Deck Posts & Top Rail for Cable Railing?

7 years ago

We're about to replace our old, standard deck with a new ipe deck that contains a pergola, which we will also make out of ipe in order to have the entire structure weather together. (As beautiful as ipe is, we will not be sealing it to keep the initial color, because we need more maintenance like a hole in the head.)

We'd like to use cable railing around the areas of the deck that require it. Turns out that the code in our neck of the woods prohibits the use of foreign-sourced woods for posts and railings, so we cannot use ipe for either the posts or the top rail. Our builder is suggesting we bypass the American choices that would initially blend in, like redwood, because we are balking at ANY maintenance. So they're suggesting we go all the way to a metal (likely aluminum) railing.

While I appreciate the fact that our builder is listening to our wishes about maintenance, I do love the look of cable railing with wood posts/top rail. I like it much better than the more industrial look of having a metal system with what's already a pretty modern cable system.... Is our builder right that we would have to maintain redwood by periodically sealing it? How often?

Any and all thoughts/opinions are welcome!

Featured Answer

PRO

Revolutionary Gardens

7 years ago

My guess is you might be able to get whatever hardwood posts you want approved IF they're part of a planset stamped by a structural engineer who did all the load calculations.

Alternatively, I'd consider doing the corner posts and any major intermediate posts out of regular 4x4 pressure treated lumber to make the permit folks happy, but clad them in 1x ipe trim. All other minor intermediate posts could be metal, but the beefier ipe-trimmed corner posts and ipe cap rail would help balance the look of the metal. Boxing out your posts means you'd probably go to a 1x8 for cap rail, which is going to be great for setting drinks on, which is always a consideration :)

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Comments (7)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Where I live cable railing systems do not meet code no matter what you use for posts and top rails. I would why you ca buld a deck out of IPE but not a top rail makes no sense to me.What did you use for posts and support under the deck?I actually like the look of the metal with IPE
Nancy Trainer
Original Author
7 years ago
The code makes no sense to me, either. Who knows... perhaps someone in the U.S. lumber industry lobbied hard for prohibiting all foreign-sourced wood but this is what they got. In any event, that's the code I've got to deal with. The house is a 1959 ranch that we've updated (through five different renovations) into more of a cottage/arts & crafts look, if that makes any difference. Here's a photo of the front:

I think stainless steel would be too contemporary for the home, but perhaps something like this:

Thoughts?
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Nancy Trainer
Original Author
7 years ago
Here's the relevant section of our code: "Lumber not native to North America, such as Ipe, may be used as decking only; its use in guards is prohibited." Yes, we could perhaps use ipe as cladding, but given how cable railing runs through the posts it would be quite visible that we'd done this, wouldn't it? And then we've lost the luxurious look of ipe. In no event would we be able to use it as the cap rail, unfortunately, which is the real problem. Revolutionary Gardens, I agree with you that it would be best to have a wide cap rail, and it would be amazing to have an ipe cap rail, but given the code I think it's not going to fly.
nelsmama
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

my husband made a metal rail with cables between I will try to find a better photo for you but we have 2 cables above the top metal rail so when we sit in our chairs on the deck the large part off the rail is not at eye level
PRO
Revolutionary Gardens
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
you need to work with a pro who has a little creativity because your objections really shouldn't be a big deal. To keep the p/t lumber from being visible, use a stainless steel grommet in the ipe post trim with a hole bigger than the one holding the cable in the p/t post. for the cap rail, do a metal cap rail to meet code, then router a channel in the ipe and mount it to that. Done. It'll take a little bit of design time to ensure that all your proportions are right and everything ties together appropriately and structurally, but there are definitely ways to get the look you want while satisfying the permit store. Obviously not dimensionally accurate or really thought through in terms of attachments, but here's the gist.
Nancy Trainer
Original Author
7 years ago
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, Revolutionary Gardens. Now that I've looked up the code, and it says that "use in guards is prohobited," I don't think there's a way to give me any ipe on the posts or top rail. I'm working with an architectural design/build firm that is very creative, but they're not going to create something that won't pass inspection.

Still wondering about my original question: If we used a North American wood on the posts and top rail (like redwood), would it need periodic sealing, or could we just let it weather like ipe?