Our cable railing systems consist of two different kinds of posts: terminal and intermediate. Terminal posts anchor the ends of your cable, using specially designed end fittings that hold your cables, pulling them tight and bearing the tension. Intermediate posts are the smaller posts in between terminal posts. The cables pass through these posts, guided by them, though not supported or pulled by them. In fact, oftentimes the cable won’t even make physical contact with an intermediate post while passing through it.
Considering crimp and thread loads, we recommend distance between posts be no more than 5 ft. apart (on center). The reason for this is to reduce cable drop, thus better maintaining tension and minimizing cable deflection.
End Fittings are parts that are attached to either end of a cable, completing a single rung of cable rail. This means that for each strand of cable rail you need a piece of cable with fittings on each end to attach it. These come in both tensioning types and non-tensioning types. Together these fittings are used to take the slack out of cable to tighten it, and meet cable deflection requirements.
Typically, you’ll need a terminal fitting on one end with a tensioning fitting on the other. This allows you to pull slack from the middle of the cable. In the case of longer cable runs, you will need a tensioning fitting on both ends. This way, you can pull slack from both sides, effectively pulling the slack out of the middle. There are also occasions where you might need an inline (middle) tensioner in addition to the tensioning fittings on each end (thus, three tensioning fittings in total).
This depends on the length of your railing and how many 90 degree corners it has (if any). Railing conditions and their required fittings are listed below:
*50 ft. of cable or less = 1 tensioning fitting + 1 terminal fitting
*50-70 ft. OR less than 70 ft. with 1 corner = 2 tensioning fittings
*Over 70 ft. OR has 2 corners (regardless of cable length) = 2 tensioning fittings
Cable deflection basically describes how far apart two cables can be pulled. The less tension, the more the cables can be pulled away from each other; the more tension, the harder it is to pull them apart. This is important when it comes to cable railing systems, as loose cables can allow people to pass between them, possibly creating some serious safety hazards.
The International Code Council requires there be no more than 4 inches between any two adjacent cables, when fully spread. Simply put, if you push down on one cable, and pull up on the one directly above it, you can’t spread the cables more than 4″ apart.
In order to meet this requirement, our posts are pre-drilled with 3 inches between cables. This allows 1 inch of additional spread when load is applied, ensuring that an overall cable spread of 4 inches is not exceeded.
In short, very rarely. Cables, unlike wires, do not stretch. Changes in cable tension are typically the result of ground movement. This can be caused by seismic activity, and other phenomena which can change the distancing between posts, resulting in slack. Ground movement can be as obvious as an earthquake, common over fault lines, such as the west coast; but nowhere is immune to ground movement. Buildings sway, vehicles can cause significant vibration, and the drop of a heavy object can be felt from quite the distance. So only tighten when you notice you need to. How often or when that is, will depend on the land under your railing system. As a general estimate, you probably won’t need to tighten them even annually!
SAE International grades steel based on its specific properties. The standard lays out composition, mechanical and physical properties, for each grade of steel. Our products are 316 grade or marine grade. It’s called marine grade because it’s used in most marine applications, due to its resistance to rusting, pitting, and corrosion. In other words, it’s built to handle any exterior application, especially Ocean Air Environments. This doesn’t mean it won’t rust, because it will. Proper care must be taken to passivate the surface iron.
Pronounced “sway-jing,” this process is used to attach the cables to their fittings. Cable is inserted into the sleeved portion of a fitting, which is then crimped (squeezed) using a crimping tool, tightly securing the cable within it.
Some assembly types have a recommended swaging method, which should be followed. If the assembly type you choose does not have a specifically recommended swaging method, the choice is yours. Here are some of the differences between the two options:
HAND SWAGE
*This method requires a little more installation labor. You’ll also need to purchase a cable crimper and cable cutter.
*Assemblies may be ordered whenever convenient, before or after the handrail is installed.
*Exact measurements are not as critical, which gives the installer/homeowner more flexibility at the job site.
*Holes drilled through the Intermediate Posts will be smaller (6mm rather than 9mm), so that only the cable can pass through and not any pre-applied fittings.
PROFESSIONAL SWAGING SERVICE
*Less installation labor is required.
*Measurements must be taken after the railing framework is installed to ensure accuracy. Many customers choose to order CableView Railing™ or build their own railing framework before ordering professionally swaged cable railing assemblies.
*Holes drilled through the Intermediate Posts will be larger (ie. 9mm rather than 6mm).
