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A French Restoration

The French Property Restorer’s Essential French Phrasebook

When you fall in love common sense flies out of the window. This is how it was for David and Doris Johnson when they found a down-at-heel mini chateau in the heartland of France. A three year restoration began - and with it a journey of discovery.

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French

English

English

French

acquéreur

purchaser

accountant

comptable

agglomére

chipboard

adhesive (for tiles)

cément colle

agrafe

window catch

advice

conseils

agrandissement

extension

alter or convert

aménager

alimentation

supply or supplier

amount (of money)

montant

alimentation en eau

water supply

approximately

environ

aménager

to alter or convert

asbestos

amiante

amiante

asbestos

attic

grenier

appui

sill

authority (documented)

pouvoir

armature

a reinforcement

balcony

balcon

assainissement

disposal of sewage

ballcock

robinet à flotteur

bac a gâcher

mixing tray (e.g. plaster)

banisters

rampe d’escalier

bac de douche

shower tray

bankruptcy

faillite

bâche

tarpaulin

bathroom

salle de bains

bâcier

to botch

batten or bracket

liteau

balcon

balcony

bedroom

chambre

ballon d’eau

water tank

bill (utility)

facture

bâtiment

building

blade

lame

bêche

spade

bolt

boulon

bénefice

profit

botch

bâcier

benne

rubbish skip

boundary (limit)

borne

beton arme

reinforced concrete

breeze block

parpaing agglomére

béton pret a I’emploi

ready-mixed concrete

brick (standard)

brique pleine

bétonniere

concrete mixer

brush (wire)

brosse métallique

blocaille

rubble

building

bâtiment

bois contraplaqué

plywood

bungalow

plain pied

bon bricolage

may good fortune shine on your DIY efforts

business (name and goodwill)

fonds de commerce

borne

boundary (limit)

business (venture)

entreprise

boulon

bolt

câble

cable

brique plain

standard brick

carpet

moquette

brosse métallique

wire brush

carry out (agreement)

realisation

brouette

wheelbarrow

ceiling

plafond

cabinet

small room or office

ceiling (false)

faux plafond

capitaux permanents

long term finances (resources)

cellar

sous sol

cellier

store (room)

chimney (and fireplace)

cheminée

cément colle

adhesive for tiles

chimney stack

souche

chambre

bedroom

chipboard

agglomére

chape

screed

chippings

gravillons

charges

expenses, costs

clerk of works

maître d’ouvrage

charnière

hinge

concrete mixer

bétonnière

chauffage

heating

concrete, ready-mixed

béton prêt à I’emploi

chauffage central

central heating

concrete, reinforced

béton armé

cheminée

chimney or fireplace

conservatory

jardin d’hiver

cheville

wall plug

construction

construction

chevron

rafter

cornice

corniche

chute descente

downpipe

covered

couvert

citerne

tank

damp (proof) course

couche méable

clé

spanner

deadline

délai d’execution

cloison

partition

deadline

délai

clou

nail

delivery date

délai de livraison

commerçant

trader (legal and licensed)

deposit

depôt de garantie

commune

district (local)

district (local)

commune

comptable

accountant

DIY

bricolage

conduit

cable

double glazing

double vitrage

construction

construction

downpipe

chute descente

contenance

land area

drain (main)

grand collecteur

corniche

cornice

drainage (mains)

tout-à-1’égout

couche méable

damp (proof) course

draw up a contract

rediger un contrat

coulis

grout

drill (pneumatic)

marteau piquer

couvert

covered

dry rot

pourriture

cuisine

kitchen

earth (electrical)

terre sol

dalle

flagstone

estimate

devis

débarras

box room

excavator

pelleteuse

délai

deadline

extension

agrandisssement

délai d’execution

deadline

fault

tnalfaçon

délai de livraison

delivery date

fibreglass

fibre de verre

délai de reflexion

pause for thought

finances, long term resources

capitaux permanents

dépôt de garantie

deposit

finishing

finition

devis

estimate

fireplace (and chimney)

cheminée

double vitrage

double glazing

fittings (taps and bath)

