Loose Flagpole

[captain]

Hello everybody,

Back during the spring, I put up a 20' flagpole in my front yard. Over the summer with all the rain, the flagpole no longer has a firm foundation and it is extremely "wobbly"--to the point where I had to take the flag down so the wind wouldn't blow it down. It has concrete on the base and I was just wondering how to fix this problem. Do I need to remove the old concrete from the pole and start from scratch? Thanks in advance,

Steve

[mrcaptainbob]

How deep is the 'crete on the existing pole?

[captain]

It's about 2 feet deep and about a foot and a half wide. Would putting medium size gravel around it keep the foundation from getting so soggy?

[dev 65]

two feet deep for a 20' pole sounds a little shallow. I would go at least twice that deep.I wouldn't remove the old concrete from the pole unless it was too hard to maneuver.Ultimately i think you need to go deep enough to get into bed rock or hard pan.

[mrcaptainbob]

We just set one up this summer. It's a 20' and is in 8" of 'crete and four foot deep. The surrounding ground is sand. I agree with that assesment of two foot being too shallow. Sure would work for you if you could yank that out and deepen the hole.

[captain]

Well I hit rock Think I may have to find another location! Only next time, I think I'll dig it a lil' deeper! Thanks guys!!

[LazyPup]

The base of it should really be at least 6 inches below the average frost depth for your area, otherwise you run the risk of frost heaves working it out of the ground.

Best bet would be to dig the hole with a post hole digger and get it down at least 40 inches, set the pole, then fill the hole with concrete mix.