Craft Your Own Cable Deck Railing

As a DIY homeowner, few things are more satisfying than completing a project independently and saving significant money. That’s exactly what my spouse and I experienced when we decided to forgo high-cost cable railing posts and top rails and instead created our own posts out of pressure-treated 4×4 timbers for our recent deck expansion.

We started by using a thickness planer to optimize the finish of the posts and make them equally uniform. This allowed us to create a smooth and polished look that would have cost us a fortune if we had opted for pre-made railing posts. We then cut a simple angle on the top of each post to add character and interest and notched the posts to allow the posts to mount flush against the sides of the deck.

Once we had stained the posts with a high-quality Benjamin Moore Arborcoat outdoor wood stain from Cardinal Home Center, we were ready to mount them to the outer edges of our deck using carriage bolts.

We cut, painted, and installed 3/4 inch galvanized piping as the top rails. We made sure not to make the lengths too long so they would be rigid and safe.

Once they were installed, it was time to install the cables. To make installation easier, we created a template to pre-drill the holes for the cable mounts. This ensured that the cables were consistently mounted and straight.

We then drilled through on the posts that the cable would pass through and installed finished grommets on the pass-through holes. We also installed the mounting hardware for the cables.

The next step was to crimp one side of the cable, feed the cable through the pass-throughs, and cut the cable to length. Once the cable was in place, we inserted it into the adjacent mount and crimped it. We then tightened the cable to a tight tension using both sides, one threaded normally and the other reverse threaded.

The end result was stunning, and we saved thousands of dollars by doing it ourselves. The finished product looked just as good as anything we could have bought from a professional railing company. We received numerous compliments on the railing and were even asked by friends and family to help them create a similar railing for their homes.

If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, there’s no reason why you can’t create your own custom railing posts and top rails. With the right tools and creativity, you can save a lot of money and create a beautiful custom railing that will make your home stand out.