FAQ

Ropes

How thick of a rope do I need?

Generally the taller you go the thicker you need. 5/16″ is the most common size for most poles under 50 feet. 3/8″ is the next standard and that’s for poles over 50 feet high.

I bought a rope at Home Depot. Can you just install that rope?

Yes, that can be done but we wouldn’t recommend it unless you know that you bought a good UV resistant rope. Lots of inexpensive ropes do not do well in the sun for long periods of time and will degrade very quickly and you will end up having to replace the rope soon. We only carry good quality rope that is used specifically for flagpoles.

I heard about a rope with a wire in the middle. What does that do?

It serves two purposes: The first is for security. It prevents the rope from being cut with scissors or a knife. Yes, some mean people do that to try to steal the flag. The second reason is that it helps save your rope from coming off the top truck. All ropes wear down and when one with a wire core wears down to the wire you can then replace the rope from the ground instead of having to get to the top to replace a lost rope.

I have a bronze flagpole. Can I get a rope that matches?

Yes. There is bronze color rope available so that it blends in with the flagpole.

My rope is not torn but stiff and hard to handle. Can that be fixed?

Unfortunately no. We can sometimes undo the knot that holds it together but over the years wire core rope will tend to get stiff, more so in ocean areas.

There are always chips in my paint where the flag snaps hit, is there anything that can be done about that?

Yes, you can put on vinyl snap covers that help reduce the clinging and chipping from the snaps but you will still get a little chipping from it since the flagpole isn’t 100% covered.

My flagpole is on a rooftop. What are my options?

We climb all the flagpoles we service so no matter where it is located we can get to the top of the flagpole, as long as the flagpole is safe and secure.

Revolving Trucks

How do I know if my truck is bad?

There is no way to know for sure unless you climb and inspect it. Little clues that may help are: the truck is leaning which means the bearings are very worn. The rope keeps getting stuck in the pulley wheel which means the pulley wheel is worn. If the truck does not spin then it is not working 100% but it can still do its job and hold the rope and flag in place.

Can you just replace the Pulley? I have seen pulleys hung on the side of the pole, will that work as an alternate?

Yes, that is an alternate and slightly cheaper way of fixing a pole that has a broken truck, but you run the risk of the pulley wearing down the bolt it’s hanging off of and falling. New trucks will last decades and come with the assurance that your flagpole is fixed correctly.

I have a gold ball already, can you use that ball on a new truck?

Most of the time the ball is impossible to remove without breaking it. If it seems possible we will always try to remove it, but since we cannot have a full machine shop on site it’s still cheaper to get a new one than to try to modify the old ball stem to fit the new truck.

I'm getting a new ball and didn’t have one before, what size should I get?

The size of the ball is usually about the size of the base. The wider the base, the bigger the ball.

Have Questions? We Have Answers

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Phone:

800-225-4375

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Email:

adam@californiasteeplejack.com