Maintenance
of Flagpoles
Maintenance
Just as with any other operable equipment, flagpoles must be properly cared
for if they are to perform satisfactorily over a period of years. The maintenance
of modern flagpoles consists principally of preserving the finish of the
pole shaft, replacing the halyards if and when necessary, and properly
caring for, and perhaps replacing, certain fittings that are subject to
wear. Compared to the older wood and steel poles, however, the amount of
maintenance needed is generally small.
With Fiberglass Flagpoles, the high gloss modified polyester finish,
totally bonded with the resin of the pole, results in a no chip,
no peel, smooth finished surface. It resists scratching and soiling
and is virtually maintenance free.
Pole Shafts
The maintenance required to preserve the shaft finish depends upon which
metal the pole is made of, the type of finish used, and the conditions
of the environment in which the pole is located.
Aluminum
Aluminum poles may have a mechanical finish, an anodized finish or an applied
organic coating. Whatever the finish, little or no maintenance will normally
be required because rainfall in most areas will remove the dirt and soil
that may be deposited on surface. However, should a build-up of dirt and
soil occur, washing the surface with a mild detergent is advised. This
is the only maintenance ever required for Architectural Class 1 anodized
finishes or for high performance, thermally cured, organic coatings. In
the case of the brushed mechanical finish, if the surface appearance becomes
objectionably discolored by contaminants, the finish may be restored by
the use of special cleaning agents.
Steel
Because steel flagpoles are finished with some type of applied coating, most
of them sooner or later require refinishing. The life of the coating depends
on the pre-coating preparation of the metal, the type of coating used,
and the atmospheric conditions to which it is exposed. Coating life expectancy
ranges from 2 or 3 years for ordinary field-applied paints to perhaps 20
years or more for the sometimes specified thermally cured high performance
coatings. For the conventional painted finishes periodic maintenance should
be provided whenever the paint becomes dingy or rust spots appear. Rust
and loose paint should be removed, bare spots primed, and a new coating
applied. For installations in seacoast locations or corrosive industrial
atmospheres, the rust resistance of steel can be greatly increased if the
pole is hot dip galvanized before painting.
Bronze
Most bronze have a lacquered statuary bronze finish. Over a period of several
years, the length of time depending on atmospheric conditions, the lacquer
coating gradually erodes the surface color to darken. Thereafter a natural
patina develops. If such a patina is the desired effect-and often it is-then
little or no maintenance is required. However, if it is desired to prevent
the development of the patina periodic maintenance is essential, and this
involves a yearly oiling with a mixture of lemon oil and high grade parafin
oil. In rare instances it may be desirable, for some reason, to restore
the original finish. This can be done by stripping down to bare metal and
applying a new chemical finish.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel poles require little or no care to maintain their finish
indefinitely. For esthetic reasons only, occasional washing may be desirable
in some locations, but otherwise they are maintenance free.
Halyards
Conventional external halyards should be checked every three months for signs
of wear and need for replacement. The cost of replacement can be minimized
if they are replaced when wear first becomes apparent, before a break occurs.
This can be accomplished without climbing the pole. Simply butt the end
of the new rope to one end of the old rope and thread a fine wire through
both, at about 1" from their ends. Then tightly wrap the wire around
the rope over the 2" length and cover the resulting splice with a
layer of tape. Finally, carefully hoist the joined ropes up the pole, over
the sheave and down to the starting position.
When replacement becomes necessary it should be recognized that although
manila cotton ropes have given good service over the years, the modern synthetic
ropes are far superior. Braided polypropylene and nylon are generally recommended
as the best halyard materials, because of their strength, mildew and rot
resistance, and exceptional wearing qualities.
Fittings
The amount of maintenance care required for flagpole fittings depends upon
the type of halyard system provided. With conventional external halyards,
about the only items that should be checked periodically are the flag attachment
devices on the halyard. If these become damaged or cease to function properly
they should be replaced. Truck assemblies are designed to be maintenance
free, and other items such as finials, cleats, cleat boxes and halyard
protectors require no attention, either, under normal circumstances. With
internal halyard systems, however, periodic inspection and maintenance
of certain parts is essential, to insure trouble-free operation. It is
recommended that the winch shaft and dog be lubricated at monthly intervals
and the following items be checked for wear at the same time:
Halyard cable (check for kinks or frays)
Cable fittings, including flag attachments
Counterweight cover and attachments
Restraining sling
Dog and spring assembly
Mounting bolts (check for tightness)
The cable should be replaced if found to be kinked or frayed. The
sling should be replaced when worn, the counterweight when its neoprene
cover shows excessive wear. Other parts-cable clamps, shackles, flag
attachments, dog and spring, winch and lock-should of course be replaced
when found to have excessive wear or are not functioning properly.
Precautions
Halyard rope, regardless of type, should never be used as a means of hoisting
a person aloft. Only a qualified workman with proper equipment should be
allowed to climb a flagpole. A locked cleat cover insures against tampering
with the halyard at the cleat, but does not prevent vandals from cutting
the rope above the box (or even above a halyard protector). Do not use
sash chain or wire rope to prevent such vandalism, because they will damage
the shaft finish. The beating of metal flag snaps against the pole shaft,
when the flag is not attached, tends to damage the shaft finish. When the
flag is removed, wrap the halyard around the pole in a few long spiral
turns, to prevent the noise made by the wind whipping the halyard against
the pole, and position the flag snaps near or on the cleat.
