If you want to install a new outdoor flagpole, you have to decide whether to buy a pole with an internal or external halyard. While you may think that having the working parts of the flagpole on the outside is a good enough solution, there is an argument for choosing an internal mechanism.
How do internal halyards work and what are their benefits?
What Is an Internal Halyard?
You use a rope or cable system to raise and lower a flag on a flagpole. Standard poles tend to have an external system — the rope or cable lies on the outside of the pole. When you pull on it, the flag changes position.
Internal halyards are almost completely contained within the pole itself. The primary operating mechanism runs through the pole rather than on the outside. Typically, internal systems are winch-operated. You open a door in the pole, insert the winch and use it to move the rope or cable to put the flag up or down.
What Are the Advantages of Internal Halyards?
Internal halyards have some benefits over external options. They give you a more secure solution and extend the life of the pole's rigging system. For example, if you have an external rope halyard, then anyone who can get to the flagpole can operate it. This could make your flag a target for vandals or kids who are looking to mess around. They could take it down, steal it or deface it. They could even cut the rope or cable.
Internal halyards usually have built-in security. You can only operate them through the winch door with the right tool. Plus, winch doors are generally lockable. So, nobody can get to the halyard mechanism or use the flagpole when they shouldn't.
Keeping your ropes or cables inside also has benefits. If a pole's rope sits on the outside, then it is open to the elements. Over time, it may be damaged by the weather. For example, the sun may degrade the rope's strength and make it brittle enough to break. Cable chains might rust after a few years of rain exposure.
Internal halyards are protected from the weather. So, they are less likely to suffer from damage. This makes the system last longer, making it more cost-effective.
In addition to buying new flagpoles with internal systems, you can sometimes also adapt existing ones that currently have an external system. Flagpole repair companies can put internal mechanisms into some older products. To find out more, talk to local suppliers of flagpoles.
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