Retiring & Replacing An Old Flag, Plus 2 Bits of Really Good News!

I love it when I’m out walking and pass by a home proudly displaying our country’s flag. I’ve always wanted to fly the American flag on the front of my home in Georgia, but the only place that a holder could be mounted is on one of the columns, and the columns are round in shape. I’ve never found a holder that I thought would work properly on a round column, plus I had some issues a few years back with the paint on a few of the columns. It took interviewing several painters before I found one who was willing to do the time-consuming work of properly sanding and prepping the columns to correct the paint-peeling issue so it wouldn’t happen again. After going through all that, I decided to leave well enough alone and not attempt a flag mount. I was so happy to see the Dollhouse already had a flag mounted on its front porch. This photo below is from the period when the home was available to purchase over two years ago, so the current flag has been hanging from the porch for several years.

 

A few weeks ago, when I was back home in Georgia, I received a Ring doorbell alert on my phone. I looked at my phone and could see a lovely neighbor who had been out walking his dog, attempting to untangle my flag that had managed to wrap itself around the pole. I thanked him through the Ring speaker for fixing it and decided then and there that I needed to look into a better mounting/hanging system.

 

That same day, I shopped online for a solution and discovered that there are flagpoles that come with spinner attachments that will let a flag move freely with the breezes so it doesn’t end up wrapping around a pole. Once I returned to the Dollhouse and took a look at the flag that had come with the house, I realized it was time to retire it and replace it with a new one. The flag was very dirty and faded and the quality of the fabric was not the greatest.

Empty Window Boxes Before Planting

 

 

I ordered a new flag and did my due diligence to make sure it was actually made here in America. If you want an American flag that is made in America, when shopping online, pay close attention to the wording of the ads. I discovered that advertisers will use catchphrases that easily lure you into thinking you’re buying an American-made flag. They will repeatedly use the words “American Flag” over and over in the ad, but if you take time to read the reviews, you’ll find some unhappy buyers who thought they were buying an American-made flag, but once it arrived, discovered the flag was made elsewhere. In the photo below, the flag on the right is the old one. The fabric was super thin and was badly faded. The flag on the left is the new one.

Replacing, Retiring an Older Flag

 

The new flag is described as being “heavy-duty” and it does feel that way. It is so much thicker and nicer than the one it replaced. The stripes are sewn, which probably ads to the weight, and the stars are all embroidered. I am very pleased with the quality, it’s a beautiful flag! This flag is available in several sizes here: American Flag, Made in the USA. I went with the 3 x 5 size since that seemed to be a standard size for most front porches/homes.

Beautiful Flag, Great Quality

 

The pole that the old flag was hanging on was made of wood and had weathered badly. It was dirty, splintered, and covered in black stains. I purchased a new metal pole with spinners that keep the flag from wrapping around itself and the pole. I went with a 6-foot pole, and that worked out perfectly. You’ll find the pole I purchased here: Tangle-Free Flagpole with Spinners.

Quality American Flag, Made in America

 

When I placed the new flag/flagpole into the existing holder, I noticed it was hanging down into the shrub in front of it. I tried to adjust it, but the mechanism would not let it tilt up any higher. I removed the flag and went back to my computer to shop for a new flag holder. Immediately, I came across the exact same one and quickly realized the reason it was making the flag hang so low was because it had been mounted upside down. I ordered the same holder so I wouldn’t need to add any new holes to the wood column on which it was mounted.

Once the new holder arrived, I attempted to remove the old, upside one, but I could not get two of the four screws out. I asked the electrician who was here yesterday if he could help me get those last two screws out. He did, and then insisted on mounting the new holder for me. So nice of him to do that! We made sure this one was mounted correctly so the flag could be raised to the height needed to keep it out of the shrubs. So all this is to say, if you buy a flag mount/holder for your flag, read the instructions to make sure it’s mounted correctly. Don’t mount it upside down! lol

Beautiful Flag, Great Quality

 

This is the flag holder that was already on the Dollhouse and had been mounted upside down. Again, I repurchased the exact same one so I wouldn’t have to make new holes in the column. When the electrician installed the new one, we made sure the silver toggle thingy was positioned on the right side. This holder may look like it would work no matter which way it’s mounted, but trust me on this, it will not rotate up high enough if it’s mounted with the silver toggle thing on the left side, unless, of course, they have changed the design since the old one was last purchased. This holder works great when mounted correctly as shown in the photo below. You’ll find it available in two colors here: Flag Holder/Mount.

