Did you know National Picnic Day is celebrated every year on April 23^rd? Picnics are an inexpensive, easy way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the beautiful weather, snack on delicious foods, and soak up some extra Vitamin D. This holiday is the ultimate excuse to plan a romantic sunset picnic for your partner or a family fun picnic in the park! Keep reading for a complete guide on how to plan the perfect picnic.

The first step in planning the ultimate picnic is to choose the day and location. You’ll want to pick a day that your friends and family are available. Be sure to check the weather ahead of time to find a nice, sunny day to picnic. Pick your favorite place to picnic, be it the local park, beach, lake, etc. When deciding on a picnic location, consider the following things: popularity, parking, restrooms, and shade. If you choose a popular picnicking location like the park or beach, you’ll want to arrive early enough to claim a spot and find parking. If you plan to spend the day picnicking, a location with restroom facilities is crucial!

The next step is most important: packing the basket. Whether you use a traditional picnic basket, or opt for an ice chest, what you pack in it is most important. You’ll want to plan out your picnic foods and include something that everyone will enjoy. Creating a beautiful cheese and charcuterie spread is our favorite picnic snack. Along with savory meats and cheeses, packing fresh grapes, apples, and berries can add delightful contrast in tastes. In addition to your cheese and charcuterie board, you may consider packing some sandwiches and salads to add to your picnic spread—cheese and charcuterie are good snacks, however sandwiches and salads will fill you up! Don’t forget to pack plenty of water, iced tea, lemonade, and wine to accompany your meal.

Though food is most important, you’ll also want to pack enough plates, napkins, glasses, and cutlery for everyone! Bring plenty of picnic blankets for sitting underneath the sun and tablecloths if you’ll be commandeering a nearby picnic table. Sitting on the ground with no back support can be difficult for some so being well-prepared with a few foldable beach chairs is a good idea! If the location you’ll be in doesn’t have any shady spots, you should plan to bring umbrellas or easy-ups for those who want to take a break from the sunshine.

If you’ll be spending the entire day picnicking, pack some fun games for picnickers to play. Corn hole, frisbees, footballs, soccer balls—anything you think your friends and family will enjoy. Don’t forget to lather up your kids and yourself with sunscreen to avoid a painful sunburn! Another great thing to bring on your picnic day is a portable Bluetooth speaker so you can play your favorite music!

If you’re planning a spontaneous, last-minute picnic and aren’t sure where to go, consider opening your folding patio doors and setting up your impromptu picnic on the lawn or patio! You’ll have just as much fun picnicking outside in your backyard and you’ll have everything you need within reach.

To learn more about creating an indoor-outdoor picnic space with Bi-Fold Patio Doors, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page.

We are more than halfway through April, and Easter is just about here! If you celebrate Easter at home with your family, consider enjoying the day’s festivities outside on your patio. You can enjoy the weather, unplug from technology, and bond with family!

Decorate Eggs

Plan to decorate eggs as a family! Open your Bi-Fold Patio Doors and set up an egg decorating station outside so everyone can partake in the fun. Be sure to use a disposable table cloth to protect your patio furniture! Gather plenty of fun decorating supplies like dye, paint, markers, sequins, glitter, glue, etc. from your local craft supply store. You can also find egg decorating kits at local grocery stores, or department stores like Walmart and Target. Create some friendly competition and hold a contest for the best decorated egg.

Egg Hunt

Get the entire family involved in this year’s egg hunt! Split into two groups and take turns hiding and hunting for eggs. You can even turn the hunt into a contest to see which group can find all the eggs the fastest! Remember to place some eggs in easy spots if you have little ones running around trying to join the fun.

Eat Brunch

Prepare a delicious brunch and enjoy it on the patio. When all the egg decorating is done, you can set the table with a beautiful spread and enjoy Easter lunch outside! Leave your Bi-Fold Doors open and easily transport the prepared meal from the kitchen to the patio table. Before you dig in, take turns saying what you are thankful—this will act as a great reminder of all the little things you are grateful for! Don’t forget to have a sweet treat on hand for an after-lunch pick-me-up.

