Timber connectors from Ristek Polska are proven, professional, and durable connectors for building structures, in accordance with the PN-EN 14545 standard, the European standard for connectors for prefabricated wooden structures. Check out the full range of connectors available on our website and order online or by phone.

What are timber connectors?

Timber connectors are metal fasteners used to permanently join wooden elements together. In the construction industry, they go by various names: carpentry connectors, timber joints, or building hardware. They are made of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, which provides the corrosion resistance necessary when working in difficult weather conditions. Timber connectors have replaced traditional, labor-intensive carpentry joints cut by hand. Our timber connectors are the next step in this evolution. They allow for faster and more repeatable construction of structural nodes, which is particularly desirable in the production of prefabricated roof trusses.

Application of timber connectors

Prefabrication of roof trusses – roof trusses produced using nail plates as timber connectors are now a standard in single-family and industrial construction. The plate connects the upper and lower chords of the truss as well as the posts and diagonals in the lattice nodes, transferring loads from snow, wind, and the weight of the roofing and installations.

Traditional roof framing – our timber connectors are also used in roof frames with classic geometry – for connecting rafters and collar beams, where high load-bearing capacity of the connection is required with limited space for the joint.

Prefabricated structures – beyond the roof, our timber connectors are used in floor trusses, stud walls, and lightweight floors in timber frame construction. They work wherever connections are designed and produced in a factory, and a finished element is delivered to the construction site.

Other wooden structures – timber connectors from Ristek are also used in the production of furniture frames and wooden packaging, and due to their moisture resistance – in livestock facilities and cold stores.

Types of timber connectors

There are several basic types of timber connectors available on the market, differing in design, installation method, and purpose:

• Angle brackets – L-shaped timber connectors used for 90° connections.
• Joist hangers – these are metal mounting brackets, usually U-shaped, used for fast and durable connection of wooden structural elements, most often in one plane.
• Rafter-to-purlin connectors – connectors dedicated to nodes in roof frames, joining rafters with purlins.
• Perforated straps and plates – steel elements with holes for screws or nails, intended for bracing the roof plane.
• Nail plates – specialized timber connectors, intended primarily for the prefabrication of roof trusses and lattices.

At Ristek Polska, we specialize exclusively in nail plates – a professional timber connector designed for the mass production of trusses and prefabricated wooden structures.

Specialized timber connectors from Ristek

Nail plates from Ristek are steel sheets with embossed spikes (teeth) that, under hydraulic pressure, are pressed into the wood and permanently bond the contacting elements.

Ristek plates are made of S350GD + Z275 steel, which means a strength class of 350 MPa and a zinc coating of 275 g/m². As a result, they meet the requirements of service classes 1 and 2, and after applying appropriate coatings – also aggressive environments (livestock buildings).

The following types of plates are available in the Ristek offer:

• LL10 – sheet thickness 1.0 mm, spike length 8.5 mm
• LL13 – sheet thickness 1.3 mm, 14 mm herringbone spikes
• LL20 – sheet thickness 2.0 mm, 18 mm herringbone spikes
• Inox – stainless steel for aggressive environments
• Combi – dedicated to splitting trusses in height due to transport limitations
• Connection-plate – dedicated to longitudinal connections of elements. The unit of sale is the square meter. Plates are available in boxes (8–12 pcs.) or on pallets (~800 kg).