Susan....having the support bracket under only the back rod, how does that lend support to the front rod that has the draperies on it? I'm looking to hang blocking drapery on a slider and want the 2 panels stacked over the stationary side when not needed. It is a conundrum! The best solution is a new slider with the interior blinds....spendy!

What did you end up doing? If you are still deciding, I would advise against a 4 panel door for your 10 foot space. As another poster said, that will result in a lot of posts within a small area. The result will be less glass and a more crowded look. Once you factor in all the posts required for a 4 panel door, and the large section in the middle where the two closing panels meet, you will loose a lot of light and your opening will not actually be that much larger than a 3 panel door. I think 3 panels would work very well and, after allowing for the posts, will leave you with an opening that is around 3 foot wide. A 36" opening is very respectable - also, you will then only have one moving panel which equals less moving parts (see: things that may/will break some day) and only one screen door. A 4 panel door will generally be less weather resistant: two moving panels must join in the middle and try to create a seal with one another, which weakens the door's structure. this counts when a storm kicks up and you get a lot of wind driven rain. with a 3 panel door, each end of the moving panel will always close/seal against a FIXED panel. This is more stable and reliable. i'm not making this up - check the DP rating of a 3 panel door Vs. a 4 panel door for the same manufacturer. The 4 panel doors always have a lower rating. Another negative score against the 4 panel door is that you are forced to have the opening in the center of your room - which makes it difficult to furnish, as you must allow a passage way through the center of a room. Not an efficient use of space in many situations. 3 panels allow the flexibility to have the opening on the left, center, or right side. I'm not an authority on this... just my opinion :-) Good luck! Please let us know what you decided and if you are pleased with the result.

I've sewn quite a bit and, in fact, I teach sewing at the middle school and high school level. I've never attempted drapes before, but they seem less fussy than apparel. Guess I'll find out. So the fabric...I'm almost embarrassed to admit I shamelessly stole it from another post. I was looking up plaid curtains and came across a fairly recent GW post where someone suggested this fabric. I immediately liked it and started considering it for curtains. When I realized how inexpensive it was ($2.24 a yard!) I just went ahead and bought all they had in stock, something like 28 yards. I hope I like it! It should fit with the English country, creams and off white look I'm going for. It's 100% cotton, described as a durable drapery fabric. Still deciding on how many panels and what sort of heading.

I can't really see what is going on in the room - things look crowded/tight from the picture you sent so therefore I'm not voting for 3 panels - but please send a long shot of the room