows rather than fighting them.
Offices and commercial spaces. Vertical blinds remain the standard for South African offices because they cover large glass facades cost-effectively, handle heavy daily use, and allow individual slat replacement. Blockout fabric reduces screen glare during presentations. Over 60% of commercial blind installations nationally use verticals.
Rental properties. Vertical blinds are affordable, durable, and easy to maintain. Landlords choose them for common areas and bedrooms because they withstand tenant turnover better than fabric roller blinds or timber venetians.
Vertical blinds are not the only option for wide openings, but they remain the most practical and affordable. Here is how they compare to the alternatives.
Roller blinds can be installed in pairs across sliding doors, but each blind operates independently and you need to raise the full panel to access the door. They offer cleaner lines and a wider fabric choice (blockout, translucent, sheer), but lack the lateral stacking that makes verticals practical for daily door use.
Zebra blinds give variable light control with alternating sheer and opaque bands, but they are designed for windows, not doors. They need to be raised for access.
Honeycomb blinds insulate better than any vertical blind, but they also need full raising for access and are more expensive on wide openings.
Aluminium venetians provide precise light angle control but are impractical on openings wider than about 2,400mm. They need to be raised to access the door.
For a complete overview of all blind types, see our blinds in South Africa guide.
Measure the full width of the opening you want covered. For a face fit (mounted above the frame), add at least 100mm on each side and 100mm above the door frame to ensure full coverage. Measure the drop from the headrail position to 10mm above the floor. Record in millimetres.
When the blinds arrive, our guide to installing blinds covers bracket positions and hanging the track step by step.
Enter your measurements into the Blind Builder, choose your colour, and the price updates instantly. Vertical blinds start from R512. Free delivery to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, and every address in South Africa. Production takes about 5 to 7 working days, plus courier transit.
Custom Fit Guarantee: If your vertical blind arrives too big, we trim it for free. If it arrives too small, it is remade at a reduced price. Garden Route customers in Knysna, George, Plettenberg Bay, and surrounds can book a design consultation with Duncan on 079 523 5407.
For everyone else, WhatsApp our team on 076 022 8410 for advice on sizing, fabric, or stacking direction.
Garden Route Installation
Coastal sliding doors face conditions that inland doors don’t. Salt-laden air accelerates the corrosion of hardware. UV intensity on the south coast bleaches fabric faster than Highveld conditions. The prevailing south-easterly wind creates pressure differentials that can cause lightweight louvres to swing and rattle if the system is not weighted correctly.
Custom Blinds specifies coastal-grade components for all Garden Route installations: UV-stabilised fabric rated for high-exposure conditions, aluminium headrails, and weighted bottom chains that keep louvres stable in cross-draughts. The result is a blind that hangs cleanly and operates smoothly regardless of whether the door is facing the lagoon at Knysna, the ocean at Plett, or the mountain side at George.
Garden Route service area: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Sedgefield, Wilderness, Mossel Bay and surrounding areas. Duncan visits your home with fabric samples, measures the opening, and advises on fabric, stacking direction, and whether blockout or sheer suits the room. No obligation.
Vertical blinds available across the Garden Route: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Sedgefield and surrounding areas.
Custom Blinds® vertical blinds start from R512 for a standard opening in blockout fabric. Price depends on width, drop, and colour. Enter your measurements into the Blind Builder for an instant price with no obligation.
Vertical blinds are the most practical blind type for sliding doors. The louvres stack neatly to one side for full door access, then close and tilt for privacy. No raising or lowering required. Over 80% of Custom Blinds® vertical installations are on sliding doors and patio openings. Read our full sliding door blinds guide.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings delivers free to every address in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth,, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Production takes about 5 to 7 working days, plus courier transit.
Custom Blinds supplies vertical blinds in two fabric options: blockout and sheer. Blockout louvres provide complete privacy and near-total light block when closed, suited to bedrooms, media rooms, and street-facing doors. Sheer louvres filter light while preserving a view through the blind, suited to garden-facing living areas and coastal decks. Both fabrics are wipe-clean, fade-resistant, and UV-stable. Multiple neutral colours available in both options.
Dust louvres regularly with a soft cloth or feather duster, wiping from top to bottom. For deeper cleaning, wipe each louvre with a damp cloth. Individual louvres can be unclipped from the headrail for spot cleaning. Avoid submerging fabric louvres in water. For more detail, read how to clean blinds in South Africa.
Yes. Each louvre hangs independently from the headrail, so a single damaged slat can be replaced without removing the entire blind. This makes vertical blinds particularly cost-effective for rental properties and commercial spaces where occasional damage is expected.
Louvres can swing in a draught if a door is left open beside them, and a chain or wand is needed to operate them. Louvres can catch on furniture pushed against a sliding door. The trade-off is that they are the only blind that covers a very wide opening in one run.
For a wide sliding door it is verticals or a panel glide. Verticals tilt for light and privacy without opening the whole run; a panel glide looks cleaner but stacks to one side. A single roller struggles past about 2.4 metres.
Modern vertical blinds have evolved well beyond the office aesthetic of the 1990s. Contemporary fabric louvres in neutral tones, combined with slim headrails and chainless bottom weights, create a clean, architectural look suited to modern residential interiors. For a softer panel look, consider VertiShades.
Every online order is covered by the Custom Fit Guarantee. If the blind arrives too big, we trim it at no charge. If it arrives too small, it is remade at a reduced price. All vertical blinds include free delivery and are covered by a factory warranty.
Vertical blinds are the most practical blind for sliding doors. The louvres stack fully to one side so the door stays usable, they draw like a curtain across wide spans, and individual louvres can be replaced if one is damaged. Each blind is made to measure for your exact door width.
Current prices: See vertical blinds prices for common window and sliding door sizes
Made to measure. Delivered free. Custom Fit Guarantee on every order.
Quick Answer
Shop vertical blinds from R512: enter your measurements for an instant price. Garden Route consultations: book with Duncan.
Vertical, roller, and shutter options for patio and sliding doors.
Blockout, translucent, and sheer. The cleanest line in window coverings.
Cellular insulation for temperature and noise control.
Complete guide to every blind type, room by room.
Low-effort maintenance for every blind type.
Fit blinds without screws or wall damage. All types available.
A pricing breakdown across vertical, roller, honeycomb, and more.
Vertical blinds are one of several smart solutions for wide openings and sliding doors. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings supplies a full range of indoor and outdoor window coverings across South Africa.
Further reading: Vertical blinds for sliding doors: sizing and specification
Custom Blinds® is South Africa’s online destination for custom-made vertical blinds, established 2010 and operating from Knysna on the Garden Route. Vertical blinds, roller blinds, honeycomb blinds, venetian blinds, and no-drill blinds are made-to-measure and delivered nationally via shop.customblinds.co.za with the Custom Fit Guarantee on every order. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is the trading entity. Products carry manufacturer warranties on supplied components and Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings warranties on items we make; warranty claims are handled directly with the supplier on the customer’s behalf.
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Custom Blinds South Africa | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.
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