In early 2021, Gena and I developed the Flash Me logo. We were tired of fixing rotten walls and other water-infiltration problems caused largely by poor or missing flashing details. It had become a running joke among our crew: Aron was the “Rot Hunter.”

The cause of the rot was often the same—a lack of understanding of the wall assembly and how the flashing needed to be installed and integrated with the other water-management layers. It became apparent to us that the construction community could use more education about proper flashing details, installation sequencing, and techniques.

We brainstormed for a few weeks and, after a brief Google search, chose August 26 as “Flash Me Day.” At the time, a woman who worked for us had a screen-printing hobby, so she printed the first 30 Flash Me shirts.

Armed with the logo and T-shirts, I reached out to several people on Instagram to see if they would be interested in participating in what I called “National Flashing Awareness Day.” I offered them a T-shirt in exchange for posting something educational about flashing on August 26.

I joked that it was a fake holiday I had made up. Mike Guertin quickly changed the name to “International Flashing Awareness Day” and was instrumental in getting Fine Homebuilding involved in spreading the word.

With 30 Flash Me shirts out in the wilds of social media, we were a little nervous. Would someone take the joke too far? How would it be received? But the first International Flashing Awareness Day (IFAD) was a success. The Flash Me logo was embraced by the construction community, and the educational posts that appeared on social media were amazing.

From 30 shirts to an annual event

In 2022, we reached out to our friends at SIGA North America and asked them to help us print more T-shirts and reach more people. A good friend of ours—and a framer by trade—had also recently started a screen-printing business, Knightingale Design. With their support, we sent out 75 shirts, and the number of Instagram posts using #internationalflashingawarenessday grew significantly.

We also recorded a podcast episode with Mike Knoche of The Contracting Handbook Podcast and worked with others in the building community to share flashing stories, details, and favorite products.

More partners joined the effort in 2023. SIGA returned, and Benjamin Obdyke and Sashco came aboard. The team at Sashco took on packing and distributing the shirts in the U.S., which made it possible to increase the scale of the event. Fine Homebuilding continued supporting the effort through its own media channels.

That year, Knightingale Design printed 150 shirts that were sent throughout Canada and the U.S.

In 2024, Huber Engineered Woods, York Flashings, and Tapco Tools joined the list of partners. We also founded Building Science and Beer Canada with several other Canadians. The nonprofit is dedicated to educating the trades about better building practices, and Flash Me Day moved under its umbrella, giving the event independence from our company, Big Dog Construction.

We printed 185 shirts in 2024 and 218 in 2025. But more important than the number of shirts was what we were seeing online. People began posting well before August 26, and International Flashing Awareness Day was becoming something people talked about throughout the year.

We also created flashingdetails.ca so new participants could apply to receive a Flash Me package the following year.

For 2026, with the continued support of our partners and the addition of Innotech Windows and Doors, 255 shirts were printed. We also removed the Big Dog Construction logo from the shirts. We want the “holiday” to be about education and supporting Building Science and Beer Canada—not promoting our company.

It’s not really about the shirt

Flash Me Day takes a surprising amount of planning and coordination. There is a list of participants to maintain, shirts to design and print, packages to assemble with swag and instructions, and hundreds of packages to mail. It has become a yearlong endeavor and a labor of love for everyone involved.

A special thanks goes to Katie and her team at Sashco for their continued support and help.

We hear this question a lot: “Why is the shirt a different color every year?” In 2021, the shirts came in a variety of colors. The next year, we decided it would be fun to choose a different color each year, particularly because many people participate year after year. We keep the color a closely guarded secret—even from many of our partners—until the shirts begin arriving. Watching people open their packages and react to that year’s color has become part of the fun.

As the event continues to grow, we’re focusing less on how many shirts we send and more on participation. Receiving a shirt comes with an expectation: Share something educational about flashing on August 26. If someone doesn’t participate, we’ll give another person the opportunity the following year. After all, the people sharing their knowledge are what make International Flashing Awareness Day work.

And you don’t need a shirt to participate.

On August 26, post something about flashing on social media. Share a detail that worked. Show a failure and explain why it happened. Demonstrate proper sequencing. Talk about a product or technique that has helped you build more durable walls, roofs, windows, or doors.

The shirt is fun, but education is the point. Better flashing details mean fewer water problems and buildings that last longer. As a good friend of ours always says, “Long live our buildings!” We can’t achieve that without good flashing.

Aron Jones and Gena Hoyt are the team behind Big Dog Construction on Grand Manan, New Brunswick, Canada. Aron is a Red Seal carpenter and site supervisor. He has spent much of his career training and mentoring apprentices and sharing his interest in building science and durable construction. Gena’s duties include design, project management, interior finishing, and business operations. They are both also executive director of Building Science and Beer Canada.