Hanging Your Flag

How To Install The Cleat.

Every flag ships with one half of the cleat already fitted to its back. The other half goes on the wall. Take your time on the level line and the rest is a two-minute job.

What you'll need

Tape measure
Pencil
Level
Drill / driver
Stud finder
Screws

The two halves are one part, turned over

Step 1

Know which half is which

The cleat is a matched pair of identical aluminium rails. One is already fitted to the back of your flag. The other, loose in the box, goes on the wall. There is no left and right — the halves are the same part, flipped.

A level line at the height you want

Step 2

Mark a level line

Hold the flag where you want it and mark the top edge. Drop down from that mark by the height of the cleat on the flag's back, then draw a level line across the wall. That line is where the top edge of the wall cleat sits.

Measure from the floor at both ends rather than trusting one eye. Floors are rarely level; walls even less so.

Holes run one inch on center, large and small alternating

Step 3

Find your studs

Screw holes run one inch on centre and alternate large, small, large. The large holes take up to a #12 screw and are the ones to line up with studs. The small holes take up to a #8 and are there to let you shift the cleat a half inch either way to catch framing or fine-tune the level.

No stud where you need one? Use a hollow-wall anchor rated well above the load you are hanging.

Sloped face up and away from the wall

Step 4

Fit the wall half

Set the cleat on your line with the sloped face pointing up and away from the wall. Drive one screw first, check the level, then fix the rest. Use at least two screws into framing on an 18-inch cleat.

Getting this backwards is the one mistake worth checking twice. The slope must face up, or nothing will hook onto it.

Mirrored, near the top of the back

Step 5

Check the flag half

Your flag arrives with its half already fitted near the top of the back, mirrored to the wall half so its sloped face points down. Nothing to do here — just confirm the screws are snug before you hang it.

Lower it until the two faces meet

Step 6

Lower the flag on

Lift the flag a little above the wall cleat, bring it close, and lower it. The flared shape guides the two faces together, so it seats itself even if your aim is approximate. You will feel it drop and settle.

The pair engaged, standing 5/16 inch off the wall

Step 7

Slide it level

Once engaged, the flag slides freely left and right along the cleat. Nudge it to where you want it and check the level one last time. The pair holds the flag 5/16 inch off the wall, which is what gives it the shadow line.

Interlocked, the two cleats stand 1.875 inches tall. Each on its own is 1.25 inches.

The 18-inch Flare Cleat

Load: An 18-inch cleat supports 90 pounds. The cleat is rated to 60 pounds per linear foot.
Height: 1.25 inches per cleat. 1.875 inches for the interlocked pair.
Material: Aircraft-grade aluminium, 3/64 inch thick.
Wall standoff: 5/16 inch.
Hole pattern: One inch on centre, alternating large and small. Small takes up to a #8 screw, large up to a #12.
Why alternating: The two hole sizes let you level the cleat and drive a heavier screw wherever you catch a stud.
The flare: The flared profile makes the halves easier to engage and gives a little tolerance on walls that are not plumb.