Enclosing your terrace for winter: glass curtain or sliding door?
The short answer: a glass curtain keeps out the wind and rain and lets you use the terrace on many more days without losing the view, but it does not insulate like a window. A double-glazed sliding door turns the terrace into an extra room that stays warm at night too. Here are the differences so you can choose well.
Updated 22/10/2026 · Factory prices without VAT, fitting or transport
The two options in one sentence
- Glass curtain: 10 mm toughened glass panels with no vertical frames. They stack to one side and the terrace is 100 % open. It keeps out wind, rain and dust.
- Sliding door in PVC or thermal-break aluminium: framed panels, seals and double glazing. It closes like a window and keeps out cold and noise.
Winter comparison
| Glass curtain | Double-glazed sliding door | |
|---|---|---|
| Wind and rain | Kept out very well | Fully closed |
| Cold at night | Little effect: single glass and small gaps between panels | Insulates like a window |
| Sunny days | Warms up quickly, greenhouse effect | Warms up too and keeps the heat better |
| View | No vertical frames | Frames between the panels |
| Opening in summer | Fully open | Half or two thirds of the opening |
| Street noise | Reduced | Reduced much more |
| Price | Per square metre, depending on size and system | PVC 2000 × 2100 mm: €580 – 795 Thermal-break aluminium, 3 panels, 3000 × 2100 mm: €1,105 – 1,520 |
| Permits | The same for both: community of owners and town hall | |
When to choose a glass curtain
- You want to sit outside on the sunny autumn and winter days, which are many on the coast, and open everything up in summer.
- The view of the sea, the pool or the countryside matters most.
- The terrace is a sitting area, not a bedroom or an office that has to be warm at night.
- Wind is the main problem: a seafront or high-floor terrace.
When to choose a sliding door
- You want a real extra room: dining area, home office or playroom, in the evening too.
- The terrace faces north or a noisy street.
- You spend the winter in Spain and do not want the living room, open to the terrace, to lose heat.
- You need more security: a sliding door locks with window hardware.
Tips for an enclosed terrace in winter
- Air it for a while every day. Moisture builds up in an enclosed terrace and the glass can mist up. We explain why in window condensation.
- Do not use gas or wood heaters with everything closed. They need ventilation; if you want heating, an electric radiator is safer.
- Keep the bottom tracks clean. If they fill with sand or leaves, rainwater cannot drain. See windows leaking in heavy rain.
- Choose the right glass for a sliding door. On south- or west-facing terraces, solar-control glass stops the room overheating in summer.
Permits: the same for both options
Both a glass curtain and a sliding door enclose the terrace and change the façade. In a building or an urbanisation you usually need the approval of the community of owners and a procedure at the town hall. We explain it step by step in do I need permission to enclose my terrace?.
How we help
- We make both options in our workshop in San Fulgencio and fit them with our own team.
- Free measuring visit within 30 km of the workshop and a fixed price after measuring. We give you the drawing and technical sheet for the community meeting.
- Price a sliding door in a minute with the calculator; for a glass curtain, send us the width, height and a photo on WhatsApp.
- We work in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Santa Pola and across the Vega Baja. We speak English.
Frequently asked questions
Does a glass curtain keep the terrace warm in winter?
Partly. It stops the wind and on a sunny day the terrace warms up a lot. But it is single glass with small gaps between the panels, so at night the temperature gets close to the outside. If you need warmth at night too, a double-glazed sliding door is the better choice.
Which is cheaper, a glass curtain or a sliding door?
It depends on the size. A glass curtain is priced per square metre according to the system; a 2000 × 2100 mm PVC sliding door costs €580 – 795 ex-works. Send us your measurements and we will price both so you can compare.
Can you enclose a terrace that has a low wall or railing?
In many cases yes: the glass curtain or sliding door is fitted on the terrace wall. What to do with the railing and how to finish it we decide when we measure, because every terrace is different.
Do I need permission for a glass curtain?
Usually yes: even though it opens fully, when closed it changes the façade. You need the community's approval and the town hall procedure, just as for a sliding door.
Want to enclose your terrace this winter?
Send us the width, height and a photo on WhatsApp: we will price both a glass curtain and a sliding door so you can compare.