Cable Railing Preparation

Preparation

What types of surface can I mount cables to?

Dependent on the cable rail type you can mount to virtually any surface.

Our most popular balustrade cable systems are engineered to fit to flat timber or masonry surfaces and flat and tubular metal - commonly stainless steel tubular balustrades.

There's always a solution for mounting to awkward surfaces, give us a call and we'll talk you through the possible options.

What types of post should I use?

Any soft or hardwood timber baluster post would be suitable. You can mount cables to tubular metal balustrade posts and also flat steel surfaces.

You can also mount the cables to masonry brick walls which, dependent on your application, may eliminate the need for a post. See photograph below.

The diameter of the fixing socket is 25mm (1") so any post of more than 50mm or 2" will suffice.

How frequently should I install an upright post?

You should try and space upright posts every 1.5 to 2 metres.

How far can I run a cable?

Our wire balustrade system can run for around 10 metres and still achieve good tension. You can run the cable through intermediate posts with a clearance hole of just over 7mm diameter.

Will the cables run up staircases or steps?

Yes. Our popular cable railing system has a ball & socket joint which will articulate up to 42 degrees as you can see below. This is also the maximum allowable rake angle permitted in current building regulations.

The stainless steel wire rope also has a natural degree of flexibility to follow angles. In the example below the stainless steel wire rope is passing through the post and naturally following the angle of the steps.

Can run the cable railing round corners?

No. It is very difficult to apply equal tension when passing the cable railing through corner posts.

Shallow angles are possible as you can see below. The inclusion of a handrail will help to strengthen the balustrade as a whole and improve the opportunities to run cables through posts at shallow angles.

How many horizontal runs of balustrade wire should I have?

The ultimate answer is yours and is a common sense balance between safety considerations, aesthetics and cost. You should however make yourself familiar with local building or planning regulations if you have any doubts.

The sensible recommendation is to space your cables at 100mm centres - that is, every cable set 100mm apart.