Guides
Vertical blinds or roller blinds? How they differ, and which suits a sliding door
These two are both priced by the square yard, so people assume either will do. In fact they move in different directions and suit different openings.
A vertical blind is a row of tall louvres hanging from a top track. They rotate through 180° to choose where the light comes from, and slide into a stack at the side when you want the opening clear. A roller blind is one sheet of fabric that rolls up into a headrail. One moves sideways, the other moves up and down, and that single fact settles most of the question of which opening should get which.
How vertical blinds and roller blinds differ
| Vertical blind | Roller blind | |
|---|---|---|
| How it moves | Louvres rotate in place and slide to the side | One sheet rolls up and down |
| Light control | Fine adjustment by rotating the louvres, with the blind still closed | Mostly up and down; the fabric you pick sets the level |
| Darkness | Light always slips between the louvres, even fully shut | Blackout fabric is an option: nothing through the cloth, though a little still leaks at the edges |
| Wide openings | Its strength, since the weight is spread across the louvres | Very wide means several units side by side, because one big sheet gets heavy and sags |
| Walking through a door | Push through the louvres, or slide open just the part you need | Has to be raised clear of head height every time |
| Dust and cleaning | Many louvres, wiped or vacuumed one at a time | One flat sheet, brushed top to bottom in one pass |
| Operation | By hand | Motorized: remote, phone app or wall switch |
| Feel | Vertical lines, businesslike, familiar from offices | Flat and minimal, takes little room at the window |
Are vertical blinds any good? What to know first
Good at what they're built for, and poor at what they aren't. Verticals have been an office standard for years because they cover long runs of glass easily and can turn light off a screen without closing the whole window. Put them in the wrong place and the limits show at once.
- For: rotate the louvres to steer the light, so the room stays bright without direct sun.
- For: suited to wide windows and long runs of glass wall.
- For: on a door in constant use, you walk through without clearing the whole blind.
- Against: never fully dark. Light always slips between the louvres.
- Against: the stack has to sit at one end, and it takes up that part of the width.
- Against: at a window left open in steady wind, the louvres swing and clatter.
- Against: very long louvres swing and twist, so this category has a maximum height. See the size table below.
What to fit on a sliding door
Start with how often the door is actually used. For a door to a balcony or garden that people go through all day, a vertical blind fits better, because it moves the same way the door does: sideways. You can slide open just the stretch you walk through, or simply push through the louvres. At the measure, say which side the door opens on, so the stack goes to the other side and stays out of the walking route.
If it's a glass door that rarely opens, and you want a dark bedroom or a flat, clean look, a motorized roller blind works as well. The usual approach is to split it into several units matching the door panels. The unit over the opening panel then rises on its own, so you don't lift the whole run every time you step onto the balcony.
Vertical blind price, next to a motorized roller blind
| Product | Starting price | Minimum per unit | Motor per unit | Installation per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical Blind | 690 THB/sq yd | 1.5 sq yd | — | 200 THB per unit · under 10 units is a flat 2,000 THB · free over 20,000 THB |
| Motorized Roller Blind | 690 THB/sq yd | 1.5 sq yd | 5,000 ฿ | 200-2,500 THB per unit depending on size |
Excludes VAT · the final price depends on fabric grade and how many units
Read every row. Both categories are priced by the square yard and both carry a minimum per unit. The real differences sit in two rows. The first is the motor: a motorized roller blind adds a motor to every unit, while a vertical blind is hand-operated and has no such line. The second is installation, which follows a different formula in each: rollers are charged by the size of each unit, verticals per unit on the shop's standard formula.
Every price is before VAT, and the real figure is confirmed after the on-site measure, once the fabric or louvre type and the number of units are settled. The motorized roller is broken down part by part in what a motorized roller blind costs.
What sizes each one is made in
| Product | Width (cm) | Height (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical Blind | — | up to 320 |
| Motorized Roller Blind | 50+ | 100+ |
Larger openings are still possible — they are simply split into several units. Message us.
The limits fall on opposite sides. Verticals have a maximum height, while motorized rollers have a minimum size, so not every small opening can take a roller. If your window is very wide, both are handled the same way: split into several units side by side. Send rough sizes first, and if you're measuring yourself, see how to measure your own windows.
Which rooms suit a vertical blind, and which a roller
| Room or spot | Usually suits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A sliding door in constant use | Vertical blind | Moves sideways like the door; you pass without clearing it all |
| Office, meeting room | Vertical blind | Turns light off a screen when needed and covers long glass easily |
| Bedroom | Roller blind, blackout fabric | It needs darkness, which louvres can't give |
| Living room with a view | Roller blind, sunscreen fabric | Cuts glare while you still see out |
| High glass or a window out of reach | Motorized roller blind | Runs up and down without anyone reaching for it |
| A tight room with furniture against the glass | Roller blind | The fabric rolls away upward, so no side space is needed for a stack |
One house can use both, and many do: verticals on the sliding doors downstairs, motorized blackout rollers in the bedrooms upstairs. If the window is an ordinary size and you want the same tilting control in timber, there's a further comparison in wooden blinds or roller blinds.
Are vertical blinds any good in a home?
Yes, especially on sliding glass doors and wide windows, which is what they're built for. Know going in that they never go fully dark, and they read more businesslike than curtains or wooden blinds.
Can a vertical blind go in a bedroom?
It can, but if you want the room dark for sleeping we'd steer you away. Light always slips between the louvres, even fully shut. A bedroom that needs darkness is better served by a blackout roller blind.
Are vertical blinds hard to clean?
Not hard, just slower than a roller because it's one louvre at a time. PVC louvres get a well-wrung damp cloth, top to bottom. Fabric louvres get a gentle pass with a vacuum brush head. Don't scrub either with a stiff brush.
My window is very wide. Can it be one unit?
Up to a point. Beyond what one unit can carry, verticals and rollers are handled the same way: several units side by side. It still reads as one continuous run, and each section opens on its own. Send the size and we'll tell you how it should be divided.
How long from order to installation?
7-14 days from the day you confirm, depending on how many units. Fitting takes about 20 minutes per unit, and someone needs to be home for it.
Want the numbers for your own windows?
Send rough sizes first — no need to measure precisely. We'll work out a price, then arrange the real measure.
