Cable Railing incorporates a range in style of handrail, and railing material. Cable Railing uses stainless steel fittings and wire to complete the railing infill.

It is important to note that not all manufactures of cable railing adhere to the same quality of craftsmanship. Some brands do not use all stainless steel components, so it is important to research the the brand, and to not buy untested cable fittings.

Posts, Rails, and Intermediate Pickets are made from reinforced aluminum or wood which can stand up to the cables tension. Cable Railing must be properly tensioned to in order to pass code requirements, typically a limitation specifying that a 4 in. spear cannot pass through the cable or railing. This results in a need for quality fittings and termination options.

Cable Railing is available in Horizontal Cable Rail, and Vertical Cable Rail. Some cable rail is sold in panel kits such as 36" VertiCable Kits, while others are sold in packs and work with cable kits such as DesignRail Kits - Rail Kits.

The photo above is DesignRail by Feeney, with Horizontal Cable, and allows for the use of a PVC deck board to be mounted to the top of the rail for drink rail application.

Horizontal Cable Style can be used with aluminum, iron, or wood, posts and rails. Aluminum posts and rails work best with cable for low-maintenance, long lasting cable railing.

With Horizontal Aluminum Cable Railing, cable wires are installed to posts with specialized connectors to ensure tensioning. Termination posts, at the end of runs, are where the cables attach to. Intermediate posts in the middle of the rail allow cable to pass through, giving horizontal cable the ability to stretch as far as 50' in one cable run, or set of 9-13 cable wires. Fittings are the most costly part of Horizontal Cable Rail. If possible, make turns at posts, as opposed to terminating. It can save a bunch of money.

Feeney is a favorite brand when it comes to cable railing. DesignRail Kits is an excellent value option and can even be installed via Do It Yourself! While DesignRail Build Your Own is a more comprehensive system with an astonishing amount of options. DesignRail Express is the third system which has more options than "Kits", and takes less time than "Build Your Own" See the updated Feeney Brochure for more!

Key-Link Horizontal Cable System is perhaps the next best thing to Feeney. KeyLink Horizontal Cable has a very unique cable tensioning where the fittings are pre-insterted in the posts for quick and efficient cable connections! Horizontal KeyLink Cable also has more cable turning abilities, and maybe better suited for some projects.

Rail FX is a newer system of Cable Rail, but certainly has some advantages.

Vertical Cable Railing uses metal rails and posts to create a minimally intrusive viewing rail, and is an excellent option for cable railing.

Vertical Cable Railings are harder to climb than horizontal cable, and may be better suited for homes with small children.

Vertical cables are preattached to aluminum rails to forming a panels, and are field-cut then installed between aluminum posts.

Some of the available systems using a vertical cable railing are VertiCable C80 by Westbury, a top choice aluminum system. American Vertical by Keylink, V-Series by Fortress, vertical cable railing with iron rails and posts, and DesignRail.

Keylink's American Vertical system is a new addition, and is the best priced vertical cable system, and has some distinct advantages when comparing other systems of vertical cable railing. Call for quote!