Relax

Spend the rest of the day relaxing outside and lounging in the sunshine, absorbing some extra Vitamin D. Leave the technology inside and enjoy each other’s company! Hang out, read books, nap in the sun, and go for a swim. This will be a relaxing and therapeutic day for you to forget about your worries and spend time enjoying life with family.

BBQ

When dinnertime comes around, throw some food on the grill and have a barbecue outside on the patio. Barbecue some chicken, steaks, or ribs, and throw on some corn, veggies, and potatoes!

Light A Fire

When the sun starts to go down and the air gets cool you can light a fire in your outdoor fireplace and wind down the evening. Cozy up with blankets, gather around the fire, make s’mores, and watch the sunset.

From all of us here at AG Millworks, we hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend! To learn more about creating indoor-outdoor living spaces with Bi-Fold Patio Doors, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page.

If you are planning a home remodel you should consider using large glass Bi-fold Patio Doors or Multi-Slide Patio Doors to create an indoor-outdoor living space in your home. Large glass patio doors can enhance your quality of life and make your living space a more enjoyable and luxurious place to relax and entertain. Keep reading to learn more about the amazing benefits of installing a Bi-Fold or Multi-Slide Patio Door in your home!

Natural Light

Large custom patio doors can allow an abundance of natural light into your living space! Natural sunlight is important to maintaining your overall health. It helps to increase levels of serotonin and lower blood pressure—it makes people feel happier and more relaxed! You and your family will love all the extra sunlight flowing through your folding or sliding glass patio doors.

Easy Entertaining

Bi-Fold and Multi-Slide Patio Doors connect your indoor living space with your outdoor entertainment area. Doors fold or slide open smoothly and create a seamless transition between each space. These doors are perfect for entertaining and will expand your living space to the outdoors and allow guests to migrate inside and out with ease!

Expansive Views

You can enhance your views by replacing entire walls with folding or sliding glass patio doors! With doors opened or closed you will have far-reaching views of the beautiful surrounds. If you want to maximize your views, consider choosing Pocketing Multi-Slide Patio doors—doors will disappear completely into the wall pocket and leave behind a large opening with unobstructed views!

Airflow

Large Bi-Fold or Multi-Slide Patio Doors will increase the airflow in your home. Opening doors will allow fresh air into your living area and create some air circulation in the space. When there is a cool breeze on a warm day you can open your folding or sliding patio doors to create some air ventilation in your home!

Connect with Nature

With an indoor-outdoor living space to enjoy, you will spend more time outdoors and feel more connected to nature. Spending time outside is a healing experience that everyone can benefit from—taking in the views, soaking up the sun, watching the birds, gazing at the stars can be therapeutic and help to relax you after a long day.

Energy Efficiency

Bi-Fold Patio Doors are energy efficient and Title 24 Prescriptive Compliant. With excellent NFRC ratings, our folding doors will help protect your home from unwanted heat gain in the summer and unwanted heat loss in the winter. Energy efficient patio doors can help lower your cooling and heating bills and reduce the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours due to the abundance of natural light they provide.

Extended Living Space

Bi-Fold or Multi-Slide Patio Doors will extend your living space and blur the line between inside and outside. If your living space is smaller than you’d like, custom patio doors are the perfect solution to adding some much-needed extra square footage—with doors open you can create additional seating or dining areas outside on the patio!

Increased Home Value

Indoor-outdoor living spaces created by luxury Bi-Fold or Multi-Slide patio doors are the latest home design trend. Incorporating folding or sliding patio doors into your home remodel is a great investment and will increase the value of your home. Custom patio doors will raise your home value and appeal to homebuyers searching for their dream home.

To learn more about creating an indoor-outdoor paradise with custom Bi-Fold Patio Doors, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page. To learn more about creating a smooth transition from living space to patio area using Multi-Slide Patio Doors, visit our Multi-Slide Patio Door Product Page.

