Flagpole STRENGTHENING diy!

Make a rESIDENTIAL flagpole as strong as a commercial one!

[@jhallan13]

Thank you!!! After proudly installing my flag pole and then sadly having to pull it down due to excessive wobbling and fear of the pole breaking, I came across your video, which saved the day! We went one step further and used a pipe expanding mandrel to flare the joints, decreasing the amount of wiggling of tue joints. I am again proudly flying my flag! Thank you for your service sir!

[@ericepperson2972]

I personally did not have a good experience with sika for our 20ft telescoping flagpole, the winds we got was brutal on the sleeve and foam, it cause to much wobble in the flag, so we took the foam back out a couple weeks later bought a new sleeve because the first one cracked since the foam didn’t provide a solid support for the sleeve, and got a couple bags of sakrete ready mix concrete and implanted some nice flat rocks on the top while wet to ensure some good side to side strength. Now sika did work wonderfully for our 4x4 mailbox post!

[@jc2091]

I used the 20 foot PVC and 20 foot galvanized inner reinforcement, as suggested. Then used Quikrete to secure sleeve in ground. Also, flagpole came with 2 foot sleeve but I went and got 3 foot one to use instead. Thanks for posting video and especially thanks for your service 👍

[@capousgeorge7]

Did it ! Great Idea ! Thank you ,and Thank You for your service !

[@sammanry4946]

Very good instructional video. Did this with mine today that had blown down a couple of times. Thanks for posting, and, more importantly, for your service.

[@darrincarty2684]

Sam Manry thank you for saying that. It was my honor to do so. 🇺🇸

[@cyatc1965]

Thanks!

[@cyatc1965]

I’m in NW Florida and we just went through yet another hurricane (Ida) and the pole is still 100% good as new.

[@cyatc1965]

Happy Memorial Day, 2023. Flag still flying proudly! Pole is still strong as ever.

[@raymondek3828]

Thank you for your service.

[@cyatc1965]

It was an honor (back then).

[@williamhustonrn6160]

Interesting, I may have to try this out, I see my local hardware store has 1-3/8 size top fence pipe. about 5 years ago I used an electrical medal conduit to build a flag pole in the yard, they come with metal unions at the ends to protect the threads, but you can screw 2 together with the union to make a 20ft section of metal conduit. This has worked for the past 5 years, but the threads on the conduit are starting to rust away, so the top pole is leaning not straight totally anymore, due to the force of the lanyard pulling down and threads weakening.

[@capousgeorge7]

I couldn't use a coupler for joining pvc tubes ( won't fit ) , just gorilla taped them.

[@jeremy27783]

I would not use Sika. When the density of the ground is low during warm seasons, Sika will not weigh nearly enough to compensate for the surrounding loose dirt. You would need to dig the hole wider and deeper to achieve the same results as concrete. Plus the project cost would sky rocket because Sika is so much more expensive. I say this after using Sika on 30" deep post holes for an 8 foot fence. The posts began leaning and I had to go back and put concrete rings around the base of each post. It was because the Sika lacked the weight concrete provided. I would not chance that on a flag pole.

[@juanarcos38]

Good ideas thanks for the help. I did the same but put in a metal pipe to hold it up for good.

[@cyatc1965]

Notes on install: I dug a 36”+ hole,with a post hole digger, then filled with about 8” of pea gravel for drainage. To keep the Sika Foam off the pole, I ran two Walmart bags up the FIRST SECTION of the flagpole and taped with masking tape (to keep foam off exposed pole section): I taped the bags 8” below what was to be at ground level and then pulled them up and taped them against the pole again at about 24” up that first section, above ground level. Plumbed the first section vertically in the hole, about 2-3” into the pea gravel and then I Sika-foamed it in place - I held it plum for about 5 minutes and then walked away. After an hour it was completely set. I then took a hand saw blade and trimmed the foam off (at ground level) and then removed the protective bag off of the pole by sliding it up and off the top of that first section. THEN we boosted the rest of the flagpole into place over top of that first section that was set in the ground.

[@darrincarty2684]

The Walmart bags also keep the foam OUT of the first section of flagpole. You want to keep the first section “empty”.

[@cpron9126]

Thanks for a great video, how many bags of the Sika foam did you use?

[@darrincarty2684]

CPRON Just the one!

[@Mz-ns5ke]

Sorry for all the questions. Want to get this right. -I have a PVC sleeve already concreted into ground that came with set. -When I put flag pole in, due to the weak material of pole it sways a lot - I Am going to get the PVC & Pipe to run through inside of pole -Once I lift pole and set in PVC sleeve that is in ground there is a slight gap between pole and ground sleeve. *What can I do to fill in space between pole and ground sleeve to better secure pole at bottom?* Looks like you have something sticking out that is filling in gap of yours. Thanks again!

[@cyatc1965]

I guess you could use a bead of silicone, let dry then another bead over that. You could run a stainless bolt and nut through the whole “set” to pin it together.

[@rcdreyes9173]

Thanks for the info Did u get all the materials at Home Depot?

