Materials

The main construction material of Rihter houses is a longitudinally glued spruce or fir tree wood shaved on four-sides and dried at approx. 15% humidity. We use it for both the exterior and interior walls as well as for manufacturing the ceilings and roofing. For wooden elements exposed to weather effects, we use laminated glued timber. This provides increased dimensional stability and prevents the formation of larger cracks. We also use laminated glued wood for elements necessary for the structural stability of the house, such as pillars, support beams and other individual construction elements. These elements, if visible, can also provide an aesthetic function. In the case of structurally demanding constructions that cannot be achieved with wood, we use the appropriate steel profiles. A steel profile is mainly used for constructing a ceiling above a large room where the span is too wide for wood and the investor does not wish to use support columns in between. The construction of the house is always prepared in accordance with the structural analysis, which we prepare for each house individually.

To ensure the lateral stability of the house in windy conditions and during earthquakes, the use of lining boards is essential in the frame wooden panel system. All Rihter construction systems have a wooden load-bearing construction with lining boards on both sides. The type of load-bearing boards depends on the Rihter construction system; the main lining board types are the high-bearing OSB board and the gypsum fibreboard. Gypsum plasterboards with increased fire resistance are used as the inside lining boards for lining walls and ceilings. In rooms with high humidity, such as bathrooms, moisture-resistant gypsum plasterboards are used. Indoor lining boards can be partially or completely replaced with wood lining per the investor’s request.

Rihter houses have exceptional thermal insulation and are thus energy-efficient. The use of thermal insulation material made from rock wool ensures the high fire resistance of Rihter construction systems in addition to great thermal insulation. We use rock wool to insulate interior and exterior walls, ceilings and roofs. Rock wool is used for the insulation of the facade in all construction systems, expect the Standard system. For the Natura construction system, which is made from only natural materials, we use light boards made from wood fibres for insulation. We achieve a lengthy phase delay of heat transfer from the surrounding area into the house through the use of wooden boards in addition to great thermal insulation.

We clad Rihter houses with the classic contact facade or with different ventilation facade systems. We use lining made from spruce or larch wood for wood facades. The lining made from spruce wood is painted with a thin layer of water-based coating, while larch wood may remain unpainted.

For thermal insulation in classic facades of the Standard system we use polystyrene, wooden boards in the Natura system, and rock wool in all other systems. You may choose a colour for the final layer from the facade manufacturer’s wide selection.

Rihter prefabricated houses can be covered with any roof covering selected by the investor. The roof covering must be determined during the design phase and at least before workshop drawings are completed so that potential adjustments to the construction or roof structure can be implemented.

We mostly provide tinplate works using aluminium sheet metal in the colour specified by the investor. Copper metal sheet or galvanised metal sheet can also be used.

The selection of appropriate builders’ joinery is very important when it comes to nearly zero-energy houses. All builders’ joinery must be installed in accordance with RAL installation guidelines, which dictate airtight installation on three planes. Through a high quality RAL installation, suitable airtightness of the house is ensured, thermal bridges are reduced and the ingress of moisture into the load-bearing construction is prevented.

Manufacturers of glass and window frames have significantly improved the properties of their builders’ joinery in the last few years. The builders’ joinery is no longer the weak link in the thermal envelope of the building, due to the improved insulation of glazing and window frames as well as improved sunlight permeability factor. With correct placement of glass surfaces, we may gather more energy with the help of the sun than we lose through heat transfer.

During the hot summer months, when the sun shines the brightest, the house needs to be protected from overheating. This is achieved most effectively by shading the glass surfaces. Interior shades are completely unsuitable for this purpose, as they heat up due to sunlight and radiate heat into the house. Therefore, exterior shading of glass surfaces exposed to the sun is required. The easiest way to achieve exterior shading is by using the building layout (overhang, balcony, jutting roof, etc.) and shades (venetian blinds, roller shutters, shutters and roller blinds). We can also use trees and other plants for shading; deciduous trees are the most suitable, as they provide shade during summer and drop their leaves during winter and let the sun passively heat the house.

The placement of glass surfaces, which generates more solar energy than is lost through heat transfer, is recommended for nearly zero-energy houses.

Therefore, such houses have large glass surfaces on the south side, while the windows on the north side are as small as possible.