Sunday, April 14^th is National Gardening Day! This is the perfect day to spend some time outdoors enjoying the lovely weather and giving your garden some much-needed attention and preparing it for the change in seasons. Updating your garden is a great way to create a fresh look in your backyard. There are many simple things you can do to give your garden an upgrade that will enhance your outdoor living space. Keep reading for plant and landscape inspiration that will transform your garden!

Plant Colorful Flowers

You can add beauty and design to any backyard by planting some new, colorful plants. Brightly-colored flowers can add curb appeal to your home and create a peaceful, healing outdoor space. When choosing new plants for your garden, be sure to consider things like maintenance, climate, and water requirements. You may want to simultaneously install an automatic drip system with your new plants to make watering easy and stress-free.

Rocky Design

Incorporate rocks into your garden and landscape to create a more rustic, mountain-home design. There are so many ways you can incorporate rocks into your landscape design: create a rock wall, use a larger boulder as a focal point or center piece in your planter, or use flat rocks as stepping stones. Small pebbles are a great alternative to mulch, gravel, or wood chips.

Add a Water Feature

A great way to create a Zen-like garden space is by installing a water feature like this one from Amazon.com. The sound of running water can bring peace and tranquility to your backyard and help to reduce unwanted noise from nearby neighbors and street traffic. You can find easy-to-install fountains on Amazon.com or your local home improvement store or hire a professional landscaper to create a custom pond or waterfall to create an elaborate landscape design element.

Garden Décor

Use some fun and unique outdoor décor pieces in your garden to add some charm and personality. You can find beautiful statues, garden stakes, planters, and bird baths to enhance the space and turn it into a charming oasis. Pictured above is garden décor from the “Sweet Nothings” outdoor line from AtHome.com. When choosing décor for your garden, be sure to stick with one theme to create a cohesive look throughout.

Serve the Birds

Spruce up your garden with a bird bath and hanging bird feeder to attract some feathered friends—the birds will thank you! Seed and nectar feeders will attract different birds, so opt for both styles if you want to see many different species! Birds splashing in the water or enjoying some bird seed is a wonderful sight that you and your guests will enjoy! You can find beautiful bird feeder designs on Wayfair.com.

Create a Plant Corner

This idea is perfect for smaller outdoor spaces: create a plant corner using a tiered plant stand! You may not have a huge garden to work with, but you can still add some plants and greenery to your outdoor area. You can use potted plants to create a mini garden on your patio—the more plants the merrier! This tiered plant stand from Target is perfect for creating your dream garden space!

Bi-Fold Patio Doors

To further enhance your garden and outdoor living space, consider installing Bi-Fold Patio Doors into your home. Folding patio doors will create the perfect transition from your indoor living space to your outdoor patio and garden paradise. Your custom patio doors will create maximum views of your newly upgraded garden and allow you to enjoy the colorful flowers, beautiful landscaping, and fluttering birds even when you are indoors!

To learn more about creating an indoor-outdoor living space with folding patio doors, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page.

If your home remodel plans include a custom Bi-Fold Patio Door, don’t forget to consider the various Bi-Fold Door configuration options. With more than 75 possible door configurations available, you are sure to find the perfect Bi-Fold Patio Door configuration for your space. Though all door configurations are equally as beautiful, we highly recommended sticking to a Bi-Fold with an odd number of panels.

We recommend Bi-Fold configurations with an odd number of panels to create a manual door with exterior access. Daily doors allow easy access to the outside without having to open the entire Bi-Fold System. Odd configurations work best when clients will be using it for regular patio access.

Bi-Fold configurations with an even number of panels do not have manual doors or exterior access. The entire Bi-Fold System must be opened for outside access. Even configurations work best in spaces like pool houses, which don't require frequent access. If using an even number of Bi-Fold door panels in your project is inevitable, you can create a daily door by choosing an odd configuration. For example, instead of a 4L or 4R Bi-Fold Patio Door, you can choose a 1L3R or 1R3L.

AG Millworks Awarded Best of Houzz 2019 for Client Satisfaction!

