Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

Honoring the American Flag on Your Florida Home

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

“The American flag, Old Glory, standing tall and flying free over American soil for 228 years, is the symbol of our beloved country. It is recognized from near and afar, and many lives have been lost defending it.” – Jeff Miller. Jeff Miller is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 1^st Congressional District from 2001 to 2017.

History of Old Glory

The Second Continental Congress adopted the American Flag on June 14, 1777. To this day, homeowners across our nation patriotically wave Old Glory to celebrate American freedom. The nickname of Old Glory came from a shipmaster from Massachusetts named Captain William Driver. Before his voyage to rescue mutineers, his mother made him a beautiful 24-star American flag. As the legend tells, when Captain Driver raised his flag up to the main mast, he lifted his hat and proclaimed, “Old Glory!” The nickname for the flag became quite popular, and shortly after, the Stars and Stripes of the flag came to be known as Old Glory on many battlefields.

Show Patriotism

There is no better way to show patriotism than displaying the American Flag at your home. As Florida homeowner, Jeff Miller said, “It is the symbol of our beloved country.” We would like to share several tips for honoring the American flag on your own Florida home, whether it’s Flag Day, Independence Day, or one of the other 363 days of the year. Give Old Glory the respect and recognition she deserves.

Installation

Planning to mount a flag to the side of your home? Here’s how to properly and safely complete the installation:

Position the bracket against your house (make sure the area of flag placement won’t touch anything beneath it) and mark the screw holes using a drill bit, predrill a hole in the desired area. For brick siding, use a masonry bit. Make sure you drill into the brick, not the mortar.
Fill each hole with caulk, and attach the bracket with screws. If screws didn’t come with your flag, 1 1/4-inch stainless steel screws should do the trick. For brick siding, insert plastic or stainless steel anchors before screwing the bracket into place.
Place the flag firmly into the bracket.
Make sure the flag sits firmly upright and is not leaning or touching anything.

Timing

Fly your flag sunrise to sunset, especially on holidays such as Flag Day (June 14) and Independence Day (July 4). Due to the Flag Code , you may display your flag 24 hours with proper illumination during dark hours. The American flag may be flown in inclement weather as long as it is made of all-weather material, such as nylon or any other non-absorbent material.

Positioning

The flag may be hung vertically on a wall, window, roof eave, or any other structural overhang. The Union (blue) should always be to the observer’s upper left. No part of the flag should ever touch the ground. Position the flag high enough to keep it out of the reach of young children, who may not know how to honor and respect the flag.

Maintenance

The flag should always be clean and without tears, rips or shredding. If your flag gets tattered by the wind or rain, mend it shortly after. If the flag becomes so tattered that it no longer serves as a symbol of the United States, it should be taken down out of respect. Routinely check your flag’s bracket to make sure it is still securely attached to your home. If your flag seems to be looking dirty or stained it is only appropriate to clean it. Here are some tips on how to wash and remove stains from your flag properly.

How to Store your Flag

If you seem to be storing your flag for most of the year you want to make sure you are preserving Old Glory. Keep dust and dirt away from your flag. You also want to store your flag in a dark area, sunlight and bright lights can fade the colors and break down the fabric fibers within your flag. Avoid storing it in attics and basements due to temperature and humidity. As a Florida homeowner, you are well aware that attics can reach extreme temperatures.