Rod Railing Like You've Never Seen.

It needs a Janka hardness rating of 690 or above, which pressure-treated pine meets. Cedar, cypress and Douglas fir are all too soft. You also need at least 2.5 inches of solid material to drill into, and at least four inches at a corner so the two runs don't drill into each other. If your posts don't clear both, DriveTite won't hold, and your rep can point you to a system that brings its own posts.

Cable and rod runs sit 3 1/8 inches on center and posts go no more than four feet apart, which holds deflection inside the four-inch sphere rule. A 36-inch system usually takes ten runs, a 39-inch takes eleven, and a 42-inch takes twelve. Confirm against your local code before ordering.

Read How Do I Install Cable Railing

Read How Do I Install Rod Railing

Our systems are engineered to meet or exceed the guard and handrail requirements that apply to your project, and several carry ICC Evaluation Service Reports (ESRs). Final authority always rests with your local building official, so tell us which code your jurisdiction has adopted and we'll design to it and share the engineering data with your submittal.

Yes. We supply coordinated shop drawings for your project, and your rep can include calculation packages and state-specific documentation when your local building department requires them.

The more you can send up front, the faster design moves. Most useful is a typical plan set, with your markups on it if you have them. Beyond that:

• Project address and the code edition your jurisdiction has adopted
• Where guards are needed and at what heights
• Substrate at mounting locations, plus any blocking already planned
• Layout targets, corners and terminations
• Finish selections for anything visible

If all you have is an idea, a few photos and some measurements are enough to start.

That's what it's for. DriveTite terminates cable or rod infill straight into new or existing wood posts, with no through-drilling and no rebuilding. The fittings are low profile and seat into the post behind a screw-on cover, so the infill is what you see rather than turnbuckles and tensioning hardware.

Cable is the classic look and our flagship infill, and the most cost-effective of the two. It needs occasional re-tensioning over time. Rod is stiffer, tests stronger, and needs re-tensioning far less often. If your project is coastal, rod on 2205 stainless is the surer path.

Level kits fasten into the face of the post through a single pilot hole and hide everything behind a slim cover. Angle kits use a tensioning screw and barrel fitting mounted to the post face, with a cover that slides on over the infill. Level for decks and balconies, angle for stair runs. Order by run type, not by post.

Yes. DriveTite Rod uses the same hidden hardware and the same wood posts as the cable version. Rod is stiffer, tests stronger, and handles an angled run cleanly. It still needs re-tensioning, just far less often than cable. Both anchor into the same 2.5 inches of solid wood.

23 powder coat finishes, 16 handrail types across metal and wood, and nine post mounting styles. Posts come in aluminum, 304 stainless or 2205 stainless, with infill in 304, 316 or 2205 stainless.

Just the infill and a slim cover at each end. The fittings seat into the post rather than sitting proud of the face, and there's no through-drilling out the far side. The components are marine-grade 316 stainless.

It comes down to grip requirements and the look you're after. The 6004 has two finger slots and suits commercial projects or any stair needing a dedicated graspable profile. The 6000 Mission and the 6200 are clean rectangular profiles, and the 6084 has a wide top with an inward finger recess. Across profiles, the 2205 stainless options are the ones rated for coastal locations.

Read Compare Handrail Profiles

A handrail is the graspable element you hold going up and down stairs. A top cap, also called a cap rail, ties the panels together so the guard stays put even if one breaks. In many designs the top of the guard doubles as the handrail, as long as it meets handrail usability rules.

Read How Do I Maintain Glass Railing

Count your end posts, then multiply by the number of infill lines your railing height calls for. We recommend ten lines at 36 inches, eleven at 39, and twelve at 42. If your height falls between those, round up: a 37.5-inch guard calculates at eleven.

A 12 by 20 by 12 deck gives you three runs and six end posts. At eleven lines that's 66 single kits, or six 11-packs.

You still want an intermediate post every four feet to control deflection and support the guard. Where your wood posts sit further apart than that, Express line posts can fill in.

Most Viewrail cable and rod railing lands between $60 and $245 per linear foot, depending on the infill you choose and whether you go Express or Signature. Express cable sits at the low end, coastal-rated rod at the high end.

Read How Much Does Cable Railing Cost

Design, engineering, the system hardware, your finish selections, and any recommended handrail or brackets. We'll also note substrate requirements and share the install guides. Everything comes from one place rather than being pieced together from separate suppliers.

Send us what you have, even if that's just photos and rough dimensions. We'll come back within one business day to walk through next steps and work out what else we need.

A drill, a T25 bit, an angle grinder with a wheel rated for metal, and a crimper. Rod is cut and crimped, so you need both, and the install runs much like cable. Deburr each cut end before it goes in. We can supply the grinder, wheels and a deburring tool if you don't already have them. Past that it's a tape measure and a roll of painter's tape to mark your drill points without marking the post.

DriveTite kits are kept in stock and ship the next business day.

Cable and rod railing are among the most DIY-friendly systems we make, as long as your layout is clear and your posts go in correctly. Express ships ready to install, DriveTite drills into wood posts you already have, and Signature is the path for larger or coastal projects.

Read Is DIY Cable Railing Installation Worth It

Orders ship in protective crates with components labeled to match your drawings, which makes staging on site far easier. Your rep will give you a delivery timeline based on your location and scope. Some orders qualify for Viewrail Delivery, where we bring everything on our own trucks with drivers who can confirm your order on arrival and answer questions.

Either your own crew or ours. Many general contractors and stair crews install from our documentation. If you'd rather not lift a finger, our nationwide network of Certified Installers have trained on site specifically on Viewrail systems, and choosing one adds a two-year labor and workmanship warranty.

Six steps. We scope the project and budget, take site measurements and review them, engineer the system and get your approval on drawings, produce everything in Indiana, deliver, then install and walk the finished work with you. Nothing gets figured out on site.

Days rather than weeks for most projects. A straight stair often finishes in one to five days depending on scope and how ready the site is. Railing runs vary with length and complexity. Your installer will confirm a schedule when they measure.

Yes, and rod is the infill we point coastal projects to. Coastal means within five miles of saltwater. Coastal Rod is 1/4-inch 2205 stainless in a brushed stainless or Onyx Jet Black finish, and it's covered by the Coastal Products Warranty on 2205 stainless posts. Onyx Rod is a different product. Its Standard Black finish sits outside coastal coverage, so it works anywhere exterior away from the coast, just not near saltwater. Aluminum posts paired with stainless rods need isolation hardware to stay covered. Talk to your rep before ordering anything near the coast.

Coverage follows the powder coat. Superior Performance (AAMA 2605) powder coat is our exterior and coastal grade. High Performance (AAMA 2604) powder coat is intended for interior and sheltered exterior work. Structural coverage is separate and varies by product, so check the full warranty for your system.

Powder-coated aluminum performs well in most climates, coastal included, as long as the coating is right. Within five miles of saltwater, specify Superior Performance (AAMA 2605) powder coat, with 2205 stainless for the infill and exposed hardware. High Performance (AAMA 2604) is the right choice for interior and sheltered exterior work, but it is not coastal-rated.

Read Why 2205 Stainless Steel Is the Gold Standard for Coastal Railing