How to Install a Flag on a Pole

Show respect for your flag by properly mounting it to your flagpole.

Whether you fly a flag on a day of national celebration or like to display it on a daily basis, correctly attaching a banner to a flagpole is important in displaying the flag respectfully. It aids in easily raising or lowering the flag at the beginning of the day and at sunset, and it can mean the difference between a flag that lasts a long time or is worn out prematurely through overuse and unnatural strain.

Things You'll Need

• Halyard (rope)
• Snaps

Instructions

1. Run the halyard, or rope, through the pulley at the top of the flagpole and the cleat at the bottom.

2. Attach snaps (found in most hardware stores) to the halyard. Loop part of the rope, passing it through the bottom hole of the snap, putting the loop over the top of the snap and then pulling the rope tight. Place two snaps on the halyard to hold both the top and bottom corners of the flag.

3. Tie the two ends of the halyard securely so that the rope forms a continuous loop. There is no special knot to tie; just make sure it is tight and not so large that it is prominent against the side of any attached flag. The knot should be located in between the two attached snaps.

4. Attach a flag by clipping the snaps into the appropriate holes in the top and bottom corners of the flag.

5. Raise the flag up the pole to be sure the halyard is working smoothly. The flag itself should be raised briskly.

Tips & Warnings

• The halyard (rope) will suffer from wear and tear if not changed periodically. Check its condition every time you raise or take down the flag. Due to the constant rubbing and pulling, a halyard will wear out especially fast where it attaches to the snaps.

• Don't use the flag itself to complete the halyard loop. Don't tie or clip each end of the halyard to the flag instead of knotting the ends together and flying the flag independently of the rope from the clips. Failing to correctly attach the flag in this manner could wear down the edges of the flag and lead to ripping or fraying.

References

• American Flag and Gift: The Correct Way to Rig a Halyard to an Outdoor Flagpole
• All the King's Flags Discounts: How to Rig Your Flagpole