We are planning to renovate the screened porch at our lake house. It faces the lake and the view from the porch is essential to preserve. The deck is about 8 feet above grade so I believe code will require a 36" railing and posts spaced no more than 4" apart. A standard wood rail and posts would totally block the view.

The current deck uses an 18" kneewall and 18" Plexiglas panels above that to meet code and preserve the view. The Plexiglass looks kludgy and is always in need of exterior cleaning (which it never gets) and we'd love a floor to ceiling view.

I have seen mention of a couple options. One would be to use tempered glass panels from floor to 36" rail, though the cleaning issue would obviously persist. I've also seen pictures of horizontal steel cables to replace vertical balusters: great for preserving view, but pretty contemporary for our cottage-style house. Am I missing any other options? Anyone with experience with either glass or steel cable, and estimates of cost?