ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9604050010
SECTION: BETTER HOMES PAGE: BH-22 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON
Despite all those banners on houses now, the American flag remains an all-time favorite. It can be flown on all days of the year. Unless it's made of all-weather material, it should be taken down during bad weather.
Flags were traditionally made of wool bunting and silk, but new materials and nylon provide better strength and brighter colors and can withstand weather conditions for a long time.
Holidays like the Fourth of July, Flag Day, Presidents Day and Veterans Day are popular for displaying the American flag. On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff until noon and then full staff the remainder of the day.
To fly Old Glory at half-staff, it should be raised to full-staff for just a moment then lowered half way. The flag should be raised to peak for another instant before lowering.
In most cases, American flags should be taken in at night. Exceptions include sporting events and public assemblies, during wartime at forts, on ships and by forces engaged in battle.
In peacetime the flag may be flown at night at 19 places designated by Congress, one of which is in Virginia: the United States Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial in Arlington.
If the flag is flown on a pole, it should always be at the top and care should be taken when raising and lowering it that it doesn't touch the ground beneath it. When a flag is displayed horizontally on a wall or in a window, the union should be uppermost and to the observer's left.
In keeping with the spirit of our free nation, the United States flag should always be displayed aloft and free, without folds or constraints.
Appliqued banners have become commonplace around neighborhoods, making statements about the homeowners whose houses they adorn. Some change with the seasons, others with the football games, still others with the whim of the owner.
Most banners fly at front or side doors, but smaller ones on little sticks can be stuck into the ground anywhere.
About the only considerations when putting hardware on your house to hold a banner are what to affix it to, wood is probably the easiest, and placing it where no visual obstruction is created in your driveway or from your windows.
What direction the new banner faces may influence your decision as sun fades colors relatively quickly and a banner in the wind can be annoyingly noisy.
Whether you like birds, flowers, Virginia Tech, pumpkins, pineapples, dogs or the word "welcome," you can find a banner that fits some aspect of your lifestyle. And there's always the stars and stripes.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JOANNE ANDERSON. One way to dress up your home: Hang aby CNBbanner such as this one with a cardinal, Virginia's state bird. Type first letter of feature OR type help for list of commands FIND S-DB DB OPT SS WRD QUIT QUIT Save options? YES NO GROUP YOU'VE SELECTED: QUIT NO login: c