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Cable Railings: The Eco Friendly Choice

 

Cable railings have emerged as a popular choice in recent years, for both homeowners and commercial property owners. There is no simpler way to enhance the visual appeal of a deck, balcony, or even a garden. Cable railings have long been used in commercial buildings, like hotels, malls, and airports because of their clear, understated design, low-maintenance, longstanding durability, and affordability. For these reasons, homeowners are also incorporating cable railings into decking and other projects, but, there are other major benefits of cable railing which shouldn’t be overlooked.

RECYCLABLE MATERIALS


The materials used to build a cable railing system include steel and aluminum (unless you source your own posts and rails). Steel is one of the world’s most recycled materials, and among the easiest of materials to reprocess. Any grade of steel can be recycled into new metal without ‘downgrading’ from prime to lower quality materials.

Aluminium is also one of the most efficient and widely recycled materials. Recycled aluminium is indistinguishable from virgin aluminium because the process does not produce any change in the metal. It only takes 5% of the energy to produce recycled aluminum versus virgin aluminum. This makes aluminium particularly recyclable.

Also, because steel and aluminum are so durable, cable railing easily outlasts other systems, keeping more worn-out materials out of landfills.

CHEMICAL FREE


The materials used in cable railings have minimal impact on our immediate environment, as compared to wood railings which need annual refinishing with coatings containing environmentally hazardous compounds. Cable railing avoids this problem by requiring very little maintenance.

NO CAUSTIC CLEANERS


Cable railings require little-to-no maintenance. Periodic cleaning involves nothing more than wiping dirt off with a cloth and water. Stainless Steel does requires occasional repassivation to properly protect the metal against corrosion, but this is easily achieved through sprays such as our Citrisurf Passivator, which is a harmless citrus solution. Overall, there is no need to use any cleaning agents that would have a residual impact on the environment.

THE PERFECT MATCH FOR A GREEN HOME


If you’re concerned about keeping your household waste and emissions to a minimum and generally being an advocate for the environment, cable railing is an excellent choice for your building project. In addition to the benefits listed above, because cable railings won’t block your view or the breeze, they allow you to take full advantage of natural light and fresh air flow. This will help reduce the use of artificial lighting and air conditioning in warm summer months.

Contact Stainless Cable & Railing today about your railing project! Our staff will help you put together a simple kit, or design a custom system. Either way, you can count on an environmentally-friendly railing that’s built to last.

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