FLAGPOLES Flagpoles stand either vertically (perpendicular) to the ground - or are mounted on the (vertical) side of a building or wall. Vertically installed flagpoles can be either stationary (permanently mounted) or removable. As a general rule, outdoor flagpoles are permanently installed and indoor flagpoles are mounted on a heavy, flat base and can be dismantled and moved. Outside flagpoles are most often aluminum while indoor flagpoles will typically be made of oak or ash wood. Outside vertical flagpoles rely upon the wind to display the flag while side mounted flagpoles, usually mounted at a slight upward angle to the wall, rely upon both gravity AND the wind for flag display. Broadly speaking, flags fall into the following categories - often belonging to more than one at the same time (…as in residential outdoor aluminum flagpole). Residential Flagpoles Commercial Flagpoles Indoor Flagpoles Wall Mounted Flagpoles Wooden Flagpoles Aluminum Flagpoles Collapsible, or Telescope Style Flagpoles Nautical Flagpoles Estate style Flagpoles Continental style Flagpoles Independence style Flagpoles Sentry form Flagpoles Traditional Style Flagpoles Historical Style Flagpoles Modern or Contemporary Flagpoles The flagpole itself may be a simple affair - such as a solid wooden staff, or it may be a superbly crafted piece of engineering with the halyard (flag line) traveling up and down on mechanized pulleys both inside and outside of the aluminum pole - itself an expensive piece of machined structure with mounts, guides, insets and even some electronic control equipment. Certain things you will need to consider if you are installing a commercial grade aluminum flagpole include: Type of finish (anodized, polished, or powder coated) Color or tint Overall height as well as exposed height Butt (base) and top diameter Wall thickness Flagged and unflagged windload Recommended size of flag for 'this' specific flagpole. The rule of thumb is... one quarter of the length of the pole is the fly of the flag (20 foot pole will use 3'x5' flag) Flagpoles need certain accessories to complete their functionality. Often, you have more than one choice for a specific accessory - such as the base stand, the pole top ornament (ball or eagle), cleat style - and so on. For more information on some of your options - visit the Accessories page or stop by our store to visit with one of our flag consultants.