Tag: Flagpole Maintenance

Winter Preparation and Care for Flag and Flagpoles

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Keeping your flag and flagpole in good shape during the winter starts with prevention. Preparing your flagpole, before it gets too cold, will make the job easier. Let’s look at some simple tips for winter preparation and care for flag and flagpoles.

Let’s start with the flag. If you usually use a nylon fabric during the spring and summer months, you will want to switch to a sewn polyester blend for winter. While the nylon is more lightweight and can handle the summer breezes, it more than likely will not withstand the cold winds of winter. The sewn polyester blend is made with the same lock-stitching but are about twice the weight of its nylon counterpart.

If you live in an area with harsh winters, you may want to also consider flying a flag that is one size smaller than your spring/summer flag. This will greatly improve your chances of a lasting flag. So, if you fly a 4-foot x 6-foot nylon flag during the summer months, try flying a 3-foot x 5 foot sewn polyester flag through winter. You will be going from a 24 foot of square sail to 15 feet of square sail. The greater the surface area, the greater the resistance. Hence, the less the surface area, the less resistance. You will have a much smaller looking flag on the flagpole than you are used to, but it will be better than a ripped or shredded flag.

On to the flagpole parts…look at the truck , halyard and the swivel snap hooks (or flag clips). If any of these parts have become damaged or worn out, now is the time to replace them. Take special notice of the truck . The truck allows the entire flagpole to work. When changing your flag for winter, check the truck to make sure the pulley (or pulleys) is functioning properly. A failed truck can result in parts breaking down much quicker and the flag wrapping around the flagpole and fraying much sooner.

United States Flag Store is here to answer all your questions. Feel free to give us a toll-free call at 1-877-734-2458 or email us at support@onlinestores.com.

Getting Your Flagpole Ready for the Season

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Your flagpole is an investment, and with proper care and maintenance, it can stay looking great for years to come. A rule of thumb is to inspect your flagpole and its parts whenever you replace your flag. Flagpoles can be subjected to extreme weather that include high winds, extreme humidity or extreme cold. Now that spring is here, it’s a great time to do a little spring cleaning on your flagpole and accessories.

Most aluminum flagpoles can be cleaned with mild soap and warm water. By simply attaching a soapy sponge to the halyard, you can clean the pole by raising and lowering the halyard with the sponge attached. If cleaning the flagpole requires more than soap and water, purchasing aluminum cleaner from your local auto parts store will do the trick.

Fiberglass flagpoles can be cleaned with a mild bathroom cleaner and water. Flagpoles with anodized finishes, such as clear, bronze or black, do not require cleaning. The anodized color serves as a protective coating, and cleaning the surface can actually damage them and void the warranty.

Weather can also affect the flagpole’s halyard . The cold weather can cause a halyard to degrade and dry-rot, while salt air can cause the halyard’s fibers to appear “rotted out”. Wind, rain, and humidity can stress the halyard and cause it to fray as well.  Replacing the halyard doesn’t have to require a bucket truck, though. A great tip is to just tape the end of the new halyard to the old one and pull it up the flagpole and through the truck’s pulley. A little tape around a frayed halyard end will help it pass through the truck’s pulley smoothly. Be sure not to overlap the two ends or use an excessive, bulky amount of tape. You want the rope to glide through the pulley easily.

You’ll also want to replace snaphooks and snaphook covers when you’re replacing the halyard.

United States Flag Store is here to answer all your questions.  Feel free to give us a toll free call at 1-877-734-2458 or email us at support@onlinestores.com.