Cable Railing

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

Has anyone installed cable railing on their deck? I plan on doing it myself but having issues finding someplace that doesnt want your first born just for the materials. It will be about a 175' length with one set of stairs. I have gotten a couple of material quotes that want >$20k, which I find ridiculous. Could maybe see that price if they were installing it, even then sounds high.

 

[forktender]

Has anyone installed cable railing on their deck? I plan on doing it myself but having issues finding someplace that doesnt want your first born just for the materials. It will be about a 175' length with one set of stairs. I have gotten a couple of material quotes that want >$20k, which I find ridiculous. Could maybe see that price if they were installing it, even then sounds high.

Call Otis elevators, and ask them for some of their test cable. When they perform elevator drop test, they throw away the elevator cable after it passes, so there is fresh cable on the elevator before it goes into service. Elevator cable is great stuff, we use it to anchor floating duck blinds in the 20' deep bay.
We use 100' of cable, one off each corner of the blind, running out to 65lb Danforth anchors.

I used to collect the elevator cables off of high rise building jobs. I'd come home with a truck bed full. Otis mechanics would load it into my truck with a forklift, all for the price of a case of Budweiser long necks.

Cut it with a chop saw, or side grinder. Before cutting wrap each end tightly with tie wire, so it doesn't fray. Then either braze the cut ends or wrap them with wire, to keep the ends looking nice.

Post up so pic's when it's done, I bet it turns out awesome.

Good luck.
Dan.

 

[GatorAGR]

Yep. Did my deck at the Lake with Feeney railing system. The majority of the cost is in the connections from posts so the length isn't so much the cost, but rather how many end posts you have is where the cost comes in. The cable is the cheap part. It's a little pricey, but awesome to work with and excellent quality. Highly recommend.

 

[GatorAGR]

By the way I did probably 100' with 6 or 7 strands and it wasn't anywhere near $20K.

 

[chopsaw]

That sound way high . Maybe it's a sign of the times .

 

[millerbuilds]

Sounds high, but you will want either coated cable or stainless, and stainless connections. That will drive the price up, but $20K for just the materials, sounds very high. I would look at doing it myself if It was me.

- Jason

 

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

It will be stainless cables, possibly black stainless. Good to know about the elevator cables but i am pretty sure they would be uncoated or galvanized plus too large diameter. Posts will be powder coated. Lots of different configurations of running and attaching the cables. I will look into the Feeney system.