We are pleased to announce that AG Millworks has received the Best of Houzz 2019 Award for Client Satisfaction! We are honored to be recognized by Houzz and our fellow design and build community for such an esteemed award. We believe it was a combination of our outstanding, high-quality custom patio door products and our friendly and reliable service that contributed to our success and receipt of the Best of Houzz 2019 Award for Client Satisfaction.

AG Millworks strives to provide the highest-quality Bi-Fold, Multi-Slide, Lift & Slide, and French Swing Patio Doors in the industry. With nearly unlimited design options, AG Millworks Patio Doors are made-to-order and fully customizable to fulfill any design need. AG uses materials of the highest quality to create luxurious patio doors that will transform any space.

At AG Millworks, client satisfaction is our number one priority. We offer industry-leading production times that will ensure timely product delivery and meet tight project deadlines. AG Millworks Patio Doors are sold through our trusted and certified dealer network. Requesting a quote and ordering a patio door is a smooth and easy process with the help of our Customer Service and Inside Sales teams. Our Service Department understands how important a properly functioning door or window is, thus addressing all service requests with speed and efficiency.

We support our customers every step of the way and will continue to provide superior products and exceptional service! To learn more about creating indoor-outdoor spaces with custom patio doors, visit the AG Millworks Website. To follow AG Millworks on Houzz.com, visit our Houzz Profile.

You may be planning a remodel soon and considering multiple large glass patio door options. If you are planning on creating an indoor-outdoor living space using Multi-Slide Patio Doors or Bi-Fold Patio Doors but are having trouble deciding between the two patio door styles, we have created a guide to help you determine which large glass patio door is perfect for you and your living space!

It is officially Spring, which means long, sun-filled days spent at the beach or lounging by the pool are just around the corner! Is your patio ready for all the outdoor gatherings that come with the warm weather, or is it time to give it a much-needed upgrade? If you start your patio remodel now, you can have it complete just in time for summer pool parties, barbecues, and bocce ball tournaments! We want to help you get your patio remodel started and completed with ease!

This Saturday, March 23^rd is National Puppy Day! This is a day to celebrate the happiness and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives—and who doesn’t love puppies? In honor of this holiday, we have created a guide to make your home dog friendly and extra comfortable for your furry friends. Whether you already have a dog, or plan on adopting one, use this guide to create an environment that your dog will love! To learn more about how you can celebrate this holiday, visit the National Puppy Day Official Website.

One of the most important things your dog needs is a comfy, cozy bed to relax on when he’s just hanging out. When searching for the perfect dog bed, be sure to take the following into consideration: size, material, comfort level, color options, and durability. You’ll want to choose a bed that matches your interior design and has a removable cover that can be thrown in the washer for easy cleaning! Orvis.com has a high-quality dog bed with numerous color options. Investing in a durable, well-made dog bed for your pup is a great way to show your love. You should also consider investing in a second dog bed to keep outside on the patio for when your dog wants to relax, chill, and enjoy the outdoors.

A home improvement investment that both you and your dog will enjoy is a Bi-Fold Patio Door. A folding patio door might seem like a funny suggestion; however, your dogs will love the view and visibility that the large glass windows create. During long days spent at home while the family is out, dogs can sometimes become bored and lonely—with large glass patio doors, your dogs can find entertainment while looking out the window at squirrels and birds! Be sure dogs don’t scratch or chew on the patio doors, this could result in damage and destruction of your luxury patio doors. When choosing your custom patio door configuration, consider selecting a configuration featuring a daily door, giving you easy access to the backyard and allowing you to let your pup inside and out with ease.

An innovative gadget that will help create a puppy friendly space is the PetChatz Camera. PetChatz allows you to talk and video chat with your pet when you are away from home. If your pet is often left alone during the day, this is a great way to monitor them and comfort them when they’re feeling lonely. You can even give them treats using your PetChatz app! Visit the PetChatz website to learn more about the features and technology!

