Or even if you do not live in France and own a holiday home you can perhaps communicate with your French builder a little better knowing some of the terms. The translation may not be perfect but if you struggle like I often do at least you can write them down to show your Builder. Who can then have a good laugh at your pronunciation.

 

Acrow	prop Étresillon á vis
Asbestos	amiante
Ballcock	robinet á flotteur
Banister	ramp d’ escalier
Batten	liteau (or) tasseau
Beam	poutre
Blade	lame
Breezeblock	parpaing agglomere
Bolt	boulon
Brick	brique
Cable ducting	conduit gaine
Casing of door	dormant
Ceiling	plafond
Chasing	rainurage
Chimney	souche
Chipboard	agglomere de particules
Chippings	gravilons
Concrete mixer	betonniere
Conservatory	jardan d’ hiver
Cornice	corniche
Crushed rock	roche concassee
Damp proofing	isolation contre l’humidite
Delivery	livraison
Doubledoor	porte á deux battant
Doubleglazing	deux vitrage
Downpipe	chute
Dry rot	pourriture seche
Estimate	devis
Excavator	pelleteuse
Feltroofing	carton bitumen
Flagstone	dalle
Floor covering	revetement du sol
Floor joist	solive de plancher
Flue	conduit de cheminee
French window	portefenetre
Gable	pignon
Glass fibre	fibre de verre
Glazing	vitrerie (or) vitrage
Grout	coulis
Handrail	lisse (or) garde corps
Hinge	charniere
Hot water tank	ballon d’eau chaude
Insulated plasterboard	plaque de platre (or) placoplatre
Insulation sound	isolation accoustic (or) phonique
Ironmonger	quincaillerie
Joinery	menuiserie
Labour	main d’ oeuvre
Ladder	echelle
Lead flashing	revetement de plomb
Lime hydraulic	chaux hydraulique
Lime (non) hydraulic	chaux aerienne
Lining for chimney	tubage
Load bearing	sectionelement porteur
Main drain	egout collecteur
Marble	marbre
Measuring tape	metre á ruban
Mesh for concrete	ferraillage
Mortar	mortier
Moulding	moulure
Nozzle	buse
Overmantle	trumeau
Paint masonry	peinture crepe
Paneling	lambrissage (or) boiserie
Partition	cloison
Pavingdellage (or) pavage
Pipework	canalisation (or) tuyauterie
Pitch of roof	chute de comble
Planer	raboteuse
Plywood	bois contreplaque
Pneumatic drill	marteau piqueur
Pointing	jointoiement
Power point	prise de courant
Propping	etayage
Putty	mastiquer
Rafter	chevron
Ready-mix concrete	beton prêt á l’emploi
Recondition	remise en etat
Reinforcement	armature
Render	hourder
Resurface	refaire la surface
Ridge beam	madrier de faitage
Rockwooll	aine minerale de roche
Roof board	volige
Roof-space	comble
Roof-light	vastistas
Rub down	poncer
Rubble	blocaille
Rust proofing	traitement antirouille
Sander	ponceuse
Sandstone	gres
Sash-window	fenetre á guillotine
Scaffolding	echafaudage
Screed	chape
Settlement (ground)	tassement
Shingle	bardeau
Shoring-up	blindage
Shower tray	bac de douche
Sill	appui
Skip	benne
Skirting	plinthe
Slab-concrete	dalle
Spanner	clef
Stair-well	jour
Stake	piquet
Steel joist	solive en acier
Stop-cock	robinet d’arret
Supply (eg;water)	alimentation
Tank	citerne
Tarpaulin	bache
Tile adhesive	ciment colle
Trowel	truelle
Truss	ferme
Turfing	gazoner
Under-pinning	sousoeuvre
Veneer	placage
Wall retaining	mur de retenue
Wall-plug	cheville
Washer	rondelle
Water-tight