Flagpole repair in Switzerland: common faults and their causes

Most damage to a flagpole is minor: a snapped rope, a pulley that sticks, a missing snap hook. Some is more serious, such as a pole that leans after a storm. Here are the most common faults, their causes and the usual ways of fixing them. For work at the top of the pole, the points in the guide to flagpole safety apply.

Common faults at a glance

Snapped rope

A snapped halyard is the most common fault. If the rope runs outside, a new rope is fed over the pulley at the top. With a tilting pole or a pole in a ground sleeve, this can be done on the ground. With an internal halyard, the rope is pulled through the pole, which takes some skill or a pull cord. If the flag is still at the top after the rope snaps, it stays there until the pole is lowered or the top can be reached.

Pulley and finial

A pulley that no longer turns makes the rope chafe or blocks it entirely. The causes are often dirt, corrosion or a rope that has jumped off the pulley and jammed. A loose finial at the top can fall down. Pulley and finial are available from the manufacturer as spare parts.

Rattling and noise

A rattling rope or a striking snap hook is disturbing especially at night. Under Article 684 of the Civil Code, everyone is obliged to refrain from excessive impact on their neighbours’ property, expressly including noise. A taut rope, plastic-coated snap hooks, a counterweight or switching to an internal halyard help.

Leaning pole

If a pole leans after a storm, the cause usually lies at the bottom: loose wedges or bolts in the ground sleeve, a damaged sleeve or a foundation that has cracked or subsided. Loose fixings can be tightened. A damaged foundation is usually rebuilt. A bent pole cannot be straightened reliably and is generally replaced, because the material is weakened at the bend.

Because the owner is liable for damage caused by inadequate maintenance under Article 58 of the Code of Obligations, a leaning or wobbly pole often stays without a flag until it is repaired.

Corrosion

Aluminium and GRP do not rust. On galvanised steel, rust starts where the galvanising is damaged; early spots can be touched up. The area at ground level is often affected, especially if water collects in the ground sleeve. With aluminium, contact corrosion can occur where it touches other metals.

Damage to the flag

A flag frays first at the fly edge. Small damage can be resewn. Under the Swiss Armed Forces’ flag regulations, torn or dirty flags are replaced with new ones. The army’s leaflet on handling non-military flags points out that nails, staples or string through the flag cloth inevitably cause damage.

Repair or replace?

Rope, pulley, snap hooks and flag are wearing parts whose replacement is part of normal upkeep. With a bent or badly corroded pole or a cracked foundation, replacement is often the safer solution. How long a pole lasts and how it is disposed of is covered in the guide to flagpole lifespan.