Another thing your pooch needs is a designated area for food and water. Some out-of-sight spots that you might want to consider for their food and water bowl are the laundry room, mudroom, or pantry.  Be sure that your dog’s water bowl is always full of fresh water! Keep plenty of food and treats on hand so you can spoil your furry friend once in a while.

You’ll want to make sure your pup has a large space to run around in. Dogs need daily exercise and having a grassy place to play is important for your dog’s overall health and happiness. Your yard should not have any poisonous flowers our plants. It should be free of any dangerous objects or chemicals that pups could get into. Plenty of toys and a spacious dog house could turn your backyard into a doggie oasis! To learn more about creating a dog-friendly yard, check out this blog.

To learn more about creating expansive views and open spaces with folding patio doors, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page. Happy National Puppy Day!

Now that you’ve begun your Spring cleaning, and your home is in tip-top shape, it’s time to give your outdoor spaces and patio some much-needed attention! Outside areas of the home are often neglected during regularly scheduled cleaning routines, so now is the perfect time to get your outdoor entertainment space ready for Spring and Summer.

If you start your patio cleaning now, it will be nice and clean and ready for Easter, and all the upcoming Spring and Summer events—which means you won’t be stressed out because you waited until the last minute to prepare your space for entertaining. Cleaning your backyard and patio can be intimidating, especially if you have a large space, but with this Spring patio cleaning guide, you will have a well-groomed and inviting outdoor space before you know it!

LANDSCAPE

Start with the landscaping—have the lawn raked free of leaves and branches, weeds pulled, and lawn mown. Be sure flower beds are weed free and plant new flowers to fill in bare areas. Eliminate any dying plants or shrubs that can’t be revived to create a neat and groomed appearance. Don’t forget to pick ripe fruit from fruit trees before they fall and litter the ground. Clean any ponds or bird baths and if needed, refill with fresh water. This is an excellent time to test all sprinklers and drip lines to ensure everything is functional and there are no leaks. Front, back, and side yard landscaping should be tended to.

PATIO

Your patio should be swept or blown free of dust and debris. All furniture should be washed with a damp cloth and mild soap to remove any stuck-on dirt. Remove cobwebs from up-high corners. Tidy up the spaces, placing any soccer balls, skateboards, and other toys back in their storage space. Groom any potted plants on the patio and add new pants to your collection!

Clean the exterior of your Folding Patio Doors to preserve their beauty and functionality (see blog: How to Clean Your Luxury Patio Doors)—don’t forget to clear out the weep holes (see video: How to Free Debris from Weep Holes) and vacuum the bottom track to remove dirt and debris to ensure smooth operation of your Bi-Fold Patio Doors. Don’t forget to clean the exterior of your Bi-Fold Kitchen Passthrough Window and the adjacent breakfast counter.

Make sure all outdoor lights are working and replace any burnt out light-bulbs. Remove patio seat cushions from storage and place back into their rightful chairs—wash cushion covers if needed. Check that all your bird feeders are operating, and refill with bird seed so you can bird watch on the patio while you finish your Spring patio cleaning project. Follow the same routine for the front porch, and any side patios or balconies so that no space is forgotten.

POOL

If the pool has been neglected during the chilly winter season, it is time to get it clean and maintained for the warm days ahead. Start your normal pool cleaning routine, or call your local pool professionals, to get it ready for the sunny season—be sure to check all pool equipment and filters for correct functioning. Be sure you clean the Folding Patio Doors in the pool house!

EXTRAS

Consider having driveways or pathways pressure washed to clean hard-to-remove stains. Clear rain gutters of leaves. Have all windows washed so they look shiny and new! Wash the garage door to remove built up dirt and water stains. Replace any wobbly, rotting fence posts, and consider giving your picket fence a new coat of paint!

With a solid plan and determination, your outdoor entertainment space will be ready for Spring in no time! To learn more about using Folding Patio Doors to enhance your indoor-outdoor living space, visit our Bi-Fold Patio Door Product Page! If you’re interested in adding a Kitchen Passthrough Window to your patio design, visit our Bi-Fold Window Product Page!