Aluminum Flagpoles
Aluminum anodized pole
High gloss white in San Diego with truck painted green for accent.
Before & After
On the left, you can see the dark lines and stains throughout the flagpole. On the right, the flagpole is so clean that it appears to be white.
Anodized aluminum poles are newer types of flagpoles that have been around for a number of years now. The installation of them is fairly simple and since aluminum is light, cheap and does not rust they are what most new poles up to around 80 feet are made of. The most popular colors are silver and bronze, although bronze is still even newer than silver. Aluminum won’t rust like steel will, but it will still oxidize, especially in humid climates (next to the ocean for example.) Even though it’s not as harmful as rust is for steel, oxidation will dull the pole and make its appearance look dingy and sometimes even brown or black. Once the brilliance starts to fade and all the oxidation starts to make your flagpole look dull and worn you only have 2 options to make your pole look new again.
1. Painting the pole. Yes, you can paint aluminum. Since aluminum does not rust like metal does you don’t really “need” to paint it, but if you have it in a prime location then painting is a must. Locations like the Music Center in Los Angeles and The Universal Hilton at Universal Studios are prime examples of aluminum poles that are painted white so that they look nice for the tourists that are constantly taking pictures around the area. The Mission Viejo Water District HQ has their pole painted green to match the building. It is impossible to paint aluminum unless you use the correct primer first. If you try to paint aluminum with regular primer first or no primer at all it will most certainly peel off. Once you have the primer and the topcoat on, you have to keep a regular painting schedule in order for your pole to look amazing all year long.
2. Clean the pole. We can clean your flagpole with a special cleanser that strips away all of the oxidation so well that when the pole is done being cleaned it almost looks white. Not all poles can be cleaned and will have to be inspected to see if it is a candidate for the cleaning. A recommended four-year interval plan includes the following:
a. Labor to climb the pole.
b. Inspection of top ball and truck assembly for safety & operation or replacement if necessary.
c. Inspection or replacement of axil pins.
d. Inspection and replacement of ropes.
e. Installation of lockboxes (if vandalism is a problem.)
Aluminum Anodized flagpoles are by far the most common type of flagpole sold these days. If you are looking into getting a new pole or perhaps replacing an old rusted metal pole, sometimes it’s a better option than trying to restore a really corroded metal pole. If you are interested in an Aluminum pole please feel free to give us a call today!