6 steps for mounting and flying a flag on your house

Between Memorial Day in May, Flag Day in June and Independence Day in July, late spring and summer is when many Americans give serious consideration to proudly displaying the stars and stripes outside their homes. Veterans Day in November is another holiday that inspires people to show their patriotism, and of course there are still others who prefer to keep Old Glory waving in the breeze year-round. It’s also becoming popular to put up a flag as a pledge of allegiance to your favorite college or pro sports team.

There are so many occasions that call for a flag that it makes sense to install a stable, permanent apparatus with which to display one. You could get super ambitious and opt for a full-size flagpole, but unless you’re comfortable with digging deep holes, pouring concrete foundations and installing anchors, it’s best to go with a simple bracket that attaches to the side of your house.

The first thing you need to do is check with your local municipality or homeowner’s association to make sure adding a bracket is something you’re allowed to do. If you’re good to go, it’s pretty easy to do yourself. You just need to overcome being squeamish about drilling holes in the side of your house.

How to hang a flag on a house

Step 1: Get prepared

WEAR GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION! Please don’t do this job without them!

Step 2: Plan your home’s flag mount

Pick a spot for the bracket that will allow your flag to be visible but won’t cause it to extend into tree branches, roof overhangs or especially power lines!

Step 3: Mark your location

If you’re mounting the bracket on brick, place it in the desired location and mark where the screw holes will go with a pencil or marker. Be sure to install the screws in the masonry, not the mortar.

If you’re mounting the bracket on wood or vinyl siding, it’s best to use a surface mount block with a back that conforms to the siding profile to provide a level surface. Place the bracket on the block and mark the holes (be sure to use screws long enough to extend through the block and into the siding).

Step 4: Drill holes for your flag mount

Use a power drill (electric is ideal, but a rechargeable one with a good amount of torque will suffice) with a carbide-tipped masonry bit for brick. This will work for wood or vinyl as well, but if you don’t have one, a regular drill bit will do. With vinyl, drill a hole slightly larger than what you need to allow for the siding expanding and contracting due to changes in temperature.

Step 5: Insert anchors

Drill your holes about a quarter- to a half-inch deeper than the length of the screws and insert some screw anchors.

Step 6: Screw your flag mount bracket in place

Screw the bracket in place (directly onto the brick or first onto your mounting block and then onto the siding) and you’re done!

Step 7: Fly your flag

Actually, there’s one more step: Fly your flag proudly and feel great about the fact that you added the bracket yourself! Be sure to follow all of the guidelines for proper flag flying when you’ve got the American flag on display.