The Feeney Advantage

Feeney’s fifth advantage comes last, but is arguably the most important for Feeney’s long-term growth and staying power. Our architectural products are made from stainless steel and/or aluminum, which are among the most-recycled materials. Most Feeney products contain pre-consumer reclaimed content (LEED^® points), and upon disposal, the materials can be recycled at metal reclamation sites.

Feeney products containing reclaimed content include:

• Stainless Steel Nut Washers — 40% pre-consumer and 60% post-consumer recycled content
• Stainless Steel Decorative End Caps, Stainless Steel Beveled Washers — 35% pre-consumer and 65% post-consumer recycled content
• CableRail Components and Architectural Rods — 96.7% post-consumer recycled content
• DesignRail® & Feeney Trellis Kits — 50% post-consumer recycled content
• Turnbuckles, End Fittings & Threaded Terminals — 25% pre-consumer and 75% post-consumer recycled content
• 1/8″ Quick‐Connect® Fittings — 45% pre-consumer and 55% post-consumer recycled content
• 3/16″ & 1/4″ Quick‐Connect® Fittings — 50% pre-consumer and 50% post-consumer recycled content
• Feeney products are durable and have long use cycles, which reduces replacement costs and maximizes material usage efficiency

Feeney’s manufacturing facility in Oakland, California, features a 380 panel (over 5,000 square foot) photovoltaic solar array that can produce as much as 90 kilowatts direct current (DC) of clean, sun-generated electricity. It’s enough “juice” to potentially offset much of the facility’s energy needs. Outgoing shipments utilize reusable or recyclable heavy duty cardboard boxes and Feeney’s packing peanuts are FDA approved—made from biodegradable, non-toxic cornstarch that quickly dissolves in water and can be reused or composted.

Feeney, Inc. is a member of United States Green Building Council, which is committed to transforming how buildings are designed, constructed and operated through LEED, the world’s most widely used green building system with more than 100,000 buildings participating today.

Feeney, Inc. holds several patents that make installing Feeney products smarter, faster and safer. Among Feeney’s advances and originalities are: 

Feeney’s Quick-Connect^® 1/8-inch fittings, made from 316-grade stainless steel for weather-tough durability, perform exceptionally well in pull tests, which evaluate tensile strength.  Some competitors’ products have little take-up on their tension fittings, which limits the amount of cable tension generated. Feeney cable railing can span longer distances and is easier to install because of its tension fittings. 

Feeney’s Quick-Connect^® fitting features a one-way locking mechanism that allows the cable to easily enter in one direction, but grabs the cable if it’s pulled in the other direction and locks on when the cable is released. Feeney’s patented design speeds up installation by not requiring crimping or swagging. Slip it on, pull the cable taut and cut off the excess. No special tools are needed, but Feeney has developed tools to assist with ease of installation. The Quick-Connect^® is made from over 70% recycled materials for a friendlier eco-footprint.  

Feeney, Inc. is the original innovator of cable lacing needles, both straight and curved for single corner posts. Easy to slip on the bare cable end, Feeney’s cable lacing needles allow for swiftly threading cable ends through drill holes in posts without snagging or splaying, which reduces installation time and effort. The reusable needles are made from durable solid brass.

Feeney is also the originator of the QuickConnect^® release tool, which is needed to allow release of the cable from its fitting if a position adjustment is needed.

Feeney’s Quick-Connect^® Wrench Wheel is an easy-to-use tool for use with 1/8-inch Quick-­Connect^® Tensioner fittings. It allows for continuous full rotation without the user having to reposition wrenches. It’s a trouble-free alternative to the two-wrench tensioning method.

Making designing, purchasing and installing our cable railing easy is a top priority at Feeney. CableRail Kits are the most popular and cost-effective solution for wood and metal railing frames. They include everything needed to attach and tension a cable. They’re designed for frames with available access to drill through both end posts, which allows the fittings to anchor to the outer faces of the posts.

Part of the ease of use for Feeney CableRail Kits is that almost everything is included for the installer. Kits for wood and metal posts both feature a Quick-Connect^® Inset fitting, a pair of flat washers, a Snug-Grip^® Washer Nut and a stainless-steel cable with 4-¼-inch Threaded Terminal pre-attached to one end. CableRail Conceal Kits feature a CR Quick-Connect^® Conceal, a CR Conceal Receiver and a stainless-steel cable with swaged CR Conceal Terminal pre-attached to one end.

