From the Garage

How to Hang a Wood American Flag the Right Way

By Jonathan Averett · U.S. Army veteran · American Wood Flags, Trussville, Alabama

A wood flag isn't a poster. It's real lumber — a few solid pounds of it — and it deserves hardware that treats it that way. Here's how I tell my own customers to hang theirs, in five short steps.

Step 1 — Pick the wall (and get the stars right)

Choose an indoor wall, ideally one that doesn't get hard, direct sun all day — sunlight slowly fades any finish, wood or otherwise.

Now the part most people don't know. The U.S. Flag Code says that when a flag is displayed flat against a wall, the union — the blue field of stars — should sit at the top left as you look at it. That holds whether the flag hangs horizontally or vertically. My flags are built so this happens naturally when you hang them as intended, but if you've built your own, double-check before you drill.

Step 2 — Find a stud

Run a stud finder across your chosen spot. A screw or heavy-duty hook driven into a wall stud is by far the strongest hold, and for a multi-pound flag it's what I recommend first. Studs in most homes sit every 16 inches, so you can usually find one close to where you want the flag.

Step 3 — No stud? Use rated anchors

If the stud doesn't line up where you want the flag, don't just sink a nail into drywall and hope. Use drywall anchors with a weight rating comfortably above the flag's weight — they're a couple of dollars at any hardware store. Two anchor points spread the load and keep the flag from tilting over time.

Step 4 — Set the height

Galleries hang art so the center of the piece sits 57–60 inches from the floor — about eye level. That number works for flags too. If the flag goes above a couch, console, or mantel, hang it so there's a 6–10 inch gap above the furniture; it'll read as connected instead of floating.

Step 5 — Level it and mount it

Mark your hardware points with a pencil, check the marks with a level (a crooked flag will bother you forever), mount your hooks or screws, and hang it. Step back. Adjust. Done — that's a flag your grandkids will ask about.

A quick word on outdoor walls

Porches, fences, and exterior walls are tempting, but my flags — and most handcrafted wood flags — are built and finished for indoor display. Weather is hard on wood and harder on stain. If you want a flag that lives outside, that's a job for cloth: here's my honest take on wood flags vs. cloth flags.

Want to build one before you hang one? Read the step-by-step build guide or grab the free printable build plan.