Hi all,
I’m new here, and definitely not a professional contractor, so go easy on me! I am an “advanced” DIY’er with a few projects under my belt. My current project is a deck that I’ve been working on for a good part of the summer. I’m interested in using a tensioned stainless steel cable system on my deck railings, similar to systems sold on www.cablerail.com or www.cablerailings.com
My question…do any of you have any experience, good or bad, with these types of systems? Easy to install, etc. The other thing is that I’ve used WeatherBest composite decking for the decking, and the corresponding post sleeves over the 4×4 PT posts. Do you think that the pressure exerted from the tensioned cable will crack or destroy the composite sleeves?
Any help or insight is appreciated!
Kyle
Replies
One thing to beware of is buying a bunch of parts and then discovering that the system you bought requires you to buy an expensive hydraulic crimper tool.
(I think you can just about guarantee that the cables will eventually crack the plastic sleeves, if the cable anchors bear on the sleeves.)
Mine turned out great, and I used materials from the cablerail site. I designed my arrangement so that one end of each cable uses the "tension gripper" part. It is the thing that is like a chinese finger pull puzzle.
The other end of each line is the tensioning end, with factory-applied threaded studs that go through a steel angle. The whole thing tightens up like a banjo.
Here are a couple pics.
Bob,
Your railing looks great!! Is the railing structure made of metal or wood? What website specifically did you order from? Any installation difficulties, and have you noticed any deformation on any of the end posts from the forces exerted on them?
(Sorry for all the questions!)
Did you just have a fire in your garage, a year or so ago, because a neighbor pulled your BBQ grill, fire and all, in out of the rain and didn't tell you and walked off???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Got it all from cablerail.com.
The posts and rails are 1x3x.125 wall rectangular steel tubing.
You won't have any deformation issues. The posts, whether wood or steel, are anchored to your deck, and you will have a top rail of wood or steel. Either will work. Just make sure your anchoring end and tensioning end are braced, somehow, or fastened to your house structure.
[QUOTE]My understanding is that a deck rail should not "facilitate climbing". In this respect, are the rails to code?
Technically, I was told that this creates the "ladder effect" and hasn't been part of Ohio's code for over 3 yrs. However, the tensioned cables were clearly spec'd on my drawings that were submitted to the city...and they were approved!!?? So I'm moving forward given the fact that the drawing WERE approved. We'll see how the final inspection goes...
Also, my beginning and end posts are not anchored to the house. They are anchored to the deck framing with 1/2" lag bolts. Will this be enough? I would think the top cap of the railing would prevent any kind of deformation due to the cable tension?