Glossary of Building Fittings and Accessories in English and French
When describing fixtures and fittings of a house, we sometimes have trouble finding the right word in our own language, let alone another. This glossary translates many of the words and names you could come across when explaining or briefing to a French builder, artisan, or helpful neighbour!
Click here for building terms and features
Building Fittings and Accessories
| Building Fittings and Accessories
| |||
| English | French | French | English | |
| air vent | trou | à niveau | level | |
| alarm bell | sonnerie d'alarme | abat-jour | lampshade | |
| asbestos | amiante | acier | steel | |
| adoucisseur d'eau | water softener | |||
| batten | latte | affaissement | subsidence | |
| bearer | support | agrafe | staple | |
| bevel | biseau | aménager | fit out | |
| boiler | chaudière | amiante | asbestos | |
| bolt | boulon | ampoule | light bulb | |
| bore hole | trou de sondage | antidérapant | non-slip | |
| bracket | tasseau | apprêter | prime (wood) | |
| chimney-sweep | ramoneur | bâche | tarpaulin | |
| crack | fissure | bail | lease | |
| cupboard (built in) | placard | bancal | (not) level | |
| benne | skip | |||
| damp | humidité | béton arme | reinforced concrete | |
| damp proof course | couche isolante | biseau | bevel | |
| day-work | travail a la journée | bois de chauffage | firewood | |
| de-humidifier | déshumidificateur | bois exotique | hardwood (red) | |
| discount | escompte | boiserie | woodwork | |
| DIY | bricolage | boisseau sphérique | valve: ball valve | |
| door handle | poignée de porte | boite aux lettres | letter box | |
| door knob | bouton de porte | boite de dérivation | junction box (electrical) | |
| downpipe | tuyau de descente | boulon | bolt | |
| drain | vidange | bourrelet | draught-excluder | |
| draught-excluder | bourrelet | bouton de porte | door knob | |
| dry-rot | pourriture sèche | bricolage | DIY | |
| duct | conduit | bricoleur | handyman | |
| brillant | gloss (paint) | |||
| estimate | devis | |||
| cadenas | padlock | |||
| fencing wire mesh | grillage | chape | screed | |
| fire extinguisher | extincteur | chasse d'eau | flush (toilet) | |
| fire-guard | garde-feu | chaudière | boiler | |
| fire proof | ininflammable | chauffe-eau | water heater | |
| firewood | bois de chauffage | clou | nail | |
| fit out | aménager | coin | wedge | |
| fix | pose | compteur- | meter (elec or water etc) | |
| fixed price | prix fixe | conduit | duct | |
| flammable | inflammable | conduit de cheminée | flue | |
| flue | conduit de cheminée | conduite principale | water main | |
| flush (toilet) | chasse d'eau | couche isolante | damp proof course | |
| court-circuit | short-circuit | |||
| gloss (paint) | brillant | cumulus électrique, ballon | immersion heater | |
| handle | poignée | déborder | overflow (to) | |
| handyman | bricoleur | déménagement | removal | |
| hard water | eau dure | déshumidificateur | de-humidifier | |
| hardware (building) | quincaillerie | devis | estimate | |
| hardwood (red) | bois exotique | disponible | in stock | |
| hedge | haie | douille | lamp-holder | |
| hinge | gond | douille | socket (mechanics) | |
| hire | location | eau dure | hard water | |
| hose-pipe | tuyau d'arrosage | échafaudage | scaffold | |
| hot plate (hob) | plaque chauffante | échelle | ladder | |
| enduit, crépi | render | |||
| immersion heater | cumulus électrique, ballon | envelopper | lag | |
| in stock | disponible | escompte | discount | |
| invoice | facture | étanche | watertight | |
| iron (material) | fer | étayer | shore up | |
| iron (cast) | fonte | extincteur | fire extinguisher | |
| ironmongery | quincaillerie | |||
| facture | invoice | |||
| joist | solive | fer | iron (material) | |
| junction box (electrical) | boite de dérivation | fer forgé | wrought iron | |
| feutre a toit | roofing felt | |||
| keyhole | trou de serrure | fiche | plug (electric) | |
| fissure | crack | |||
| ladder | échelle | fixer un prix | quote | |
| lag | envelopper | fonte | iron (cast) | |
| lamp-holder | douille | fournisseur | supplier | |
| lampshade | abat-jour | fuite | leak | |
| lawn-mower | tondeuse | |||
| leak | fuite | garde-feu | fire-guard | |
| lease | bail | gond | hinge | |
| letter box | boite aux lettres | goudron | tar | |
| level | à niveau | gravats | rubble | |
| (not) level | bancal | grillage | fencing wire mesh | |
| lever | levier | |||
| light bulb | ampoule | haie | hedge | |
| linseed oil | huile de lin | heures creuses | off-peak (electric) | |
| maintenance | l'entretien | huile de lin | linseed oil | |
| manhole | trou de visite | humidité | damp | |
| manhole cover | plaque d'égout | hydrofuge | waterseal (silicone) | |
