A rusticasa® is a house made entirely of wood, with a high standard of quality. We've been manufacturing our own houses for 40 years, and we've been able to adapt different traditional timber construction techniques to our climate.
At rusticasa® there are currently four different construction techniques:
— The solid laminated timber house (Laminated Timber System) for lovers of the robust style, with or without crossed corners, according to the ancient technique but adapted to modern times;
— The light-frame house (Timber Frame System), for contemporary lines and a wide variety of interior and exterior finishes, assembled on site in large panels;
— The ITS™ house (Insulated Timber System), 100 per cent created by rusticasa®, combining all the previous techniques. With high thermal resistance thanks to the cork inside, these houses are entirely prefabricated in our facilities for extremely fast assembly on site (2 days for walls and roof). Large NATURLAM® panels are used, following strict quality control;
— The hybrid structure house (Hybrid Timber System), for a contemporary architecture with a robust line, large glazed openings, large mezzanines and wide spaces, framed by self-supporting panels made of solid wood insulated with wood fibre.
Whatever technique is chosen, the company endeavours to build according to the rules of good craftsmanship, both in the materials used (wood, fittings, finishing products) and in the sales, design, manufacturing, assembly and after-sales teams. All these services have been in-house at rusticasa® for 40 years, enabling maximum efficiency in the extraordinary adventure of building a wooden house. With rigour and quality!
Several types are used depending on the intrinsic characteristics of each one and its use in the work:
For the structural framing, the Northern Pine (Pinus sylvestris), will be the most commonly used wood. When applied outdoors, such as on decking for example, this wood will be treated in depth by autoclaving.
For the exterior and interior walls, we will have the choice between the Nordic Wild Pine, the Nordic Spruce (Picea abies), or the Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica).
While the pine and spruce are native to the Nordic countries, the Cryptomeria is the national tree of Japan. In the Azores (mainly on the island of São Miguel) this species is largely planted since the 19th century and that is where rusticasa® buys its main raw material. The Cryptomeria has very favorable characteristics for the constructions in wood: lightness, dimensional stability, resistance to biotic attacks, aroma, softness to touch and aesthetics.
For indoor flooring, we have a choice of Wild Pine (Pinus pinaster) or Eucalyptus (Eucaliptus globulus).
Of course, all the wood used in rusticasa® comes from durable forest management, much of it with PEFC and/or FSC forest certification label.
A rusticasa® is an exclusive product whose characteristics are tailored to the customer's requirements. Many factors go into determining its selling price: the construction system, the thickness of the wood chosen, the geometry and size of the construction, the geographical location of the work, the access conditions to the land, and many more...
Contrary to widespread belief, a well-built, quality wooden house can never be priced lower than a good quality traditional building that fulfils the requirements of current thermal regulations.
To give you an idea, the cost per m2 of rusticasa® ranges from €1,100 to €1,500.
Wood is a noble material, originating from a tree that grows slowly (at least 30 years) and whose felling is guaranteed to be replaced by new planting, thus allowing for a permanent renewal of the raw material stock (with the corresponding benefits for our planet!).
The wood processing processes require care and specialised labour, which is usually more expensive than in the world of concrete.
A quality wooden house is not bought for its price (as it is no cheaper than any other), but rather for choosing a healthy and ecologically conscious home.
Yes, it is perfectly possible to integrate any other material into rusticasa® constructions: large glass façades, stone fireplaces, floor tiles, steel beams for large slit spans, vegetal cover, and a thousand others…
On the walls, it is possible to combine stone, glass or masonry with wood. The most frequent cases are in the fireplaces or in old façades that are intended to be recovered and integrated in the new construction.
Likewise, flooring can be done with ceramic tiles, slate, cork, etc. The combination of materials is also possible depending on the use of each room, for example: wooden floor in the living room and bedrooms and tiled floor in the kitchen and bathroom.
In order to integrate the construction with the environment and local architectural features, it is possible to use different types of roofing, such as traditional ceramic tile, soil with vegetation (ecological roofs), slate, wood or others.
Due to the mechanical properties of the wood and the constructive technique, the wooden constructions are extremely solid and resistant to earthquakes and cyclonic winds.
In Japan, where earthquakes are very common, wooden houses are highly requested.
