Help needed - Deck Handrail Intermediate Posts

[fridayman]

Morning all. I am looking at replacing the timber handrail slats (the vertical slats) on my deck with horizontal cable railing. I want to retain the current top horizontal handrail, and replace everything underneath. The gap between the vertical posts is roughly 2m, so I would like to fit an intermediate post under, in the middle of, each handrail section. My question is, if I can't move the handrail, what is the best/neatest way to secure the intermediate post (40x40mm square timber) to the bottom of the handrail and to the deck surface?

[Handyjack]

Are you able to provide some images?
I can give you an answer but its appearance may look rough so would like to see what you are working with.

[ian]

Why do you want to fit an intermediate post? You should be able to tension the horizontal wire so that it spans the 2 m gap between the existing posts without any sag.

If it's aesthetics, perhaps just leave the middle vertical slat in place.

[rwbuild]

Why do you want to fit an intermediate post? You should be able to tension the horizontal wire so that it spans the 2 m gap between the existing posts without any sag. Will not meet the NCC code which leaves him liable There are extremely stringent rules covering tensioned cable balustrades which should be referenced before proceeding

If it's aesthetics, perhaps just leave the middle vertical slat in place.

See comment in red

[david.elliott]

Pics would be good,

My first thought is to have a piece of 12mm (say) galv rod insterted into the base of the post which will fit into matching hole in the deck, presuming there is a joist under where the post is to go...this would rely on having a really good connection between the post and rail though.

[fridayman]

Are you able to provide some images?
I can give you an answer but its appearance may look rough so would like to see what you are working with.

Here is a picture of one ~2m section. EAch cable run will span between 3 and 5 of these sections, going through the 90x90 main posts. I want to retain the green handrail, and replace the vertical slats and the bottom horizontal rail, with horizontal stainless cable. The reason why I need the intermediate post is to comply with regulations - I would like to space the wires 80mm apart, and because of the height of the deck (~3.3m max) and the distance between posts (>1500mm), I need to add intermediates. In the pic it looks like the middle slat goes through the bottom rail, but it doesn't - this is just a small additional piece that has been inserted below the rail. I want to put an intermediate in that position that attaches to the centre of the handrail and the deck surface. The easiest would be pre-made stainless intermediates, but I need about 30 of them and at $120-200 each, that gets a bit expensive. I'm almost certain that there must be a cheaper timber solution that will also look better. I just don't know what is the best / safest / cleanest way to attach the post to the deck? I will also add that I don't think there is much "give" in the handrail i.e. I don't think it can be flexed upward very much.

IMG_4519.jpg

[ian]

Thinking aloud, and perhaps directed more towards rwbuild than fridayman, is the purpose of the intermediate posts / spacers to keep the wires at the correct spacing or is there some other requirement?

Based on fridayman's photo, my initial thoughts are to keep the bottom rail and double up the center vertical slat so that the wires are sandwiched at the required spacing. In effect the doubled-up slat would act like the droppers used on a high tensile wire farm fence.

if the handrail is being retained and the centre support must be a post, if the top of that post is captured by, what in the picture appears to be, a structural handrail, does the post need to be anchored to the deck's supporting structure? or can it just be attached to the decking. What I'm getting at is that I would expect a free standing post would need to resist a different suit of forces compared to a post that is "anchored at both the top and bottom.