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There are few sights more beautiful that an American flag flying in the night sky, rippling in the wind, and drawing attention to the values, ideals, and liberties that the flag represents.  It’s one of those images that get burned into peoples’ minds and it makes for a really impactful impression for anyone who visits your building.

However, none of this can happen without you being able to light your flagpole effectively so that all that beauty can shine through.  In this article, we’re going to run through how you should be lighting your flagpole to get the most out of it.  This is not an exhaustive list, and it’s always going to depend on the context – but hopefully, it gives you some of the key principles that you should be thinking about along the way.

Use Directional Lights

The first thing to understand is that you want to use flagpole lights that are directional in nature.  The visual impact relies on the flag being lit on its own so that it stands out in the night sky.  If your light is too general and it is picking up other items as well, you lose a lot of the magic.  A directional light provides focused and precise lighting that will only pick up the flag and nothing else.

It’s the contrast that you’re going for here so that the flag sticks out amongst the rest of the surroundings.  It might take some maneuvering, but once this sort of light is set up correctly, you’ll unlock the beautiful image that we all know and love.

The Light Should Be Wide Enough to Catch the Flag in Any Position

While your lights should be as narrow and focused as possible, it’s important to remember that the flag will rotate sporadically around the pole and will continuously be in different positions.  The scope of your lighting needs to be just wide enough to be able to catch the flag in any position so that it will always be lit like you want to.

The dimensions here will depend on how big the flagpole is, how wide the flag itself is, and the nature of your lighting.  If you’re not sure how to make these calculations, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.  Our Beacon™ range of products offer great solutions for most sizes and we can take care of your project by leveraging the experience we’ve built over many years in the business.

The Flag Should Be the Brightest Object in the Landscape

When it comes to brightness, once again you need to make sure that the flag stands out.  Ideally, it should be the brightest object in the immediate surroundings so that it can be a landmark that draws the eye.  This is why it’s important to find a flagpole light that is bright enough to get the desired effect, rather than just going for whatever the cheapest option is.

If you’re flying the American flag, this is even more important to get right.  The red and the blue colors in the flag tend to absorb a lot of light, so you’re going to need to overcompensate to make sure that those colors come through strongly.  Keep this in mind when making your selection because it will have a big impact on the final result.

Light Both the Flag and the Flagpole

To get the desired effect, you’ll need to light both the flag itself and the flagpole.  This provides the necessary context that is needed to achieve the illumination that you’re looking for.  The light for the pole can be on the ground around the pole, or at the base of the pole, depending on your circumstances and the immediate surroundings.  The light for the flag typically sits on the pole so that it can provide the directional light that is required.

The way that you mount these lights is important to get right as well.  You need to take into account the height of the flag and the size of it to understand where the optimal mounting position is.  In addition, you want to hide the mount as best you can so that it doesn’t draw attention away from the flag itself.  It needs to remain somewhat conspicuous, otherwise, some of the beauty is lost.

Hide the Cable if Possible

If you’re not using a solar light and you’re relying on a power source, it’s important that you hide the cable that you’re using.  There’s nothing worse than a loose cable distracting from the final effect and causing a tripping hazard in the process.  As such, it is a good idea to hide the cable from sight so that it never plays a role in someone’s experience of the flag.

This can be done in several ways, all of which depend on the location of the flag itself.  In some cases you’ll be able to bury the cable in the ground, only emerging at the spot where it needs to be plugged in.  Alternatively, you might be running it along the side of a building to get to its final destination.  No matter what method you use, the less obvious it is that a cable is involved, the better.

Those are some of the key principles and pillars of what it takes to light a flagpole correctly.  While each situation differs slightly, these are the components that will make for the best possible results.

Here at Flagpole Warehouse, our Beacon™ range of products represents your best choice in terms of getting these aspects right.  We’ve gone above and beyond to create flagpole lighting solutions that not only provide the precise functionality that you need – but also the long-lasting and durable materials that make for a robust product.  We fully stand behind these products and we’d love to share them with you.

Find out more on our website or get in touch directly so we can see how we can help!  Your flagpole light can be the visual centerpiece of your nighttime landscape if you get it right, so don’t hesitate to go with the best.  You’ll be very glad that you did.

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