French Building terms - www.go-to-france.co.uk


French Leaseback Building Terms

Terms used in Building and Renovating Houses in France


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Building Terms used in France
For property details: A à aménager - for conversion; improvement à brancher - to be connected Abat-vent - chimney cowl Abîmer - deteriorate Abonnement - standing charge Abri - shelter Acajou - mahagony Accolé - adjoining Accueil - reception Acquérir - to buy Actuellement - currently Affaire - bargain Affaissement - subsidence of ground Aggloméré - chipboard Agrandir - to extend (ie enlarge property) Agrandissement - extension Alimentation - supply (water, electricity etc.) Aluminium - aluminium Aménageable - convertable Aménagé(e) - fitted; equipped; converted Amenager - to convert Ampoule - light bulb Ancien(e) - former Antenne - aerial Appentis - lean-to Appui de fenêtre - window sill Ardoises – slates Arête (de croup) – hip Arêtier – hip rafter à refaire – needs redoing a renove - to renovate à restaurer – for renovation Are - 100 square metres Armoire - cabinet Arrière-cuisine – utility room/scullery Arrière pays - back country Arrosage - watering Arroseur - sprinkler Artisan carreleur - tiling expert Artisan maçon - builder Ascenseur - lift Aspirateur - vaccuum cleaner Atelier – workshop Attenant - contiguous Au clou – nailed Auge - mixing trough Avant-toit – eaves B Baguette - beading Baignoire – bath Balcon – balcony Ballon d'eau chaude - hot water tank Balustrade – balustrade Bande de recouvrement – flashing Banlieue - suburb Bastide - fortified village Bâtiment – building Balatum – linoleum Beche - spade Belle vue – lovely view Bergerie - sheepfold Béton – concrete Betonniere - concrete mixer Bilan de sante immobilier - house survey Bloc – block (building unit) Bloc de béton coulé (préfabriqué) – precast concrete block Bois – wood Boiserie - woodwork Bois feuillu – hardwood Bois imprégné – impregnated wood Bois pourri – wood rot Bois résineux – softwood Bon – good Bon etat - good condition Bouche d'aeration - air vent Bouchon - stopper Boulon - bolt Bourg – small town or large village Brique – brick Bronze – bronze Brouette -wheelbarrow Buanderie– utility room/laundry Bûcher – woodshed Bureau – office C Cabinet - small room Cabinet wc - lavatory Cable – electricity cable Cadenas - padlock Cadre - frame Cagibi - small room Calcaire - calcium Cale - wedge Caoutchouc - rubber Carreau - floor tile Carrelage - tiled floor Carreleur - floor and wall tiler Carillon - door bell Cave - wine cellar Cave voutee - vaulted cellar Cellier - store room for wine and food Centre commercial - shopping centre Chai - wine cellar Chambre - bedroom Chantier - building site Chape - screed Charniere - hinge Charpente – roof timbers Charpentier – carpenter Chartreuse - charterhouse Châssis – window frame Chaudière – boiler Chauffage central – central heating Chauffage central fuel – oil-fired central heating Chauffagiste – heating engineer Chauffage par le sol - underfloor heating Chauffe-eau – hot water tank Chaufferie – boiler room Chaume - thatch Chaumiere - thatched cottage Chaux – lime Cheminée – chimney or fireplace Chêne – oak Chéneau encaissé – box gutter Cheville - expanding wall plug Chevron – rafter Cisailles - shears Ciseau a bois - wood chisel Citerne à fuel – oil tank Citerne apparente - above ground gas tank Citerne enfouie - buried gas tank Clef - spanner/key Clef a molette - adjustable spanner Climatisation - air conditioning Cloison - partitioning Cloture - fence Clou - nail Colombage - half-timbering Colombier - dovecote Colle - glue Combles – roof space Commerçants – shops Commodites - lavatory Compteur – meter Condensation – condensation Congleateur - freezer Construire - to construct Contre plaque - plywood Couche isolante – damp-proof course Couloir – corridor Coup-carreaux - tile cutter Cour – yard Couvert - covered Couverture – roof Couvreur – roofer, roof tiler, slater Crépi – rendering Crochet - door catch Cuisine – kitchen Cuivre – copper Cuvette de descente – rainwater head D Dallage – tiling Dalle – floor tile Débarras – boxroom Dependence – outbuilding Dépenses chauffage – heating costs Double vitrage – double glazing Douche – shower Douille – electrical socket Droit de passage – right of way E Eau de la ville – mains water Eau de puits – well water Échafaudage – scaffolding Éclairage – electric lighting Écurie – stable Égout – sewer Electrician – electrician Électricité – electricity Enduit – rendering Enduit intérieur – plaster (internal wall finish) Entrée – hall Envillagement – group of buildings, farm, hamlet Escallier – staircase Est – east Étable – cowshed Étage – floor, storey Étagère – shelf État – condition Évier – sink F Faïence – wall tiling Faîte – ridge Fenêtres – windows Fenêtre à battants – casement window Fenêtre à guillotine – sash window Ferme – farm Fermette – small farm Fiche (électricité) – electrical plug Fil (électrique) – electrical wire Fissure, lézarde – crack Fléchissement – deflection Foundation – foundation Fosse étanche – cesspit Fosse septique – septic tank Four à pain – bread oven Fournil – bakehouse Frisette – tongue and groove panelling Fuel – domestic heating oil Fuite – leakage G Gazinière – gas cooker Gouttière – roof gutter Grange – barn (stone + slate/tiles) Grenier – loft, attic Gros oeuvre – basic structure H Hameau – hamlet Hangar – barn (corrugated iron + wood) Hotte – cooker hood Huisserie – door frame Humidité – dampness I Insect xylophage – woodworm Insert – enclosed, glass fronted fireplace Isolation thermique – thermal insulation J Jardin – garden Joli cadre – attractive setting Jontoiement – pointing K L Lambris – wood panelling Lavabo – washbasin Lave-mains – handbasin Lézarde – crack Linteau – lintel Lucarne – dormer window or skylight M Maçon – bricklayer Maçonnerie – brickwork, masonry Maison – house Malfaçon – defective work/job Marteau - hammer Menuisier – carpenter and joiner Meubles – furniture Mitoyenneté – attached to another property Mitoyenneté (non) – detached Mitre – chimney pot Mobilier – furniture Moquette – fitted carpet Mortier – mortar Moyen – fair Murs – walls Mur (limite de propriété) – boundary wall Mur à double paroi – cavity wall Mur mitoyen – party wall N Neuf/neuve – new Nord – north Novopan – chipboard O Orientation – facing Oust – west P Panne – purlin Parpaings – concrete blocks Parquet – floorboards Peintre – painter Peinture – paint Persiennes – shutters Pièces – rooms Pierre – stone Pignon – gable Placard – cupboard Placoplâtre – plasterboard Plafond – ceiling Planche faîtière – ridge board Plancher – structural floor Platelage – floor timber, decking Plâtre – plaster Paltrier – plasterer Pince - pliers Plomb – lead Plombier – plumber Poignée – door handle Porte – door Porte à panneaux – panelled door Porte-fenêtre – French door, French window Pourriture – rot Pourriture humide – wet rot Pourriture séche – dry rot Pouters – beams Pouters apparentes – exposed beams Prise (électricité) electrical socket Prix TTC – all inclusive price Proche – close Q R Radiateur – radiator Rayon – shelf Rayonnage – shelving Remise – large shed Reparation, reprise – repair Reserve – storeroom Reservoir (d’eau) – cold water storage cistern Restaurée – renovated Restaurée en partie – partially renovated Revêtement de sol – floor covering Rez-de-chaussée – ground floor Rive (toit) – verge Robinet – tap Robinet mitiguer – mixer tap S Salle à manger – dining room Salle de bains – bathroom Salle d’eau – shower room Séjour – living room Serrure – lock Seuil – threshold and doorsill Site – location Sol – floor Sol ciment – concrete floor Solive de plancher – timber floor joist Souche de cheninée – chimney stack Sous-sol – basement Sud – south Survitrage – secondary double glazing T Tapisserie – wallpaper Tassement – settlement (foundations) Taxe Foncière + Taxe d’Habiation – French equivalent to Council Tax Terrain (superficie) – land area Terre battue – earth floor Toit – roof Tôle – corrugated iron Tout à l’égout – mains sewerage Tout proche, tout près – nearby Tuiles – roof tiles Tuile arêtière – hip tile Tuile faîtière – ridge tile Tuile plate à emboîtement – flat interlocking roof tile Tuyau de descente – rainwater downpipe U V Vasistas – fanlight Vélux – rooflight Vernis – varnish Verre – glass Verre polit – plate glass Ville – town Vis – screw Vitre, vitrage – glazing, glass, pane of glass Vitrier – glazier Voisins – neighbours Volet – external shutter W X Y Z Zinc - zinc Looking for a builder in France? Check out our Classified Ads/Property services See also our French Legal Terms page and our article on the French Buying Process. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

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