Wood has unique mechanical properties, being flexible, light and solid at the same time. The pieces joined by suitable fittings, certified according to the Eurocode, give the whole of the “puzzle house” excellent mechanical properties.
The tests carried out on a natural scale by the LNEC (National Civil Engineering Laboratory), under project 227887 – FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES of the pan-European study SERIES (Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies), sponsored by the European Commission, on a rusticasa®, construction, among others, reveal the high antiseismic performances of wooden constructions.
Many of our customers consider a fireplace fundamental equipment in a rusticasa®, house and an essential contribution to the rustic, warm and comfortable environment.
The incorporation of a stone or concrete mass for the fireplace, a stove or salamander simply protected with a beautiful decorative and fire-retardant panel, convection radiators, underfloor heating… Everything is possible in a rusticasa®. Always with the support of our experienced technical team.
In 1978 the first rusticasa®. house was built. More than 40 years have gone by! Since then, more than 1,800 works have been carried out, mainly in Portugal, Spain and France.
But it is not enough to have many years and many houses made … The important thing is to commit to a process of continuous improvement so that the construction in wood is always placed in its right place: an ecological and future oriented construction.
Most banks have already financed rusticasa®’s housing, even if sometimes unfamiliarity leads to misinformation being obtained.
Being a house that complies with all the norms and regulations in force in Europe, the classic mortgage credit is the most usual financial product.
A rusticasa® can direct you to banking institutions that are more aware of our buildings.
No. National and European standards must be applied so that the consumer can be assured of living in a safe, sustainable, isolated (etc.) building.
It is not enough for a company to declare compliance; it is the responsibility of the licensing authorities to verify that the standards are actually met. Moreover, if by being wooden the construction was exempt from permits, it would encourage disordered constructions having the same effect as illegal constructions: a house would appear anywhere.
As rusticasa® defends the exact opposite, namely the application of standards of construction and application of planning standards, each rusticasa® construction is subject to a license.
Like any housing construction, regardless of the materials concerned, a wooden house should also receive the following care:
— Annual inspection/cleaning of the roof, especially if the house is in a wooded area.
— Biannual cleaning and lubrication of the external frame fittings.
— Biannual cleaning of water drainage channels in the outer frame carpentry.
— Distance Control of at least 20cm between the ground and the first wooden base.
— Control and cleaning (annual or biannual, depending on the intensity of use) of fire appliances (salamander, stove, …), the safety distance to the wood, and the respective smoke pipes.
— Control of the sanitary installation, water leaks and fences in the shower and bath areas.
— Exterior wood repainting with periodic application of microporous impregnation (non-film-forming). The customer will be able to buy the paint product directly from the market, acquire it from rusticasa® or contract RUSTICASA®’s overcoating service.
Because it is permeating, the repainting is carried out in a very simple way, by simply passing a medium / fine sandpaper on the surface of the wood, removing the dust and applying a coat of wood stain.
There are several shades to choose from.
The regularity of the repainting is very dependent on the exposure of the house (and each façade) to the sun and the rain. In general, it is recommended to carry out the first repainting maintenance throughout the house at the end of the second year after the delivery of the work, with special reinforcement (2 coats) in the areas most exposed to the sun (South and West). After 5 years of the construction, it is recommended to execute the second overpainting maintenance, acting in the same way as the first one. The following repainting should be evaluated according to the condition of the wood. Usually repeated every 3 to 5 years. The North and East façades will not need as much repainting as the South and West façades. Certain wood applications, such as the roof edging, porch posts, and handrails, will most certainly require repeated maintenance.
Building a wooden house, regardless of where it comes from, is in itself honouring the environment, it's being eco-responsible; building a rusticasa® is also a guarantee of quality and durability, backed by 40 years of experience from a team that is passionate about its work.
A well-built, long-lasting wooden house is undoubtedly an environmentally friendly building because, by utilising a natural and renewable raw material (unlike other building materials), it stores a large amount of CO2 within its woody material for a long time (thanks to photosynthesis during the tree's growth phase, and then its long-term use in the building itself). What's more, the processing of wood uses very little energy compared to other building materials; and as rusticasa® constructions are very well insulated, energy expenditure over the life of the house will also be reduced.
