Cable railings, also known as tension wire railings, are useful to install on balconies, decks, and stairways where you don’t want to block a view.
Instead of bulky spindles or pickets, cable railings are ultra-thin, see-though barriers. Made of stainless steel or aluminum, cable railings are strong and can stand up to the elements.
We’ve rounded up 10 options for cable railings, including bespoke designs and DIY cable railing kits (the Ultra-Tec hardware kit shown above is designed for use with either metal or wood railings).
Above: The components. A stainless steel Cable Railing Kit for wood posts includes 100 feet of polished stainless steel cable, a 10-pack of stainless steel Tensioners, a 10-pack of stainless steel swageless fittings, a 20-pack of eye terminals with wood screws, and an 8-inch pair of cable cutters; $235 from Aress Corp. via Etsy. Above: A side mounted post and aluminum handrail is included in Prova’s 6.5-Ft Stainless Steel Cable Rail Kit. If you are assembling a longer railing, note that this kit does not include anchor bolts, end caps, or multi-kit connections; $479.75 at Lowe’s. Above: Madden Industries’ marine grade Cable Railing Kit for use with wood or steel posts comes with 500 feet of 1/8-inch cable, 13 hand swage threaded studs, 13 hand swage threaded studs with turnbuckles, 26 protective sleeves, 26 hex nuts, 26 acorn nuts, and 26 flat washers; $656.15 from Aluminum Handrail. Above: A DIY Cable Railing Kit with a tubular mounting system is available with from three to 50 feet of cable. For more information and prices, see S3i.
Above: A pack of 11 Stainless Steel Jakob Cables, each measuring 30 feet and suitable for use with wood or metal rails, comes with a cable cutter and is $400.26 from Home Depot. Above: From Keuka Studios, a custom Ithaca Cable Railing Kit includes railings made of double powder coated steel, hot dip galvanized steel, clear anodized aluminum, or brushed stainless steel which can be either fascia- or surface-mounted. “Many railing kits look like an after thought. We will make sure yours looks like it was designed to be there from the beginning,” notes the manufacturer. For more information and pricing, see Keuka Studios. Above: A custom option, a Rainier Stainless Steel Cable Railing suiatable for use outdoors or in is fabricated to your dimensions and “shipped for on-site installation direct from the AGS Stainless factory located in the Pacific Northwest to ensure prompt delivery and attentive service,” notes the manufacturer. For more information and prices, see AGS Stainless. Above: A Full Deck Cable Railing Kit includes 1,000 feet of stainless steel cable, end fittings, and tools; $1,492.88 from Stainless Cable & Railing. Above: An X-Tend Stainless Steel Cable Mesh System from Carl Stahl Architecture is made of flexible materials and can be ordered in custom lengths and widths. For more information and prices, see Carl Stahl. Above: A DIY Cable Railing Kit comes with from five to 35 feet of cable railing plus hardware for prices from $52 to $62.25 depending on cable length from Cable Loft.
If you’re designing a railing system for a balcony, deck, or stairway, see our Hardscape 101 design guides for Exterior Hardware and Decks & Patios. Read more:
