Any pros out there?

It's available because enough people want it. I don't have kids so in theory wouldn't worry about installing it, however in my area it is also not legal. If you are looking for unobstructed views glass panels are an option.

I have hundreds of feet of horizontal rails, different from cable but same issue, from green oxen. I have two little kids 1&3 and they don't climb them. New friends will occasionally begin to climb them but always ends with a quick talking to. Kids aren't suicidal, they just sometimes need help identifying hazards. It was in our code for the pool fencing to not have horizontal members but our plan reviewer allowed it. There are many easier to encounter hazards nearby.

It's common sense and it's pretty simple, If it's not allowed per code locally it shouldn't be installed...If something happens someone will have to answer for it. Period.

If its code compliant you can wrap the whole house with cable nobody cares... but even if it is allowed, people who are more "safety oriented" will chose something diffrent to have a piece of mind.

Around here even if the railing is code compliant, some Towns have the jurisdiction to change that, so you will never get your final inspection.

@rainmaking You're lucky that all the kids who come to visit your house listen when being told once.... some kids when told NO it activates their curiosity and they will do the opposite and god forbid something happens (and it always happens when no one is watching) I don't have to tell you what follows after that.

My friend installed one when she was pregnant and told me the same line about kids not being suicidal. She changed it out when her daughter started crawling and ended up rolling down the hill.

As an alternative there are some beautiful examples of wire mesh fences/railings here on houze.

It was only against the pool barrier code, not the fall protection code, and it does not border the interior of the house. There are too many much easier to access water hazards around the house to worry about a child climbing over our pool fence.

When we built we researched railings and discovered no evidence that horizontal rails posed a fall risk. We even found out that codes have been updated to eliminate restrictions against horizontal elements.

Lots of people will choose to not use them for safety reasons but there are so many out there if there truly was a liability issue insurance companies would put a stop to the practice. I'm not trying to convince anyone, I think everyone needs to do their own research and make an informed decision.

Thank you all for your input!

I'm really not interested in going with glass. The maintenance just seems too much.

Does anyone have any experience with vertical cable rails? I want one that would still look appealing and doesn't block the view, and most importantly maintenance free.

I used Green Oxen railing also. The factors in my decision was I wanted something robust that did not block the view. I live on the water. The sight lines are better IMHO with a horizontal rail system. In my research one thing I found out is that in general kids like to climb... more difficult climbs are even more challenging and inviting for kids to tackle. If you like the horizontal rail then I would go for it unless it violates local code....I did. note that nothing is a substitute for an attentive parent regardless of the rail system you choose.

Here's a report from the International Code Council on guard safety.

http://www.greenoxen.com/Code/Final_Report_May_2008.pdf

If interested in our horizontal railing, please visit the following link for more information and to download our Epulum Railing Brochure. Best of luck with your project!

http://www.greenoxen.com/r/epulum