That's why scientists all over the world, as well as a growing number of developed countries, are promoting effective forest management, with controlled logging and compulsory planting, for a sustainable forestry economy, and are endeavouring to ensure that the use of wood is increasingly implemented in buildings... For the good of our planet!
Living in a rusticasa® is having the forest inside your home, it's knowing the scent that will enchant you at all times, it's discovering the poetry of the veins and knots of each piece of wood every day, running your fingers along the smooth walls that surround you, breathing purified air thanks to the constant filtering that wood carries out...
Each rusticasa® customer can opt for finishes to suit their taste: interior walls with natural wood, or painted white, or covered with plasterboard; exterior walls with varnishes in a variety of colours, with a flat or rounded horizontal trunk, with a ventilated wall in a horizontal or vertical lining, in various shapes and forms...
While a ‘traditional’ concrete construction, with the typical ‘budget overruns’, takes at least 1 year to complete (and then another 2 years to dry completely!), the assembly of a rusticasa®, with the price fixed in the contract, will take an average of 2 months, with 100 per cent dry materials (no drying time!).
For equal thermal resistance, a concrete wall will always be at least 2 times thicker than a wooden wall, with the corresponding loss of useful interior space...
Because of the low thermal inertia of wood, unlike concrete, a rusticasa® will always be very easy and quick to heat up and cool down.
The earthquake resistance of wooden constructions is unbeatable; in Japan they have been using this solid yet flexible material in their buildings for a long time.
And even fire resistance is known by firefighters as wood is a safe and reliable building material, as it burns slowly without losing its mechanical capabilities, unlike steel and concrete.
And all this with a durability guarantee of over 50 years (as required by European standards)!
But it's in terms of day-to-day comfort that the wooden house, provided it's well-built and well-insulated like a rusticasa®, surpasses any other type of building material: walls without thermal bridges and without humidity, a well-ventilated roof to prevent condensation in winter and to cool down in summer, 68mm-thick glued-laminated timber frames, double glazing, high-quality multi-point locks.
All the conditions are in place for an anti-stress, relaxing home, thanks also to the absence of static electricity and the soft acoustics provided by the wooden walls.
The authentic ‘home sweet home’.
According to European standards, any new building today must last at least 50 years, without the need for any restoration work.
rusticasa®, in addition to following Eurocode 5 and the methods and techniques perfectly documented by officially recognised French bodies (such as CSTB, FCBA, CNDB), draw on 40 years' experience to enable wood to be best adapted to our climate.
The structures of our houses, whichever construction system is chosen, exceed the minimum required by European standards and can last much longer depending on environmental conditions, such as exposure to the weather, shading of façades exposed to the sun, removal of damp from the ground, cleanliness of the roof, care in the periodic maintenance of exterior timber, etc.
As proof of this, you can see some of our oldest houses in the Minho region, so well preserved that it's easy to predict that they will last more than 100 years!
Of all building materials, wood is the only natural and renewable one. The wooden house is born from the forest, the Earth's lung that generates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide and reduces the greenhouse effect.
Ecology and safeguarding the environment are of concern to a growing percentage of citizens today. But contrary to common belief, forests need to be maintained and cut down in an orderly and rational manner so that their natural cycle can continue. In abandoned forests, trees die old, fall victim to mutual competition and attacks by parasites and decompose, no longer producing oxygen and releasing CO2, thus altering their ecological role. In forests with sustainable development, the masses have a constant or increasing production and their standing volume never decreases. The principle is simple: only the volume of wood that the forest mass has produced in a year is cut down.
The wood used at rusticasa® comes exclusively from sustainable forests, which is why its use promotes forest renewal.
The wooden house is well known for its thermal-acoustic comfort, as long as its well constructed. rusticasa® strives to comply with the national regulations on thermal insulation in its buildings. This thermal regulation, with increasing requirements, tends to make buildings in general spend less energy on heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. All countries in the European Union follow the same path to reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
A well-insulated wooden house not only saves energy costs, but also contributes to better the health of its inhabitants, reducing rheumatic and respiratory diseases.
