How to install wire balustrade

What do I need to install wire balustrade? What is swaging anyway How much wire tension do I need I have softwood end posts, is this going to be a problem? Slimline and versatile stainless wire balustrading with stainless swage fittings. Requires hydraulic swaging see below for a description. At the end of the day, wire balustrade is for creating a barrier to keep people safe.

It's a barrier. And it's got to be suitable for preventing people from getting injured from a fall. And let's be clear, we're talking about your children, your sister's or brother's kids when they come over to play, your dogs and your parents who may or may not have their original hips, or if you're lucky enough, your grandparents.

No one wants to see them fall. No one wants to get injured. If you keep safety in mind when choosing how you'll set up your wire balustrade, then the decision making becomes a little easier.

The are rules and regulations that pertain to barriers and handrails in Australia. Always stick to the Building Code of Australia BCA guidelines and gain approval from your local council to ensure your wire balustrade is legal and safe. It's not hard, everyone has the NBN now OK so maybe not, but you have the internet so you can definitely check it out. Most residential wire balustrades use 3. The below 3.

Guidelines on acceptable wire tension for wire balustrade. The above table shows the maximum permissible deflection for stainless wire rope. Measuring heights for barriers and handrails and where transition zones are allowed. Entry level wire balustrade systems are versatile and be used for both flat and stair areas as well as for timber or metal posts. They can also be installed with low cost mechanical tools.

Bear in mind they're more time consuming and tricky to install and also more bulky in appearance. If price is your only priority then these are your best bet. Neat, slimline and more aesthetically pleasing systems are typically easier to install. Alternately, your wires can be professionally prepared by our team called Factory Swaging for you or a trade professional to simply and easily install Hydraulic swaging is the method of securing a stainless wire to a stainless swage fitting, which can then be secured to a post or other fixing point.

Stainless fork terminal swaged to 3. The purpose of wire balustrade also sometimes called cable railing, but mainly in the US is first and foremost to provide a barrier to prevent injury or possibly death. With this in mind, you do not want to allow a mm sphere ie. The easiest way to achieve this is to keep your wire spacing close together, keep tension on the wire and to have short intermediate post spacings.

Conversely the further apart the wires are spaced, the more tension you'll require to stop it spreading apart and you'll need closer intermediate post spacing. As per the NCC, the minimum handrail height is 1 metre above the trafficable surface. Wire Tension Remember earlier we talked about the importance of stopping the wire from being spread apart to allow a mm sphere baby's head through?

Also be aware, the further apart you have your intermediate post spacings, the more tension you are going to require on your wire. This is something that you want to avoid it at all costs. You can check them out on our wire balustrade kits page. The ones with the most reviews are our best sellers.

Then you need to work out how many metres of balustrade wire you need measure the post-to-post measurement for each section you want to run wire between. Then multiply the measurement by the number of wires you want to run. Always grab a bit extra, just in case. For a description on these, see above. Then you'll need to choose the appropriate installation tools including wire cutters , tensioning spanners and drill bits.

For 3. Any more than this and it becomes very difficult to tension the wire enough to meet regulation. And too much less than this, although perfectly OK, may start to increate costs as posts are added and visual bulk is increased.

Using 3. You can see the NCC wire spacing table above. For most standard applications, where a 40mm thick or more handrail is mm above the trafficable surface, then 11 runs of wire spaced at 80mm are required. This allows you to fix the end of your wire rope run to a post or other fixing point.

Swaging requires specialist tools which are usually either mechanical or hydraulic. You can either do this yourself by buying or renting the appropriate tools, have a tradesman complete it for you or you can opt to have it completed in the factory, such as with our factory hydraulic swaging service. The answer to this question is: it depends! Generally the best system to use is a balance between your budget, aesthetics and ease of installation. You can browse our timber post systems here.

As with the timber post systems, the answer is: it depends, based upon your budget, aesthetics and ease of installation. You can browse our metal posts systems here. There are three main constructions of marine grade stainless wire rope commonly used for wire balustrading: 7x7, 1x19 and 7x It is flexible and can loop around thimbles, allowing it to be easily crimped with metal copper swage fittings.

Common 7x7 uses include espalier and trellis systems, wire rope slings, catenary wire and wire balustrading. It is the heaviest, least flexible wire with the highest break load of over 8kN or KGs. It also has the least stretch over the same tension compared with the other constructions. It requires stainless swage fittings such as bottlescrews, fork terminals and swage stud terminals to connect the wire to the fixing point ie. These fittings require hydraulic swaging. Common 1x19 applications include architectural projects, Melbournes tram stop balustrades 5mm and marine yacht stays and wire balustrading.

It is the most flexible and can also loop around thimbles allowing it to be easily crimped with copper swage fittings.

Outlined below are our top tips for an easy installation. A handful of stainless steel wires weigh significantly less than a solid panel of glass, acrylic, metal etc. The reduced weight means that the supporting posts and handrails can be further slimmed down, opening up your view and creating a more minimalist effect. For the balustrade posts themselves, wood, metal and brick are commonly used. Wood is a common choice for balustrades protecting decking as it is generally quite easy to get a match, creating a more seamless transition between balustrade and deck.

It is also a particularly easy material to drill. Metal, meanwhile, can provide a delightful contrast and lend the area a more industrial edge. We would recommend using stainless steel. It is a hardy and long-lasting material that can withstand awful weather and difficult environments, e.

It simply requires an occasional wipe down with soapy water. When considering installing a stainless steel wire balustrade it is important that you think about safety. This is particularly important if the decking is significantly raised and presents a fall hazard, or if the balustrade is being installed on a balcony. In the latter instance, we would also recommend that you choose to use vertical wires instead of the more common horizontal. This is because horizontal wires can be easily used as a ladder by vulnerable children.

Furthermore, you should double check whether local building regulations state a maximum distance between each wire.

At Glass and Stainless, we are more than willing to advise you on this. The first stage in installing a stainless steel wire balustrade is to assemble the frame, including both the end and intermediary posts.