CableRail Kits for Metal Frame 

No. As soon as you bend the cable more than 45 degrees, it will kink, and you will not be able to achieve the require tension. Each horizontal cable needs to be a separate assembly.

No. Wire cutters will crush the cable and cause you significant frustration during installation. You should use cable cutters that are designed to cleanly shear the cable (see our Cable Cutters #2972-PKG). An electric grinder with a cut-off disk is another option that works very well for trimming both the cable and the excess threads on the Threaded Terminal fittings.

No. The cables are laced freely through holes in the intermediate posts and are then tensioned with end fittings that attach to only the end or corner termination posts.

While it is always best to measure as accurately as possible, CableRail Kits allow for quite a bit of flexibility because they are sold in prefabricated, pre-cut lengths designed to be trimmed to exact length in the field. We recommend that you measure from outside-face to outside-face of the end posts (the posts you will attach the fittings to), and then add one foot to that length. You can then select a CableRail Kit that is at least as long as the augmented dimension. If you’re not sure, just give us a call at 1-800-888-2418.

We recommend having a post or vertical member (intermediate picket) at least every 3 feet. With the posts/verticals spaced 3 feet apart and the cables spaced 3 inches apart, you should be able to tension the cables so that they won’t open past the 4-inch sphere code requirement when a reasonable force is applied.

The International Building Code states that a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through any opening in your railing and since cable is non-rigid, the flex of the cable must be taken into account. We recommend spacing the cables no more than 3 inches apart to allow for possible cable deflection and to meet the intent of the code. Before starting a CableRail project, installers should always check with their local building department to see if there are any special local requirements for using and installing cable railings.

All CableRail cables and fittings are made from high quality 316-grade stainless steel (also referred to as “marine grade”). This high-quality stainless steel offers beauty, superior weather durability, high strength and low maintenance characteristics that far exceed other traditional railing infill materials.

The beauty of the standard CableRail Kits is that you don’t need any special crimping tools. The basic tool list would include safety glasses, work gloves, tape measure, pencil, electric drill & bits, hammer, 7/16-inch wrench, locking pliers, hacksaw, cable lacing needle, cable cutters or electric grinder with cut-off disk. We also recommend using our Cable Tension Gauge (#6004-PKG) to measure final cable tension. If you have a lot of cables to install, our Cable Tensioning Tool (#6005-PKG) can save even more time.