Few companies have a QuickConnect^®-type technology, or tools that allow for longer runs, inset fitting and provide the installer with the ability to trim excess cable in the field. Quick-Connect^® style fittings with automatic-locking jaws are attached to the cable in the field without tools. The cable end is inserted into the fitting and the spring-loaded one-way jaws grab and lock on. If necessary, a reusable release tool can be used to disengage and remove or readjust the fitting. All Feeney fittings are made to meet or exceed the breaking strength of the cable. The craftmanship and strength of the fittings are unparalled.

The Feeney CableRail Tensioning Tool with 1/8-inch Adapter is another easy-to-use tensioning tool for fast installation and equivalent tension through the rail system. Proper cable tensioning is an important part of the installation and long-term performance of railings using CableRail stainless steel infill.

For installers, the Feeney CableRail Tensioning Tool is as easy as dialing the tension at the base of the handle to the lowest tension, inserting the cable into the tool and confirming the cable is fully seated in the channel at the gripper jaw. After the head of the tool is inserted into the quick connect fitting, the handle is closed. An audible click and slight kickback at the handles indicate the selected tension has been applied. The process can be repeated for all the cables. If a higher tension level is required, the tension indicator can be adjusted and tensioning all cables repeated.

The fourth factor that makes Feeney worth the premium is the negligible number of warranty claims on Feeney products and the company’s staying power as a cable railing forerunner. Low warranty claims reflect worth and excellence in the products and the process.

Feeney, Inc. offers:

• 10-Year Limited Warranty CableRail Stainless Steel Cables and Connectors.
• Due to cross contamination occurring when metal particles from carbon steel, iron or another non‐compatible metal are transferred onto stainless steel, Feeney recommends an initial cleaning of all stainless steel immediately following product installation. This step removes potential contaminants from the stainless-steel surfaces produced during installation, which will help keep warranty claims low and reinforce the quality and endurance of Feeney products and processes.
• To help keep the Feeney quality advantage at a premium, Feeney CableRail fittings and stainless-steel cables were—and are—designed to work together as a complete system. Feeney does not recommend using the Feeney CableRail components with fittings and cables by other manufacturers, as compatibility, performance and quality can’t be guaranteed.
• It’s not just Feeney products that demonstrate quality and longevity. The 75-year-old company is the kind of business that has endured—and will continue to do so through time. Part of that endurance stems from the concierge-type service and care Feeney shows its customers, with support as the linchpin of the company’s philosophy. Acknowledged for its customer service, Feeney was awarded “Best of Houzz” in 2015 and 2016 and multiple awards for the company’s leading-edge design and application.
• Feeney components are made from marine-grade austenitic stainless steel, 316-grade, which contains 16% chromium and up to 3% molybdenum, which provides greater corrosion resistance than the 304-grade stainless steel. The 316-grade stainless steel also contains 8% nickel, which helps the material resist the corrosive properties of harsh compounds without degrading. This matters for installations in areas with exposure to corrosive elements or atmospheric contaminates such as salt spray, salt air, chemicals, and pollution.  
• Other cable railing often contains carbon steel, which can be hard and brittle. The 316-grade stainless steel has a lower carbon content, which makes it malleable, yet strong. Ductility is key because materials that crack, break or shatter under stress cannot be manipulated as well during installation. 
• Feeney stainless-steel components undergo the ASTM B117 salt spray test, an internationally recognized, widespread and long-established corrosion test. Feeney’s components pass the 1,000-hour salt spray testing procedure without corroding. The salt spray test is a quality-control measure carried out to ensure that process control is on track and accurate, but does not directly correlate with real-environment outcomes.  

Unlike lesser grade steel, premium stainless steel is what makes Feeney wire rope, CableRail fittings, accessories, fasteners and Quick-Connect^® tools superior. This premium, marine-grade stainless steel is tough and durable. Precision manufactured; it has the highest concentration of stabilizing elements.

The International Code Council is the determining source of model codes and standards worldwide, as well as building safety, including product evaluation, accreditation, technology, training and certification. The council developed the International Building Code (IBC) as an essential tool to preserve public safety and provide safeguards from hazards associated with the built environment. International code compliance, with which Feeney is deeply involved, is used to ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. As a leader in the industry, Feeney has—and will continue to be—at the forefront in ensuring railing safety.