Can you put shutters on French doors and patio doors?
Yes — and doors are one of the places shutters clearly beat blinds, as long as the specification accounts for handles, traffic and how often the doors are actually used.
24 June 2026 · 5 min read
French doors: panel-on-door or frame-around
Either mount a slim shutter panel directly onto each door leaf so it travels with the door, or build a frame around the whole opening with panels that fold clear. Door-mounted panels keep the doors fully usable day to day; a surrounding frame gives a bigger architectural statement.
Handle clearance is the whole game
Door handles project into the panel space. We measure the handle throw at survey and specify cut-outs, spacers or offset frames so the panel closes flat without fouling. Getting this wrong is the most common reason a door shutter looks bodged.
Bi-folds and sliders: use a track
For wide runs, tracked shutters slide and stack to one side rather than swinging into the room. That keeps a three or four metre opening usable while still giving full louvre control when closed.
