You’re proud of your country and you want to share that with the world. That’s why you fly our flag with pride. But did you know that the American flag should always be illuminated at night?
According to the United States Flag Code, you should take the flag in at sunset if you aren’t able to light it. Luckily you have multiple options to keep the flag flying proudly all night long.
You can honor your country and all that it stands for, even in the dark of the night. Wondering what your options are to light up an American flag all night long?
Read on to learn about the many ways you can fly the flag with pride and respect – day or night.
Flag Etiquette
Remember to keep in mind height when choosing your flagpole. The American flag should never touch the ground or anything below it. When you choose to honor the flag by hanging it, you must ensure it won’t be torn, ripped, or damaged.
Before you begin setting up lighting for your flag, you’ll want to check the measurements. The standard American flag measures 4 by 6 feet. You may also find larger flags around 6 by 10 feet.
This will be important to keep in mind when you’re figuring out how much lighting your flag will need.
If you display the flag vertically, the blue part of the flag should appear on the observer’s left side. This comes in handy if you’re hanging the flag off of your porch or roof, but keeping it vertically aligned.
You’ll want to keep in mind how dark it gets near your flag. Will there be street lamps or is it dark except for your lighting? You’ll also want to take into account the flagpole, and how much wind there will be.
Flagpoles typically range from 10 to 25 feet tall. The flag and the entire pole should be illuminated clearly and completely.
Your Flag Pole Options
If your flagpole is standing upright, you’ll usually want to light it from below. Typically, you’ll want two lighting fixtures to properly light the flag.
If you have a larger flag, you’ll want to consider three. Luckily you can also buy flag poles that have built-in lighting.
Consider how you’ll want to light the flag if you’re using porch brackets. If you’re mounting the flag to the porch or roof, you may want to consider a spinning pole. This allows the flag to blow in the wind without tangling.
Lastly, consider if you want a topper to your flag. You may want to go for a plain knob if using a standing flagpole.
But if you’ll be hanging your flag at a lower height, the topper will be visible. You can choose an eagle, rounded spear shape, or a design of your choosing.
Light up American Flag Options
You have options when it comes to honoring the flag and flying it with pride. When it comes to flag lights, you’ll want bright lights ranging from 500-750 lumens. There are different types of lighting you can use to illuminate your flag after sunset.
Uplighting
You can attach uplights to your flagpole. Some flagpoles have built-in lights. If this isn’t the case, you will benefit from using a LED flag pole light.
You will want these around halfway up the flagpole. This form of lighting will illuminate the flag, even with a tall flagpole
Ground Level Lighting
This method requires lighting installed at the base of your flag pole. You’ll want to install bulbs with a strong beam as they’ll shine up from the base all the way to the flag.
If you want to preserve your lawn display, you can also use submerged lighting. You’ll bury the flag light fixtures around the base of the flag pole.
Floodlighting
Floodlights light up large areas. This beam will create a wide coverage of the flag and surrounding location. Note that floodlights are the brightest option, and can be used as added security.
Using American Flag LED Lights
Typical lightbulbs convert far less of their energy into light than LED lights. If you plan to keep your flag out all year round, 24/7, you may want to use LED lighting. LED lighting is also brighter than typical light bulbs.
For dark, gloomy nights, you’ll benefit from LED lights. They will ensure your flag is properly honored and completely lit. If you’re looking at other ways to cut costs, you can consider solar lighting.
Solar lighting may not be bright enough on its own. A cost-effective combination would be LED ground-level lighting plus a solar-powered topper.
Solar Light for the Flag Pole
You can purchase a solar light that affixes to the top of your flagpole. Instead of using lighting on the bottom of your flagpole, you can use solar light to shine down on the flag.
This is a great option if you want to save money on electricity costs. The solar light will absorb sunlight throughout the day. Then it will illuminate your flag all night long.
A US-owned company like Flagpolefarm.com offers solar light flag pole toppers. They also offer other American-made flags and flagpole parts. A solar-powered topper means your flag is visible even during storms or power outages.
Honor Your Country and Show Your Pride
You have options to light up an American flag. You can use different poles and lighting configurations. However you set it up, you’ll be sure you gave the flag a place of honor on your property.
Show your patriotism 24/7, and let the world know about how proud you are to be American.
Did you find this article helpful? Be sure to check out our home improvement section for more useful tips and tricks.