The thermal inertia of a wooden house is low; just laying your hand on the wood is enough to prove that the walls are neither cold in the winter nor hot in the summer; that means that, unlike concrete or stone houses, a rusticasa® will be very easy and quick to warm up when, for example, you arrive home after a period of absence during a cold season. No humidity. No bad odors. Just the good smell of wood. Similarly, a rusticasa® is easily cooled when, for example, you let the sun in through the living room stained-glass window without closing the blinds, by simply opening the windows at night to quickly lower the temperature inside the room. You can hardly do this in a conventional house with high thermal inertia …
The coefficient of thermal insulation of the wood is 6 times higher than that of the brick, 15 times higher than that of concrete, 400 times higher than steel, and 1770 times that of aluminium. It is easy to understand why a wooden house has such low thermal bridges, and how it is possible to keep the indoor environment of a rusticasa® warm in the winter and cool in the summer, with energy savings that can exceed 50% in relation to masonry or stone buildings.
On the other hand, the acoustic properties of wood are widely recognized; it absorbs an important part of the energy of the sound waves that it receives, with the consequent reduction of acoustic pollution.
The wooden house is a quiet house and reduces the stress of its inhabitants.
At rusticasa®, there are no standardised models. Each project is designed in a unique and personalised way. The houses we share here are just starting points, ideas that can inspire you to create your dream home, because we believe that every home should reflect the personality and needs of its inhabitants. Get inspired and imagine, because your home will always be unique, just like you.
The wood undoubtedly burns, but it guarantees unique benefits as a structural material against the fire. In the event of a fire, the surface carbonization makes it difficult for heat to penetrate the wood due to its lower thermal conductivity in addition to hindering the exit of gases (which are non-toxic), the spread of the fire into the depth of the wood thus becomes very slow.
Many structural materials are non-combustible; however, none is fireproof. In a fire, the metal structures dilate and twist, vertiginously decreasing their mechanical resistance with the rise in temperature. Under the same circumstances, the reinforced concrete will break. In the case of wood, since its thermal expansion, is negligible, it does not suffer dangerous deformations nor danger of crumbling. This saves precious time for the evacuation of the building.
It is recognized by firefighters around the world that the fire behaviour of wooden structures is safer than with any other building material. In other words: iron and reinforced concrete do not burn, but quickly crumble in a fire, while wood burns but does not fall so quickly. It is the difference between “fire reaction” and “fire resistance“, The wood has poor reaction to fire, but high fire resistance, unlike iron and concrete.
It has long been known that the risk of fire is not higher in a wooden house than in a brick house. Insurance companies know this. The risk of fire is more associated with the decoration materials (curtains, furniture, …) than the composition of the walls of the house.
For all intents and purposes, rusticasa® calculates its wood structures according to Eurocode 5, with the respective fire resistance safety parameters.
rusticasa® bets on a maximum pre-fabrication inside the factory, in order to achieve two capital points in product quality: control and manufacturing precision + quick assembly on site.
Depending on the construction system chosen and the size of the work, the factory pre-fabrication takes an average of two weeks, followed by about six weeks at the construction site, where the customer’s cement base must exist in advance.
In addition, due to its fast execution and its non-water-based form of construction (therefore no drying time), a wooden house is habitable much faster than any other house (immediately after the assembly is completed). In this way it is possible to save considerable sums in rent or monthly credit payments.
The procedure for the construction of a rusticasa® house is identical to that of a masonry house: presentation of an architectural project in the town hall; they issue a construction permit and at the end of the work a license of use; the construction is then registered as property in the land registry office and may be mortgaged as any other property.
Infrastructures, usually on behalf of the client, are all the preparatory works such as: access road to the house, cement base (with or without basement) to receive the wooden house, retaining wall, masonry wall or stone integrated in the construction of the house, septic tank, cesspit, respective plumbing, electrical energy forwarding from the electricity meter to the general electric panel, etc .
rusticasa® is limited exclusively to the perimeter of the construction of wood, including eventual supply of the sanitary and electrical installations.
Regardless of the constructive system, on January 1, 2022, the national legislation established that the warranty for structural constructive elements would be of 10 years, maintaining the 5 years period for the remaining situations.
The 10-year warranty on the structural and immovable elements of the construction is the standard warranty that rusticasa® has been offering its customers for more than 40 years, aware of the quality and reliability of its product.
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