Help me fly Old Glory (flag mount on stucco house)

[White Shadow]

So I really want to put a flag mount on a stucco column on my house, but I'm thinking it's eventually going to lead to stress cracks in the stucco. The house is now almost 5 years old and the stucco is completely free of cracks so far.

Looking at the constructions pictures, it appears that the column is built from wood (probably 2x4 constructed) with MDF.

One of my buddies suggested that I could carefully cut out a rectangular section of the stucco and secure a piece of painted Azek to the MDF, leaving a small gap between the Azek and the stucco to prevent cracking. But I think I'd have to caulk the gap to prevent water from getting in behind the stucco and I'm not so sure that the pressure from the flag pole blowing in the wind wouldn't cause enough movement in the column to crack the stucco anyway.

So does anyone have any good idea how I can put up a flag mount on my stucco column without causing any issues with the stucco?

There's really no good place to mount a flag and I don't think I'd want to install a flag pole in my front yard either, so I'm really trying to figure this out.

 

[rlitman]

I wouldn't anchor a flag mount to MDF. I also wouldn't do anything that could risk getting MDF wet, or rely on caulk to keep water out.

You have space for a pole, if you want to go that route.

 

[White Shadow]

I wouldn't anchor a flag mount to MDF. I also wouldn't do anything that could risk getting MDF wet, or rely on caulk to keep water out.

You have space for a pole, if you want to go that route.

The suggestion was to mount a piece of Azek to the MDF. The flag mount would be attached to the Azek. I still don't know if that's a bad idea or not. I might be able to screw the Azek into the studs.

 

[rlitman]

I get that, but there are real risks when you perforate they stucco. Also, I would not trust the screw holding ability of Azek.

Using Azek as a spacer with the flag mount screwed into studs could work. You’d need flashing above and below it. I would choose Azek that is a little thicker than the stucco, and cut a -slight- bevel angle on top and bottom making it a parallelogram that directs water away from the house.

 

[dmaxfireman]

Different strokes for different folks, but I think your yard would look great with a flagpole, and maybe a small mulch bed or garden at the base.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Here is how i would do it: Get your flag bracket, the appropriate Tap-Con screws and fresh tube of 3M 5200.
Figure our where you want to mount the bracket and drill the stucco. Apply your 3M 5200 to the bracket mounting surface and use the TapCons to fasten bracket to wall.
Some other adhesives might work, but 5200 is my favorite.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If you fasten the bracket into a wall stud I don't think there will be any particular stress on the stucco.

 

[dagofast]

I have a flag mounted on our stucco house. The plastic mount eventually succumbed to winds and our relentless sun. When it broke, I was bummed to see the flagpole had slightly damaged the stucco because the mounting hole for the pole went all the way through. The wind had jiggled the flag enough to make the metal flagpole grind away at the stucco.

To solve that issue, I sourced an aluminum mount on Fleabay and used a piece of ¼" thick aluminum plate, about 3" x 5" that I drilled and tapped and mounted the new skinny aluminum flagpole mount on and then drilled and counter sunk 4 holes spaced ⅜" in from each corner on. Most stucco is applied on top of 1.5" of styrofoam around here, so I simply moved in 2" from the edge and drove four 3" long deck screws in to the studs. It isn't going anywhere.

If you haven't bought a flag yet, might I suggest Costco? They sell a really nice flag with a heavy duty steel mount but only seasonally, usually around Memorial day through 4th of July. We have a few neighbors with those and they have been bullet proof. If I had it to do over again...

 

[coljar]

I know you said you didn't want one, but that house looks like it was made to have a flag pole between those two windows on the right.

 

[SALIV8]

Do your front doors open in or out? Could you mount it on the door frame?

 

[ace10]

Flag. Pole.

 

[nadogail]

Flagpole with Yard Arms.

 

[ford33]

Beautiful home. Mounting a small flag on a column would look out of place in my opinion.

Another vote for a vertical flag pole in the ground with some flowers at the base and a light shining on the flag would enhance the curb appeal.

 

[Kaizen]

If they have a small flagpole that screws down like a house bracket I’d put it to the right of the house on top of that wall column. Taller then a normal flag but not a flag pole.



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[White Shadow]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to see if I can figure out a good place for a flag pole. The picture I attached is from the year the house was built. The River Birch Tree on the right side is now almost as tall as the house and quite a bit wider and the rest of the landscaping looks more mature as well, so it's not easy to find a good place to put a pole.