Wouldncha know, solving one problem only created another! The pvc sleeves my neighbor/landscaper helped me install were inserted 14″ into the ground. This works great with the few 9′ flagpoles we have from a previous attempt at this fundraiser.
The problem came with the brand new 7′ 6″ poles that were now only 6′ above the ground! Factoring in the angle of the sleeve insert, many of our flags brush the ground if the wind isn’t blowing constantly. …NOT GOOD!
I saw only two options at this point:
A. Replace the now-too-short poles even though we just bought them! (unfortunately, I think it’s too late to return these now that they are built and have been used once).
B. Extend the poles we already have by adding a coupler and glueing on an extension. (kind of a pain, but it felt like an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade)
For obvious cost reasons, I chose option B. So I went out and bought an additional 105′ of 3/4″ pvc pipe, cut it into 18″ sections, and glued them to the original pole making each now 9′ long!
Yes, I should have done a little more planning and testing before I went out and did anything else.
See also:
Flag Service Problems and Solutions, part 2
Flag Service Problems and Solutions, part 3
Simplifying our Boy Scout Flag Service
How are you installing the PVC sleeves in the ground? I can’t final anything on how to install them. Please let me know if you can.