 

 

Here’s a closer view of my flag where you can see the pole (with spinners) that is designed to let the flag move freely with the breezes. So far, it hasn’t wrapped itself around the pole a single time, but it’s only been up for one day. Hopefully, this system will work as it’s designed to work. Again, I purchased the 6-foot pole and was glad I did. If I had decided it looked too long, I could have unscrewed the last part of the pole to make it 5 feet in length, but I love how it looks hanging from the longer 6-foot length. You’ll find the flagpole I purchased here: Tangle-Free Flagpole with Spinners.

Flag Pole with Spinners, Keeps Flag From Wrapping Around Pole

 

I love how it looks from inside the house, makes me so happy to see it whenever I pass by one of the front windows or the front door. ❤️

American Flag, Quality Made in America

 

I did a bit of research to find the best way to retire the old flag. I read online that it can be left at any American Legion location and that some Home Depots will take them. My electrician said that he thought the library would take an old flag. I stopped by the local library and they told me that they don’t take them. Maybe some libraries do, but my local one here, does not. I next Googled for an American Legion location and took the flag there. They were tricky to locate, but once I found them, they were happy to take it.

Replacing, Retiring an Older Flag

 

I hope you find this post helpful if you have been considering adding a beautiful American flag to your home or front porch.

Quality American Flag, Made in America

 

I got an exciting text today—it was this photo with the word, “Ready!” Whoo, hoo! The shutters for the office and kitchen are painted and ready for installation. They will be installed on Monday. I am flying to Georgia on Tuesday because the dining table and 6 chairs that I’ve ordered for the Dollhouse are scheduled to be delivered there on Thursday. Then, I’ll need to rent a U-haul and bring them up to the Dollhouse. Looks like next week is going to be a very busy week. I’m looking forward to sharing some Dollhouse updates real soon!

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Comments

  1. Rebecca Dexter says

    Absolutely love the flag! Every American should be proud to fly one. So glad you did!!

  2. This move is so much fun to follow! As a Father’s Day gift I once got my husband a flag from Mount Vernon in VA and it had supposedly been flown at Mount Vernon (I’m sure they put them up for a second and pull them down again), it wasn’t pricey enough to be totally real. But it was a lot of fun.

    The Doll House is just darling.

    Wendy

  3. How did you know I was searching for a replacement flag?!! Thank you so much for your research.

  4. SharonFromMichigan says

    Susan, My husband is a vet & here’s the website he buys our house flags from: https://emblem.legion.org/Outdoor/departments/761/
    Also, Any VFW, American Legion, or most boy scout troops will take retired flags. They have a very nice ceremony before respectfully disposing of the retired flags. Also, I actually wash our flag once or twice a year in the wash machine & then we hang it back outside as is (without drying it). It always surprises me how dirty our flag gets hanging outside.

  5. Cyndy Cook says

    God speed, busy lady!

  6. Do you know : “The Flag Code states it is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

    • Good to know! My porch light is super bright so you can see the flag beautifully at night. I don’t like the idea of it getting wet, but I know I can’t always be at home to remove it when a shower springs up.

  7. Yes, the American Legion will respectfully retire old flags. They also sell many beautiful, American made flags. Years ago, when we lived on a cul de sac, we flew a flag, then everyone started flying a flag. One day a delivery driver asked if that day was a holiday because everyone was flying the flag. I told him, no, we are all just patriots.

    • Oh, I love that! Can you imagine how beautiful it would be if every house had a flag out front? When I visited Rome, Georgia for an historic home tour several years back, it seemed like almost every home had a flag hanging from the porch.

  8. Nice work with the new flag!
    So looking forward to your upcoming post about the new shutters. I have been trying to imagine what they would look like in my house, which, like yours, is an older home. If you could possibly post some before and after photos at the same time of day in the same lighting, if possible , it would be very helpful to those of us contemplating new shutters.

    • Sure, I can do that! Right now I have shades and sheers in front of the windows in my office since there are windows down both sides, and one side faces east and the other side faces west. So the office gets bright sunlight almost all day long, thus the need for shutters for light control. I will take all the window treatments off the windows on Monday morning so they will be ready for the installation. I went outside my comfort zone and went with 3-1/2 inch louvers, and I really hope I don’t regret that. I have 2-1/2 inch louvers in the Georgia house but the window sills are so nice and deep here, I went with a slightly larger louver since it won’t hang over the sill.

