Homemade PVC Flag Pole

Materials

• Decide what kind of PVC pipe you want to use. For instance, not all PVC pipe is round. It can come in square and octagonal shapes, among other shapes, which may fit better with your landscaping designs. PVC pipe can also come in many different colors, although you can always choose to paint it yourself using the appropriate, weather-resistant paint colors.

  In addition to the various PVC pipe fittings that you will use, you also need a saw capable of cutting the pipe, a drill, and possibly a sanding tool to sand the edges of the pipe that you cut. For added support, use some type of metal beam, such as a piece of concrete rebar that can fit inside the PVC pipe and give it more weight. For attaching the flag, use a variety of hooks, but one of the popular components is a set of shower curtain rings, which can both fit through the holes drilled in the pipe, and through the slots inside your flag.

Construction

• There are several different plans available, depending on what type of flagpole you want to construct. Do you want a sideways flagpole that will hang the flag at a lower angle for display, or a straight up and down flagpole that focuses more on height? For neighborhood-based flagpole building, the angled version is probably best, since a tall flagpole may break restrictions and will not display the flag as well. You can buy a 10-foot section of PVC pipe and cut it into four parts, two four-foot sections and two one-foot sections. These sections can then be joined together using a T-shaped fitting and a 45-degree angle fitting. The rebar goes in the base section, while the 45-degree fitting holds up a shorter pipe that connects to the T-frame, which branches out the second four-foot piece into the air with the last one-foot piece added in behind for stability. Be sure to properly seal the fittings and include end caps for all exposed ends.

  This set-up requires that you bury the pipe in the ground. If you want a more mobile version, you will need to construct a base. Unless you are planning on using weights, the constructed base (often in the shape of a square with middle-branchings) will need to be used with a vertical pole design so that it doesn't tip over.