A high-flying flag

By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Now more than ever, folks want to fly Old Glory in their yards.
But just how easy is it to erect a flagpole and send the stars and stripes waving proudly into the air?
"Installing a flagpole on your own can be harder than it looks," said Chris Tewksbury, of The Flag Pole Repair Company in Sebring. "Installing the [base] for the pole is fairly easy, but standing the pole up and getting the pole straight can be more of a challenge."
Tewksbury, who has been selling and installing flags and flagpoles for about 20 years, said extremely long or heavy flagpoles pose the most problems during installation.
"It's easy for the pole to fall while it's being lifted into the air, which can be dangerous," Tewksbury said.
W.B. Becherer, of Modernfold W.B. Becherer Inc., a Youngstown company that sells and installs flags and flagpoles, said loose soil can cause further trouble once the pole has been installed.
"The most common mistake people make when they install a flagpole themselves is to place the pole in soil that has been recently loosened or moved. Loose soil will eventually shift and cause the flagpole to tilt. This often happens in yards where fill dirt has been added. Strong winds can add to the shifting of the pole," Becherer explained.
Use a sleeve
To avoid the possibility of a leaning flagpole, homeowners should place the pole inside a special sleeve that's anchored into the ground and surrounded by concrete.
Ground sleeves such as these are typically sold along with the flagpole.
Tewksbury said he won't install a flagpole without using a ground sleeve.
"The sleeve is made of steel and goes 36 to 48 inches into the ground. A lightning rod is attached to the sleeve and goes an additional 12 inches into the ground," Tewksbury said.
Flagpole sleeves are designed so that the flagpole can be slipped in and out of the sleeve if the homeowner wants to take the pole down for a while, although Tewksbury and Becherer said most people leave their flagpoles up all year.
Two types
Flagpoles come in two categories, sectional and one-piece.
Sectional flagpoles cost less and are more portable than one-piece flagpoles, but Becherer and Tewksbury don't recommend them because they say sectional poles are too flimsy.
"Although one-piece flagpoles are more expensive and are harder to ship, they last longer than sectional poles do," Becherer said.
Tewksbury also dislikes sectional poles because he deems them unsafe.
"If a child happens to swing on a sectional pole, the pole could come down. Sectional poles also often bend or come apart during strong winds," Tewksbury said.
Most homeowners choose 20- or 25-foot flagpoles for their yards, although some people want poles as long as 35 feet, Tewksbury said.
"There's no required size for a residential flagpole, but a 20-foot pole seems to be the best choice for a residential lawn," Becherer said.
Unless the yard is extremely small.
"If a yard is very small, the homeowner should choose a shorter flagpole. Otherwise they'll have to go outside and stand directly under the pole to be able to see the flag," Becherer said.
Price
A one-piece, 20-foot flagpole will cost about $250 to $300, while a 20-foot, sectional flagpole will cost about $100 to $150, Becherer said.
Homeowners can expect to pay about $500 to purchase a 20-foot flagpole and have it installed, Tewksbury said.
Buying a 35-foot flagpole and having it installed will cost about $1,200.
A 4-by-6-foot flag is ideal for a 20-foot flagpole, but larger poles require larger flags, Becherer said.
The majority of flagpoles on the market are made of aluminum, require little or no maintenance and will last a lifetime.
"Older, steel flagpoles need painted frequently, or they will rust," Tewksbury said.
Homeowners should check their flagpole's ropes at least twice a year for signs of wear.
Ropes that show signs of wear should be replaced promptly.