  9. Susan, you couldn’t have picked a prettier day to take those pictures! They just scream, “Americana!” I love them and the house looks extra beautiful with the new addition. This was all such helpful info. As usual, you do the hard work and research for us, and we all benefit. I love the idea of the flag that doesn’t wrap around the pole.

    What a nice neighbor in Georgia to fix your flag there for you. (And how cute was his dog, sitting there patiently waiting, lol.) Very, very nice to have someone like that for a neighbor. (Aren’t patriots great?) Thanks for the helpful info and for posting the beautiful pictures. Have a great weekend!

  10. The flag looks beautiful – long may she wave!
    Leaving your porch light on might be just enough illumination for the flag!
    I love how it matches your front door!

    • Liz, you’re so right! I’ve noticed that the porch light does light it up at night. When I first moved in, two of the bulbs in the light were not working. I replaced them all and it’s super bright now, maybe a tad too bright. Ha!

  11. We’ve had a flag on a pole attached to our homes for a long time. Last year for Christmas my husband and I bought a flag pole for the yard. Best thing we’ve ever done. We absolutely love it. Thanks for your post.

  12. This isn’t anything to do with flags or mounts, but I found out something this week that was neat you might be interested in. My eldest grandson bought a house (he’s 24 and getting married next April, or thereabouts). My daughter went with him and was so excited when she saw the bathrooms. She’s a mid-century nut, and all 4 of the bathrooms have what she referred to as “swizzle stick” tile bands in them. That’s how the MCM folks refer to a the skinny, narrow bands of decorative tile. I lived with it growing up in our house years ago in Georgia, and never knew!! So you have a real treasure in your house, in just that skinny tile alone!!!

    • Oh, I love that Carol! This house was built in 1938 and all the bathroom tile is original. When I spoke with one of the previous owners who lived here for 20 years, she said when they renovated the bathrooms many years ago, the contractor told her that he thought the tile was Rookwood Pottery tile. I guess Rookwood used the swizzle strips style back then. Rookwood Pottery was founded in Cincinnati in 1880. The company branched out into architectural tile in 1902. What state is your grandson’s home in? I wonder if the tile in his home is Rookwood? I bet they shipped to a lot of states back in the day. Amazingly, they are still in business!

      • I’ve been in Tennessee since ’76. I’m ready to get back to Georgia! Our Swizzle strips weren’t anything fancy, just little black strips to match the upper border. Yellow and black–real ordinary ranch of the ”50’s”, south of Atlanta. Rookwood is really special. I have a friend who had a relative that worked for one of the bosses, back in the day, and got some really special pottery pieces. There were so many she had to have a specialty auction house relieve her of them–after she kept the ones she wanted, of course! Rookwood is lovely, and timeless. I haven’t seen his new house yet, and tho the tile is decorative from my daughter’s description, I don’t think it’s Rookwood. She know’s enough about it that she would know.

    • In case you’re interested, you can see the tile (and swizzle strips) in the master bath in this previous post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/luxury-bathing-a-1938-cinderella-bathtub-plus-knob-upgrades-for-2-laundry-chutes/

  13. Beautiful job on the new flag. I am so disappointed that my local post office no longer takes the flag down at night. Is it cooler in Ohio ? Can’t wait for you to decorate for fall- and you have a mantle.

  14. Did you know that you can have a flag flown over the United States Capitol. You can order one through your congressman and you can request the date you want it flown. Comes with a certificate indicating when it was flown. Makes a nice gift to commemorate an occasion.

  15. My husband and I wanted to display the American flag at our house. So I started looking and we actually decided on an upright flag pole that goes in the ground. I also bought a solar light to shine on the flag at night since we wouldn’t be taking it down.

    • My front porch is super bright and lights it up beautifully at night. Also, aren’t you supposed to take it down when it rains or looks like it’s going to rain?

  16. SALUTE!!! franki

  17. You are amazing! Where do you get all of your energy??????LOVE the looks great!

  18. Michele M. says

    GREAT and happy news. Well done with the new flag and holder. Looks so good, too.

  19. Flag looks beautiful! I agree…I like a flag flying as well! I’ve heard that Fire Departments will take flags as well. Enjoying your updates…big and small.

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