Flagpoles Continued…

The larger flagpoles are secured in the ground with cement. Flagpoles can be made of steel, aluminum or fiberglass and come in different finishes including satin, natural, dark bronze and black. Fiberglass poles have become popular because they are lightweight, strong and will not rust as metals ones can, which is a nice feature for anyone living near salt water. Flagpoles can range in price from $100 to over $300.

Accessories

There are many features and accessories that come with flagpoles. Standard features include cleats for securing the loose rope and snaps for fastening the flag to the rope, retainer ring, counter weights, hooks, ground sleeve, flash collar, and cylinder lock. Decorative parts include gold balls and eagles to adorn the top of the pole and collars for the base.

Because flags are almost constantly flapping in the wind, they tend to get wrapped around the pole and the rope can begin to fray. There is now a device that you can put at the top of the pole just under the ball, which is connected to the flag clip to keep the rope from furling or fraying and the flag from getting wrapped. It's a round piece of plastic that spins when the wind blows the flag around.

Flying a Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to assemble the pole and the halyard (rope) to the flag. The ends of the halyard should be tied together to make one complete circle. Many make the mistake of tying each end to the snaps or clips and then attaching the two ends on the grommets of the flag. This puts pressure on the flag and can damage it, causing it to eventually tear and rip.

The correct way is to connect the flag clips to the halyard, as mentioned above, and the ends of the rope should be tied together. The clips are then spaced apart so that they match up with the grommets, or holes, on the flag. But don't pull the flag taught; leave a little room for it to move.

By Jeanne Rongitsch