Project Spotlight: Cable Railing by Kalawood Industries in Saskatoon

With Saskatchewan’s adoption of the National Building Code 2015 articles in January 2018, Saskatoon-based Kalawood Industries recently completed a new commercial cable rail installation. Prior to adoption, horizontal railings such as cable would not have been permitted in the province. We asked Kalawood Industries owner, Christopher Krahn, a few questions about their project which had nearly gone in a different direction.

Q: Why did you choose Bezdan Cable products for the installation?

Bezdan was one of the only companies we work with that had thorough and complete engineering and test documentation that would satisfy our local engineers and inspectors. One of the challenges we faced was that we were told by the engineering firm we were working with that the cable rail system was not allowable in a commercial setting. Through careful explaining of both the code and presentation of the documentation provided by Bezdan, we were able to show that not only was the cable rail allowable under current building codes, but that it had all the necessary engineering to back it up.

Q: Did you have any challenges modifying the fascia mount posts to work as surface mount?

The biggest challenge we faced was finding stainless steel that could be welded to make the plates we needed in the size we wanted, while still maintaining and not marring the finish on the posts. In the end we couldn't really find a brushed stainless plate that matched, so we had to make the plate as small as possible and hand brush them for a close enough finish. Careful welding by the fabricator ensured that heat damage to the existing post finish was minimized. It goes without saying that careful planning and measuring twice went into determining the angles and lengths required for our particular stair, as there's no doing it twice once the steel is cut! Alterations to the post also had to be approved by the engineers after being modified from their base configuration.

Q: What other obstacles did you need to overcome on this project?   

As mentioned, the biggest obstacle was the lack of understanding by the engineers and inspectors as to the current allowances under the code. Engineering documentation was not only sent to the engineer for review, but also to Building Standards and to the city engineers. In the end everything worked out, however it did take quite a bit of time, and we weren't sure of the outcome. We had actually continued to quote on and work on alternative designs for the project before we could confidently say that everyone had signed off on the cable rail. 

Q: Do you have any tips for installing cable railing that could save time?

When it came to onsite work, having the necessary tools to cut the stainless steel bolts and configure the posts in such a manner as to give space for this cutting is important. This was the first time we had used this system and the nature of the fittings caught us a little off guard. That said, once we knew what we were doing, it was a fairly easy process.

One tip we would like to share is to make Bezdan do the takeoff for you! The Bezdan customer service team was fantastic in helping us to figure out exactly what components and how many were needed for the project - their help was critical for ordering everything correctly. They read our site plans, quoted with a diagram of exactly what was needed, and answered all our questions about the product and how to use it.

Key Products in Cable Railing

Bezdan Cable Fascia mount posts and top mount brackets in square stainless steel tubing are an off-the-shelf solution for efficiently installing cable rail for level or stair applications. Posts are pre-drilled to work with through-post fittings for convenient installation and suit a variety of project styles.

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Your Trusted Source for Cable Railing

Bezdan has provided cable railing solutions for over a decade. Our knowledgeable customer service team offers quoting and product recommendations so you can deliver exceptional results. Visit “Resources” on the cable railing section of our website for product information, installation instructions, and to request a quote for your next project.

We have been working to support freedom of design in railings for over a decade, where cable and other ornamental infills can once again be a choice. We celebrate the recent adoptions in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Prince Edward Island. Stay informed at geobezdan.com/nbc.