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MegaTree Pole, Guy Wire and Stake Construction Suggestions
Last Updated: 02/10/2020
When constructing a MegaTree for a display, nearly all trees will require a mounting pole for the center of the tree, guy wires to hold that pole in place and stakes to hold the guy wires in place. This article covers options that customers may wish to consider when building their MegaTree.

First we should say that HolidayCoro is not an engineering company and that each situation and display is unique. Some areas that customers should take into consideration when designing a MegaTree support system are:
  • General
    • What materials do you have skills and/or tools to work with?
      • Steel - Welding machine, saws
      • Wood - Screws and saws
    • Budget
      • How important are the materials - aluminum trusses might be light but expensive compared to steel
    • Time
      • Do you want a system that can be quickly built during the season but might be more complex to build in the off season?
      • Do you want a fancy system that takes a lot of effort to build such as a crank-up system or something that is quick like a single straight pole?
  • Pole
    • Is the pole strong enough to support the entire static load of the lights, cables and/or controllers mounted to the pole?
    • Is the pole strong enough to handle dynamic loads such as wind blowing on the tree?
    • How will the pole be stored in the off season? Will it need to be made into a multi-part unit so it can more easily stored?
    • How will the pole be erected - crank up, tilt up or accessed via a ladder or lift?
    • Suggestions:
      • Crank Up
      • Stage Trusses
        • Available in many shapes and sizes and materials
        • Typically can be stacked, may not be adjustable in height
        • Example:
      • Black Pipe
        • We generally recommend 1.5" diameter as a starting point
        • Can be purchased locally at hardware stores
        • Can be cut to length + threads added
        • May not be as structural as solid pipes / tubes
        • Inexpensive
        • Can be used with floor flanges and other mounting hardware
        • Example:
      • Oil field pipe / steel pipe / steel tubing
        • Available at most steel supply locations
        • Typically requires modification or welding
        • Inexpensive
        • Highly customize-able
  • Guy Wires
    • What is your expected load from wind and other factors
    • What is your budget - rope is cheap but may have give or not last long, wire rope is strong but may be hard to work with and more expensive
    • How will you attach the guy wire to the topper and to the anchors / stakes at the ground
  • Stakes
    • What are the ground conditions
      • Asphalt / Concrete / Impermeable surfaces
        • Usually require a mounting "ring" instead of individual stakes for the light strands
      • Sandy soils
        • May require extra long stakes to provide sufficient holding strength
      • Wet soils
        • Soils that may experience lots of water may loose their holding strength after installation
    • Roots / Pipes
      • Be aware that tree roots and pipes may be located in the ground and need to be accounted for when installing and selecting a stake solution


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