[@georgewithrow5668]

I have the round led at the top of mine your right nothing like it that flag means all the world to me

[@bluetonight17]

I see emt pipe which is thicker than chainlink railing....

[@push_usmvmc2897]

So is the fence pole going all the way through the entire length of the pvc ? And leaving a section post at the bottom and top ?

[@darrincarty2684]

Yes, it basically strengthens the pvc, which strengthens the flagpole. All are approx 20’ long. There’s a little flagpole on both ends I guess but it doesn’t really matter.

[@cyatc1965]

I’m almost positive this is the flag pole I bought. Definitely bought it from this site: www.united-states-flag.com/heavy-duty-20ft-residential-flagpole-with-valley-forge-nylon-flag.html

[@Mz-ns5ke]

Did u pour the sika foam into the pvc that pole slides into that’s in ground??

[@darrincarty2684]

No. The first section of flagpole gets permanently mounted in the ground. Then you take the remaining flagpole sections, pre-assembled with the pvc/galvanized-pipe inside it, and boost it vertically until it drops into the first (ground mounted) section. That’s it! Really easy, and mine is 100% still to this day.

[@Mz-ns5ke]

@@darrincarty2684 nice! Even with pvc/pipe in there is a very slight gap in pvc sleeve in ground...it still doesn’t sway?? I have my sleeve concreted in. Had to take pole down bc it’s super windy today

[@darrincarty2684]

@@Mz-ns5ke hi, the point of the strengthening texhnique is not to completely eliminate sway, it’s to keep the pole from bending to the point that it folds over on itself (due to it being hollow). If you are having big movements, maybe look at how securely it is in the ground, and maybe use a concrete base (an inverted “bell” shaped hole is best). Good luck!

[@Mz-ns5ke]

@@darrincarty2684 thank you! I have the pvc sleeve in concrete. Minimal movement from in sleeve. I feel most of the movement is up top with strong winds. I had it up one day and storm hit so I noticed significant movement on top. I believe it is due to the light aluminum material + the height. Going to try this method and hoping it tones it down a bit!

[@cyatc1965]

No, around it just like you would concrete.

[@pronintendo1984]

Hey, I was wondering if you could possibly give me a link to the fence top rail? I can't for the life of me find it. I can find top rail post which is obviously too large to fit into the PVC pipe. Thank you for your service and thank you for responding if you do.

[@cyatc1965]

Hi The top rail they sell everywhere says it is 1-3/8” (outside diameter) and the pvc is definitely 1-1/4” inside diameter… so on paper is seems like they wouldn’t fit. However, considering how many of us have done this, somehow I think they do! My suggestion is 1) go to Lowe’s/HD/wherever and take the two and just physically see if it fits. If not, then 2) go to the electrical isle and look for suitable, compatible galvanized electrical conduit (10ft?) then put them together with the threaded coupler used with them. And if, worst case, the two are seemingly too loose, then I would buy some expand-a-foam and empty a can of that between them. Please post your findings! I’d love to know.

[@pronintendo1984]

@@cyatc1965 Thank you very much sir, I will do so sometime today.

[@bluetonight17]

Question. The only fence railing a can find is 1 3/8 inch. That won't fit into the pvc. Where did you find smaller fence railing?

[@cyatc1965]

I used galvanized chain link “top rail” (used horizontally to connect fencing to) not the vertical “post” size. It’s smaller and has male-female ends.

[@bluetonight17]

@@cyatc1965 I am dumb, i found it, i bought the top rails, and schedule 40 pvc and the main flag pole should be in tomorrow. i hope to have it standing this weekend

[@cyatc1965]

@@bluetonight17 Lol, you’re not dumb, I probably should have been more specific in the video. Glad to hear you will be flying Old Glory soon!

[@pc09503]

How is the Sika holding up? Any loosening in the ground?

[@darrincarty2684]

No, it’s doing great! Very impressed.

[@cyatc1965]

It’s still going strong!

[@cyatc1965]

100% as it was when I made this video. Just went through hurricane Ida, no problems.

[@user-km3dh9mq1c]

Where do I find sika foam

[@darrincarty2684]

Mine was from Lowe’s, over by the concrete isle. At the end, where they have additives, etc. It came inside a clear bag (I guess if it got broken the bag would contain a little of it?). Hope that helps!

[@georgewithrow5668]

so where is your light

[@darrincarty2684]

In the garden, it shoots up at the flag

[@cyatc1965]

My light is a 6 bulb LED that is in the garden pointing up at the flag 24/7.

[@n40tom]

Hey Mister Military man it's not a lanyard. Proper name is halyard. I guess that you were awol the day they taught that in boot camp.

[@truck57us]

It must be great to be perfect. No way to comment nicely? C'mon man!

[@thomassimons8570]

Sometimes people call it what they always called it and don't get politically correct. Grammer nazi's are the worst!

[@cyatc1965]

Thanks. But it’s not boot camp, it’s Basic Training. 😉

[@n40tom]

@@cyatc1965 Lol. This is true.