An American flag proudly waving in the wind is an inspiring and glorious spectacle. If you ever tried to mount a flag on your home or business you know it’s not as simple as it may seem.
Pretty often, the result is quite disappointing, since any gust of wind can easily wrap the flag around the pole. That’s just disgraceful! An American flag should either be displayed the proper way or not at all. But don’t worry, there are several ways how to keep flag from wrapping around pole.
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Ways how to keep flag from wrapping around pole
Flags wrap around the pole when their base is sternly attached to the pole. In this case, if the wind blows intensively enough or if it changes directions, your flag will tangle around the pole.
What you need to do is to allow the flag to rotate and move with the wind.
There are many ways how to keep flag from wrapping around pole. Let’s look closer at some of them.
1. Spinning flag pole
If you’re ready to spend some money and time to do things right, consider purchasing a rotating flag pole also known as a non-tangle rod. These poles are designed specifically to prevent wrapping.
You’ll find ball bearings inside the shaft, and stationary bands at its base. They allow the entire pole to rotate when a strong gust of wind occurs.
Apart from the fact that the rotating flagpole effectively prevents the flag from wrapping around itself it also looks cool.
The main downside is the price. This is the best solution on this list but it’s also the most expensive. Moreover, you are also going to need to remove your old pole.
2. An anti-furling kit
An anti-furling kit might be a more elegant solution. This kit will allow you to modify the flag poles you already own.
Its modus operandi is pretty much the same. It prevents the flag from wrapping around the pole because it enables the flag to move freely.
The most basic anti-furling kit includes a couple of split rings with carabiner clips on them. Just install the rings onto the pole and attach the flag with the help of the clips.
For more detailed information check the instructions provided with the package.
There’s just one more thing to keep in mind before buying the kit. Make sure that the kit matches the diameter of your pole. If the rings included in the kit are smaller than your pole you wouldn’t be able to install the kit. And vice versa, if the rings are too big, they will be too loosely fitted around the pole. Make sure that you buy the correct size kit.
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3. Windbreak
This is more of a complimentary solution. It works best if you’ve already bought the kit or the rotating pole.
The place where you mount the flag is also extremely important.
If you’ve got especially strong wind in your area, you might wanna mount your flag near some kind of windbreak.
What’s a windbreak? A windbreak is any kind of barrier that can protect your flag from a strong wind. It might be a tree, a building, or a hill. This will significantly increase the lifespan of your flag.
Types of flags
Even if you bought the best non-tangle rod, and picked the ideal place there’s still one question you need to answer. What flag should you buy? Flags are made out of different materials and they all have their pro and cons, let’s take a look at some of them.
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Cotton flags
Historically cotton is a traditional material for flags.
This material was the most widely available and had the best properties among most other known fabrics.
However, nowadays things have changed. Cotton flags are not the best for outdoor use.
Nylon flags
Polyester flags
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FAQ
How does the anti-wrap ring work on a flag pole?
How to keep flag from wrapping around pole with anti-wrap ring? Take a piece of thread. Make a loop on one end of it. Now stick some object, say a pen or a pencil into the loop. Try to wrap the thread around the pencil. You will only be able to do that if you hold the loop down with a finger. Otherwise, the thread will just continue rotating around the pencil.
The anti-wrapping ring allows the entire flag to rotate around the pole. So when a strong gust of wind occurs the flag just follows the air movement and then as the wind subsides the flag returns to its initial position under the influence of gravity.
The anti-wrap ring is a part of an anti-furling kit. This kit is a great option for people who aren’t willing to invest in an entire rotating pole. Besides, installing the kit onto a preexisting pole is just easier. Just make sure that the diameter of the ring is adequate.
How do you weigh down a flag?
One of the ways to do that is to buy a heavier flag. Different materials have different weights. A cheap flag made out of nylon for instance is very light. It means that even the slightest breeze will be able to tangle it around the pole.
Polyester on the other hand is a much better choice. It is a lot heavier than nylon and more durable than cotton. So my advice would be to buy a heavy high quality flag. Don’t be cheap! It’s an American flag we’re talking about after all.
Conclusion
As you can see keeping your American flag from wrapping is not that difficult. The secret is rotating flag poles and a heavier flag. I hope this article is useful for you.
