Derek Auclair is always ready for the Fourth of July.

Auclair, 52, is general manager at Gorham Flag Center, which has been in his family since the 1960s. The business on Route 25 is easy to spot because it’s got several giant American flags outside, on flagpoles that are 20- to 30-feet high. In addition to American flags, they sell state, country, military and historical flags.

With Fourth of July upon us, Auclair took time to answer questions about flag etiquette, durability and the busiest flag-selling times of the year.

How busy is the store in the days or weeks before the Fourth of July?

To be honest, we get much more of a bump in sales before Memorial Day. Mostly it’s timing. Memorial Day is sort of the beginning of summer. So around the third week of May, the weather gets nicer, and it sort of puts it in people’s minds that they need a new flag. Then, when the Fourth of July comes along, the people who wanted a new flag already have one. But we also sell a lot of flags to businesses, and that’s not affected by the seasons.

What kind of businesses do you sell to?

Towns, schools, Bath Iron Works, Cianbro, Idexx, property management companies. We did the one at Yankee Ford (in South Portland). They have an 80-foot pole and a flag that’s 20 by 38 feet. We had the same setup here, but right now I’m having trouble with that pole, and it’s too dangerous to put the flag up.

What are your flags made out of? 

All our flags are made in America with sewn stripes and embroidered stars. The most common material is nylon, but we also have polyester, which is a heavier material and good for higher winds. But usually the goal for people is they don’t want to look out and see their flag drooping, they want to see it flying. So the lighter the material, like nylon, the better. But if you live by the ocean and get a ton of wind, the heavier flag might be better for you.

Do people ask you a lot about flag etiquette, about the right and wrong ways to take care of or display an American flag?

Flag etiquette is one of those things, usually, that in general becomes less important to people over time. But lately, it seems like it’s going in the opposite direction. I do get a lot of questions about the right way to do something. And a lot less people seem shocked when I tell them the proper way to dispose of a flag is to have it burned. It used to be maybe 60 percent of people would be shocked to hear that, but now it’s a lot less. A lot of people don’t know where to bring them (to be burned), but we take them here.

What are some of the other rules for displaying a flag? 

It’s not supposed to touch the ground. When you’re taking it down (from a flagpole), you have to make sure of that. It’s also not supposed to be displayed if it’s ripped or damaged in any way. I’ve heard from some businesses that, as soon as there’s one thread missing from the flag, they’ll get calls about it.

For more information on American flag rules, see the United States Flag Code at legion.org.

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