Sliding Panel Shades
Wide fabric panels that glide sideways on a track and stack out of the way. The answer for patio doors and window walls, fitted and installed across Boise and the Treasure Valley.
They Slide Instead of Rolling
Most window coverings move up and down. These move sideways. Wide flat panels of fabric hang from a track at the top and glide across it, stacking behind each other at one or both ends when you open them. Hunter Douglas calls the system Skyline.
That difference is the entire point. On a patio door, a shade that rolls down has to be raised every time you walk outside. A panel just slides out of the way, the same motion as the door itself, and stacks in a few inches of space beside the frame. On a very wide window, panels cover the whole span in one continuous run instead of hanging three or four separate shades in a row.
The photo above is a single track across a dining room window, panels pushed to both ends with the middle left open.
Where They Earn Their Place
Sliding glass and patio doors. This is the most common reason people buy them. The panel and the door move the same way, so nothing has to be lifted to get outside.
Window walls and wide openings. Anything too wide for one conventional shade. Instead of breaking the window into sections, one track runs the full width and reads as a single clean surface.
Room dividers. Because the track does not need a window behind it, panels can close off an opening between two spaces and slide away when you want it open again.
They are less suited to standard windows, where a roller shade or cellular shade will usually look better and cost less.
On a patio door. Slide the panel, open the door. Nothing to raise, nothing in the way, and the stack sits clear of the opening.
Across a wide opening. One track, one continuous surface. The fabric can be a quiet neutral or carry a pattern, as here.
The Same Fabrics You Have Already Seen
This is the part that makes the product easy to specify. Skyline panels use the same fabric families as Hunter Douglas roller and screen shades. So the openness scale that governs solar shades applies here in exactly the same way, and so does the sheer-to-blackout range on roller shades.
Practically, that means you can run panels across the patio door and roller shades on the windows in the same room, in the same fabric, and the room reads as one decision rather than three. That is what is happening below: panels on the left wall, roller shades on the windows opposite, one fabric family across both.
How They Move
A wand. You push the panels along the track by hand using a slim wand, which keeps the fabric clean and gives you precise control. This is the common choice.
A cord. A continuous cord draws the panels across, which takes less effort on a long, heavy run.
PowerView motorization. The panels move on a schedule, from the Pebble remote, or from your phone. On a wide, tall run this is worth serious consideration, and it is what most people choose on a window wall. See motorized window coverings.
You also choose which way they stack: to the left, to the right, or splitting to both sides from the middle. It sounds like a detail until you realize it decides which part of your view stays clear and where the stack sits when the panels are open. Justin works that out against your actual door during the consultation.
Questions People Ask About Sliding Panel Shades
How Much Wall Space Does the Stack Take?
Less than people expect, but it is real and it has to be planned. The panels stack behind one another at the end of the track, so allow a few inches beside the opening. If wall space is tight we can stack to one side only, or split the stack to both ends. We measure this before ordering, not after.
Can They Cover a Whole Window Wall?
Yes, that is one of the main reasons to choose them. A single track runs the full width, so a wide expanse reads as one continuous surface instead of several separate shades hung in a row.
Will They Work on a Door We Use Every Day?
That is the use they are built for. The panel slides the same direction the door does, so you are not raising and lowering a shade every time you step outside. It is the main reason people replace vertical blinds with these.
Can We Get Privacy and a View From the Same Panels?
Choose the fabric the same way you would for any roller or solar shade. An open weave keeps the view and controls glare, a tighter or room-darkening fabric gives privacy. The openness scale works exactly as it does on solar shades.
Are They Better Than Vertical Blinds?
For most rooms, yes, and this is usually what people are replacing. Vertical blinds are separate hanging slats that clatter and bend. Sliding panels are wide flat fabric on a smooth track, so they read as a designed surface rather than a set of louvers.
Can I See the Fabric Before I Decide?
That is the whole point of the in-home consultation. Justin brings the Hunter Douglas samples to your house, holds them against your own door or window, and works out the stack direction with you. Our showroom at 2615 W Main St in Boise is open too if you would rather come to us. Call ahead so we can be sure to be there.
Measure the Door Before You Choose the Fabric
Stack space and stack direction decide whether these work in your room, and both need measuring in person. Justin brings the samples, measures the opening, and tells you which way the panels should run. The in-home consultation is free and there is no pressure to buy.
Or call (208) 808-8676
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