Running a rope through the top rail?


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Old 08-27-17, 06:32 PM
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Running a rope through the top rail?

I had a fence like this installed last week.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Freedom-Act...Panel/50179759

It is at the top of a 14' retaining wall and going through the fence would be a problem. The fence company assured me that wasn't possible as the fence was very secure, but I didn't want to take any chances. I worked a nylon rope through all the top rails; securing it at either end. I figure that if the fence starts to break, the rope will hold it together. It might do more damage to the fence this way, but if it prevents a 14' fall it is certainly worth it.

Given that I have already done it... is there anything I have overlooked that make it a bad idea?
 
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Old 08-28-17, 01:38 AM
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I guess I dont understand the question, what are you trying to accomplish and what was/is the rope supposed to do?
 
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Old 08-28-17, 04:19 AM
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I am concerned that someone running into the fence could break the top rail or pull it out of the supports, and fall 14' to the ground.
By running a rope from one end of the fence to the other, through all the top rails, a fall can't happen. Even if the fence fails, the rope will catch it.
 
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Old 08-28-17, 04:44 AM
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I'm not certain that the rope would be stronger than the fence and the rope will deteriorate over time. Why don't you believe the fence installation company? They'd leave theirself open to a lawsuit if the fence failed because they didn't install it properly.
 
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Old 08-28-17, 04:52 AM
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The rope won't hurt anything but I would have used a steel cable instead of rope. If someone did break through the fence I would not want the stretch of rope which could allow someone to go over the edge before it became tight. A cable can be tensioned tight so there is very little give.

I have a similar fence along the top of my 10' retaining wall. At the top is garden so the area gets a lot of use and the vinyl fence alone just didn't seem strong enough. I used square steel tubing for my fence posts and I inserted 1 1/2" square steel tubing through the top horizontal of the fence.
 
 

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