| masonry paint | peinture crépi | impermeable | waterproof | |
| meter (elec or water etc) | compteur- | inflammable | flammable | |
| mildew | moisissure | ininflammable | fire proof | |
| mould | moisi | insonore | sound proof | |
| interrupteur | switch (one way) | |||
| nail | clou | interupteur va et vient | switchftwo way) | |
| non-slip | antidérapant | |||
| jardin de rocaille | rockery | |||
| off-peak (electric) | heures creuses | jointoyer | point (brickwork) | |
| overflow (an) | tuyau d'écoulement | |||
| overflow (to) | déborder | latte | batten | |
| l'entretien | maintenance | |||
| padlock | cadenas | levier | lever | |
| plasterboard | placoplâtre | location | hire | |
| pliers | pinces | |||
| plug (electric) | fiche | mastic | putty | |
| plumbing | plomberie | minuterie | time-switch | |
| point (brickwork) | jointoyer | moisi | mould | |
| price list | tarif | moisissure | mildew | |
| prime (wood) | apprêter | |||
| prop | support | peinture crépi | masonry paint | |
| putty | mastic | pinces | pliers | |
| placage | veneer | |||
| quote | fixer un prix | placard | cupboard (built in) | |
| placoplâtre | plasterboard | |||
| receipt | reçu | plaque chauffante | hot plate (hob) | |
| recess | recoin | plaque d'égout | manhole cover | |
| reinforced concrete | béton arme | plinthe | skirting board | |
| removal | déménagement | plomberie | plumbing | |
| render | enduit, crépi | poignée | handle | |
| repair | réparation | poignée de porte | door handle | |
| restoration | restauration | porte va et vient | swing door | |
| restore | restaurer | pose | fix | |
| rising damp | remontées d'humidité nf / infiltration | pourriture | rot | |
| rockery | jardin de rocaille | pourriture sèche | dry-rot | |
| roofing felt | feutre a toit | prise | socket (electric) | |
| rot | pourriture | prix fixe | fixed price | |
| rubble | gravats | projecteur | spotlight | |
| rust | rouille | |||
| quincaillerie | hardware (building) | |||
| sand | sable | quincaillerie | ironmongery | |
| sandblast | sablager | |||
| saw | scie | ramoneur | chimney-sweep | |
| scaffold | échafaudage | recoin | recess | |
| screed | chape | reçu | receipt | |
| screw | vis | remontées d'humidité nf / infiltration | rising damp | |
| screw to | visser | réparation | repair | |
| screwdriver | tournevis | restauration | restoration | |
| sharp | tranchant | restaurer | restore | |
| shore up | étayer | robinet | tap | |
| short-circuit | court-circuit | robinet de fermeture | stop cock | |
| skip | benne | robinet non retour | valve: non-return | |
| skirting board | plinthe | rouille | rust | |
| socket (mechanics) | douille | |||
| socket (electric) | prise | sablager | sandblast | |
| soil pipe | tuyau d'égout | sable | sand | |
| sound proof | insonore | scie | saw | |
| spotlight | projecteur | solive | joist | |
| staple | agrafe | sonnerie d'alarme | alarm bell | |
| steel | acier | soupape nfj robinet | valve | |
| stop cock | robinet de fermeture | sous-couche | undercoat | |
| subsidence | affaissement | support | bearer | |
| supplier | fournisseur | support | prop | |
| swing door | porte va et vient | |||
| switch (one way) | interrupteur | tarif | price list | |
| switchftwo way) | interupteur va et vient | tasseau | bracket | |
| tondeuse | lawn-mower | |||
| tap | robinet | tournevis | screwdriver | |
| tar | goudron | tranchant | sharp | |
| tarpaulin | bâche | travail a la journée | day-work | |
| time-switch | minuterie | traverse | transom | |
| transom | traverse | treillage | trellis-work | |
| trellis-work | treillage | trou | air vent | |
| trou de serrure | keyhole | |||
| undercoat | sous-couche | trou de sondage | bore hole | |
| trou de visite | manhole | |||
| valve | soupape nfj robinet | tuyau d'arrosage | hose-pipe | |
| valve: non-return | robinet non retour | tuyau de descente | downpipe | |
| valve: ball valve | boisseau sphérique | tuyau d'écoulement | overflow (an) | |
| VAT (value added tax) | TVA | tuyau d'égout | soil pipe | |
| veneer | placage | TVA | VAT (value added tax) | |
| water heater | chauffe-eau | vermoulu | worm eaten | |
| water main | conduite principale | vidange | drain | |
| water softener | adoucisseur d'eau | vis | screw | |
| waterproof | impermeable | |||
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Some photography courtesy of Matthew Weinreb
© Copyright 2010 Purslow's Gascony.
Some photography courtesy of Matthew Weinreb
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Purslow's Gascony
St Maur, 32300 Mirande
email Purslow's Gascony
tel. + 33 (0)5 62 67 61 50
fax. + 33 (0)5 62 67 59 35
St Maur, 32300 Mirande
email Purslow's Gascony
tel. + 33 (0)5 62 67 61 50
fax. + 33 (0)5 62 67 59 35
