Ontariomom, I wonder with the set up that Ice has if that still might work for you because the panels are not solid up to the railing. I think the opening above the frosted glass makes it much less a barrier than frosted glass all the way up. I don't think it would appear to block the house like other, more solid choices would. And it would give you a bit of privacy on that deck, plus solve the cleaning issues. You could explore the code for how much space above the glass to the railing you could have.

First find out if either is to code where you live. I actually much prefer a glass and metal rail system to cable but that is just me.

As an FYI- I was also thinking of replacing our indoor wood stair railing with a new railing made of simple iron spindles and a new wood handrail. We have ~50 ft of railing. The quote was ~$10K, so I’ll have to pass on this idea as it’s not in my budget. In short, I agree with Joseph’s comment above.

Curious, inside or outside? If inside, what does it matter how cold it is? And my 11 yo is studying geography. The mid-west has an enormous variation in average winter temp. The difference between Minneapolis and Chicago is bigger than the difference between New York and Atlanta.