WHICH FLAGPOLE TO CHOOSE – ALUMINIUM OR COMPOSITE?
Each occasion requires a proper decoration. A flagpole is an ideal and universal solution. Its cost is low and it can be used both for displaying an advertisement and celebrating holidays by placing the national flag on it.
Which flagpole to choose?
The flagpole market in Poland is very wide, you can find aluminium or composite flagpoles. So what to consider when choosing the right mast for yourself? Should you take into account only the price, or also other important requirements, that the flagpole should meet?
Once you decide to buy the flagpole, it is worth answering a few questions that will surely help you to choose the right product and the material of which the flagpole is made.
Let’s begin with those questions:
- do we want the flag display to be dependent on gusts of wind or should it be constantly displayed?
- should the flag be hoisted and lowered with the help of: external rope tied to the cleat, the rope hidden inside the flagpole or winch?
- should the flagpole be cylindrical or conical?
- how long is the mast planned to be used?
- should the flagpole be permanently mounted into the ground or should it be portable?
Out of which material the flagpole should be made of?
Both aluminium and composite masts have advantages that speak for their choice. The most important difference between the two is that the composite mast is more durable, which is why the warranty for brittleness of the pipe is as much as 25 years. The advantage of the composite is the fact that the material is resistant to adverse weather conditions and corrosion and has no scrap value.
However, you should not completely give up aluminum masts, which also have a lot of advantages. Sectional masts have the advantage over composite flagpoles that transporting them is much more convenient. The package with the mast has a size of 380 cm, thanks to which it is possible to transport them by a forwarding company or even on the roof of a passenger car. Thanks to the sectional structure, it is also possible to adjust the diameters of the pipe segments to the customer’s needs.
Aluminium or composite flagpoles?
There is a lot of differences between the composite and aluminium flagpoles, but the most important differences were gathered in the table:
Aluminium flagpole | Composite flagpoles | |
Available height and weight of pipes | sections (6-12m); weight 7 up to 22 kg | conical(6-12m): 8-25 kg
Maxima (13-22): 47-170 kg |
Thickness of the wall | 2-3,5mm | conical 3,5-4mm
Maxima 6mm |
Number of sections | 2-4 depending on the height of the flagpole | conical 1 section
Maxima 2 sections |
Warranty | 10 years for brittleness of the flagpole, 10 years for the surface of the flagpole, 2 years for all parts of the flagpole | 25 years of warranty for brittleness of the flagpole, 2 years for all parts of the flagpole |
Basic – aluminium;
Other colours – according to RAL palette(extra charge) | Basic – white;
Other colours – according to RAL palette (extra charge) |
Is the composite flagpole more expensive than the aluminium flagpole?
Comparing those two flagpole it seems as the composite flagpole – because of its 25 years – lifespan – will be much more expensive than the aluminium flagpole. The higher the composite flagpole, the lower the price calculated per meter of pipe. In case of aluminium it is completely opposite – for higher flagpoles it is necessary to use pipes with larger diameters and wall thickness, which translates into the price. Low masts – 6 and 8 meters high are slightly cheaper to be made of aluminum, 10 and 12 metre masts are more advantageous in the composite version. However the difference is almost unnoticeable.
When planning the purchase of a flagpole, it should be treated as an investment not only aimed at displaying the company’s advertisement, but also the opportunity to participate in state events or treating it as an element of urban architecture