Tracked shutters

Panels that slide instead of swing

For larger openings, tracked shutters can be a really attractive alternative to individual hinged panels. We'll help you work out how much room the panels need and how you'd like them to move.

Normal shutters are hinged, so the panels fold back against the sides of the opening. That works well on ordinary windows, but a wide opening needs a lot of panels, and a patio door can be awkward when panels swing into the room. Tracked shutters solve this by hanging the panels from a track and letting them slide sideways, a bit like a wardrobe door or a room divider.

How a tracked set is put together

A track is fixed above the opening, and often a guide runs along the floor or the bottom of the frame so the panels stay in line. Each panel is a rigid frame, usually with louvres you can tilt. The panels are arranged in rows, so one panel sits slightly behind another. When you slide them, they stack in front of or behind each other and you uncover a part of the opening. The number of tracks, and so the number of panels that can stack together, depends on the width. Wider openings tend to use more tracks.

How much of the opening you can uncover

This is a helpful thing to know when choosing. When panels stack, they overlap. They do not fold flat out of sight the way a curtain bunches or a bifold folds. So you will uncover part of the opening at a time rather than all of it, and the stack takes up some of the width at one side or both. A patio door that needs a full clear width to walk through is a good example of what to talk to us about. A layout with a centre opening, with panels stacking either side, can help.

Where tracked shutters make sense

• Patio and sliding doors, where a hinged panel would swing into furniture or the door itself.
• Wide picture windows that would need a long run of hinged panels.
• Room dividers, such as between a living space and a dining area, in some layouts.
• Walk in wardrobes or alcoves, where you want a solid look without door swing.

If the opening has a handle that sticks out, or a door that needs to open fully, we will check clearance first. Tracked panels hang slightly in front of the glass, and the gap depends on the system, so ask us.

Light and view when the louvres tilt

With louvred panels you can angle the slats to let light in and limit the view from outside. You can also slide a panel away to open a section. The position of louvres when fully closed means some light can still pass, depending on the design and the fit. If you want true light blocking, ask us about the options.

Tracked shutters or a blind?

Shutters are a considered purchase. If your priority is covering a patio door economically, the choice of a vertical blind or a panel blind may fit the budget and the door nicely, and both slide on tracks too. Our guide to blinds for patio doors and the page on patio door blinds compare the options. Tracked shutters suit people who like the solid, architectural look of shutters but cannot use hinged panels.

Measuring a wide opening

Openings this wide are rarely perfectly level, so we measure the width at the top, middle and bottom, and the height at several points. We also look at how the door or window opens, where the handles sit and whether the ceiling above allows room for a track. If the opening is next to a wall, the stack position also matters. We will talk it through at the free home measure, because the right layout is easier to decide when we can see the room.

Keeping the track in good order

Track systems stay smooth when they are kept clean. Dust the louvres with a soft cloth, and vacuum or brush the track now and then so grit does not build up. Slide the panels gently, and if something is catching, a light touch will usually ease it free.

Shutters and tracked systems are secondary to our blinds ranges, and we will always be honest about what suits you. For other styles, see our main shutters page.

Not sure which way to go? Book a free measure, tell us what you have, and we will confirm what suits before you commit to anything.

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