• Vertical blinds do have their disadvantages.blue blind image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
  
  Vertical blinds, also known as track blinds, are made of long slats of material that hang vertically from a special head rail. These slats can be strips of stiff fabric, plastic, vinyl or even wood. They're popular window treatments for sliding glass doors, as the blinds can be moved horizontally along their track to allow people access to the doorway. However, vertical blinds are not perfect for every situation and do have a few disadvantages.
  
  

Safety Issues

• Vertical blinds that are operated with a cord and/or chain can pose a choking hazard to small children. Cords and chains need to be safely tied up and away from the reach of children. Blinds that are motorized or operated with a wand you twist are much safer for households with children.
  
  

Light Factor

• Vertical blinds cannot completely shut out sunlight to make a room totally dark. The slats of a vertical blind overlap each other loosely, which allows light to bleed through the cracks. Also, blinds made of thinner material are not opaque and will allow sunlight to filter through the entire window treatment.
  
  

Noise

• Another disadvantage to installing vertical blinds is the noise factor. The slats of vertical blinds are often allowed to swing free at the bottom, so when they are opened quickly, the slats swish and clatter together. The noise is even greater if the blinds are made of something hard such as wood or plastic. The noise can be mitigated somewhat by the installation of a chain along the bottom that holds the slats together, but these chains can pose a choking hazard and should not be used in households with small children.