It may appear simple to know how to hoist a flag on a balcony. Obviously, it isn’t, however, the actual steps may change based on the type of balcony.
These are suggestions for hoisting a banner from an upper-floor balcony. Several approaches will be discussed, along with any necessary caveats.
Things to Think About Before Hoisting One
There are several things to consider before you begin:
HOA Requirements
Association rules may prohibit residents from displaying flags from verandas or frames. Perhaps just political banners, but perhaps all flags. Before moving further, be sure to check the rules set out by your HOA.
The prohibition on drilling is more typical in leases and serves to restrict your use of the property. Below are several alternatives to using a flagpole that should work just as well.
Weather
If you want to fly a flag on your balcony, the only weather factor you need to worry about is wind. A few simple tricks will prevent the flag from being entangled in a pole.
Class Of Flag
Hanging a flag outside requires careful consideration of the weather.
This shouldn’t be an issue since most flags these days are made of synthetic materials. If you can’t do that, then fly your flag from an enclosed porch or balcony.
Our Great American Banner
The right way to display the national flag is regulated by law and is beyond the scope of this article.
If you wish to hang a national flag, you should be aware that there are certain criteria for doing so.
The national flag should be flown (and should not be flown) in all appropriate settings.
The sole consideration is that a flag that has been torn or soiled must be washed and repaired before being flown outdoors in any weather.
Rules For Hanging The Flag On Apartment Balconies
In recent years, displaying the National flag on a balcony has been a contentious issue for residents.
There have been cases of squabbles between landlords and renters about whether or not the National flag should be flown from a balcony.
Unfortunately, the criteria for flying the Stars and Stripes from a city apartment balcony aren’t spelled out under federal law.
However, we can provide some advice on how to display your patriotism in a dignified manner by displaying the American one from your apartment balcony.
You should check your lease or contact the building management before deciding to fly it on the balcony.
The Apartment Association claims that tenants are not protected by the National Right to Show the National American Flag Act.
As a result, the group claims, several states have enacted their own legislation protecting tenants’ rights to fly the National flag.
However, there are limitations to the display of an American flag due to these rules.
How To Hang A Flag On Your Balcony
So, if you can fly a flag on your balcony, let’s look at different possibilities for how you can do this. Depending on what kind of balcony, the options and rules below will be different.
Hung from the railing of a balcony
Materials you’ll need:
- A flag
- A flag pole
- A bracket for a flagpole that goes on a balcony railing
Then, just do what comes next:
Attach the bracket for a flag pole to a balcony railing by screwing it on. Most brackets have clamps that you tighten around the railing.
Put a flag pole through into the bracket.
That’s the end of the story. These brackets are made so that you can stick your flag out from the balcony at an angle. This is fine most of the time, but if it’s windy, your flag could blow out of its bracket.
Putting a flag up without the need for a pole.
You don’t require the use of a pole to show off your flag. There are other ways to do it. The way below works for all sorts of verandas, but cement walls as well as railings will benefit most from it.
You’ll need:
- Flag
- bungees
- sticky hooks
Here’s how it works:
You can put hooks on the wall or railing of your balcony. They will stay on every surface, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
Use the flag’s holes to hang it from the hooks.
Conversely, use bungees. For this choice, the clamps will need to be attached to something. Either the bottom of a railing or a rope that has been tied around the railings will do.
With this method, it’s clear that the flag will be hung vertically. Most flags are alright getting hung this way, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
Grommets, which are metal rings, are usually just on the left side of a flag, so you have to hang them vertically.
If you have trouble hanging a flag horizontally, follow the directions for hanging it from the ceiling. Just change the steps to fit how you want to hang the flag.
Putting a flag up on the ceiling
This method probably requires the most skill, but it’s still pretty easy to do. Of course, you don’t have to hang a flag on the top of a balcony to do it. You could employ this method somewhere else.
You’ll only need:
- Whatever flag you want to hang
- Glue strips
- adhesive gun
Then, do what comes next:
- Attach the Zippers tape to your flag on one side. It should be alright for the strip to stick to the material, but that is dependent on the type of material you have. If not, use fabric glue to hold it in place.
- Then, just stick the tape’s other side to the top. The simplest way to accomplish? Stick both sides together, then peel off the sticky back and put this same flag up.
- If you’d like to take down the flag, just pull apart the glue.
- As was already said, you could employ this method to hang a flag on a wall or upright if it didn’t have grommets. When you take off the glue, it doesn’t damage it, so it can be used on any surface.
Trying to hang One on a Glass Veranda
The last thing we’ll look at is glass balconies. Even though the technique for hanging a flag if you don’t want to use a pole must work, it’s a different way to do it that is designed for verandas that are made of glass.
Just switch out the sticky hooks for hard plastic hooks and keep doing what you were doing before. If you want to stick your flag horizontally, you could add a small circle behind it so you can continue to use the suction cups.
They are the best choice for glass verandas because they won’t damage your balcony. You could also use the above method to hold it from the windows on your balcony.
Some American Flag Etiquette
These are the answers to questions you may have about trying to fly an American flag on your balcony. This advice is based on what Flag Code says about how to act around the National flag.
What time can I put the flag up?
Usually, the flag should only be flown from dawn until dusk. But the sign can be shown off 24/7 per day if it is lit up well at night.
What does the weather have to do with when I put up the flag?
The flag shouldn’t be up when it’s raining or snowing unless it’s an all-weather flag.
Is the flag supposed to be up on certain days?
The flag should be flown each day, but particularly on these days:
On January 1, the president is sworn in.
- The Birthday of Lincoln
- The Birthday of Washington
- Veterans of the Vietnam War Day
- Sunday of Easter
- Armed Forces Day, Mother’s Day
- Memorial Day Flag Day
- Day for Dads
- Independence Day
- National Armistice Day for Veterans of the Korean War
- Constitution Day and Labor Day
- Day of Columbus
- Veterans Day Navy Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- It’s Christmas.
How should flags other than the National flag be displayed?
Almost always, no other flag must be put above or on the correct side of an American flag.
Could you hang the National flag first from the balcony’s flagpole?
Most likely, your landlord would not let you put a flagpole on the balcony of your apartment. But if you are permitted to do this, a star field should always be at the top of the pole.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
How do I hang the National flag in a vertical position from my balcony?
In this case, if you were standing on the ground, the stars should be to your left.
Could I fly the flag of the United States backward?
It should only be flown inverted as a sign of trouble.
Can I make a picture just on the National flag?
No, you should never put a mark, symbol, word, number, figure, or drawing on the flag.
What do I do with a dirty or torn National flag?
The flag must be cleaned and fixed when it needs to be.
When the National flag can’t be fixed, what else should I do with it?
The U.S. Flag Code says that the flag should be eviscerated in a “dignified way,” preferably by burning it when it can “no longer be a likely to fit emblem for display.”
This is true if the flag is too worn, faded, torn, or dirty to be fixed, according to CollinsFlags.com, which sells flags.
Never throw away a flag that has been taken down.