robinetterie

durée

time period (mortgage)

flagstone

dalle

échafaudage

scaffolding

floor (covering)

revêtement de sol

élément de cuisine

kitchen unit

floor joist

solive de plancher

entreprise

business (venture)

floorboard

planche

environ

approximately

floorboard (warped)

planche voilée

escalier

staircase

flue (metal liner)

tubage

étage

storey

foundations (+ main walls)

gros oeuvre

etancheite

imperviousness

frame (iron, for concreting)

férraillage

extérieur

outside

french window

porte-fenêtre

facture

invoice, bill(utility)

garden

jardin

faillite

bankruptcy

glazing

vitrage

faux plafond

false ceiling

ground

sol

fenêtre

window

grounds

terrain

fenêtre à guillotine

sash window

grout

coulis

férraillage

iron frame (for concreting)

gun (glue)

pistolet à colle

fibre de verre

fibreglass

gun (sealant or silicone)

pistolet pour mastic

finition

finishing

hammer

marteau

flexion

sagging

heating

chauffage

fonds de commerce

business (name and goodwill)

heating (central)

chauffage central

fosse septique

septic tank

hinge

charnière

four

oven

home (second)

maison secondaire

gazonner

to put down turf

house

maison

géomètre

survey or surveyor

house (detached)

pavillon

grand collecteur

main drain

imperviousness

étanchéite

gravillons

chippings

infilling (cracks)

rebouchage

grenier

attic

insulation (heat)

isolation thermique

grès

sandstone

insulation (panel)

panneau composite

gros oeuvre

walls and foundations

insulation (sound)

isolation acoustique

hors d’équerre

not (or out of) square

interior

intérieur

hourder

to render

invoice

facture

hypothèque

mortgage

ironmonger’s

quincaillerie

indivision

joint (property) ownership

joinery

ménuiserie

isolation acoustique

sound insulation

joist (steel)

solive en acier

isolation thermique

heat insulation

kitchen

cuisine

jardin

garden

kitchen unit

élément de cuisine

jardin d’hiver

conservatory

land, building

terrain constructible

jointoiement

pointing

lawn

pelouse

jouissance

right to tenure

lay (bricks)

maçonner

laine d’acier

wire wool

lender

organisme prêteur

laine de roche

rockwool

loans and mortgages

prêts

lame

blade

lounge (living room)

living/salle de séjour/salon

liteau

batten or bracket

manhole cover

plaque d’égout

living

lounge (living room)

masonry mortar

mortier normal

maçonner

to lay bricks

mildew

moisissure

maison

house

mortar

mortier

maison d’amis

second home

mortgage

hypothéque

maître d’ouvrage

clerk of works

mortgage (period)

durée

malfaçon

fault

moulding

moulure

marteau

hammer

nail

clou

marteau piquer

pneumatic drill

offer (to buy)

offre d’achat

mastiquer

to putty

out of true (alignment)

porter a faux

menuiserie

joinery

outside

extérieur

métre ruban

tape for measuring

oven

four

moisissure

mildew

overflow (pipe or drain)

tuyeu de trop-plein

montant

amount (of money)

ownership, joint (property)

indivision

moquette

carpet

paint (work)

peinture

mortier

mortar

partition

cloison

mortier normal

masonry

pause (for thought)

délai de reflexion

moulure

moulding

permit for building

permis de construire

mur de retenue

retaining wall

plasterboard

placoplâtre

offre d’achat

offer to buy

plywood

bois contraplaqué

organisme prêteur

lender

pointing

jointoiement

ouverture de chantier

start of (building) work

postponement

remise

panneau composite

insulation panel

power point

prise de courant

parpaing

breeze block

price (fixed)

prixfixe

pavillon

small(ish) detached house

profit

bénefice

peinture

paint (work)

purchaser

acquéreur

peleteuse

excavator

to putty

mastiquer

pelouse

lawn

rafter

chevron

permis de construire

permit for building

reconditioning

remise en état

piégce

room

reinforcement, a

armature

pistolet à colle

glue gun

render

hourder

pistolet pour mastic

sealant (silicone) gun

resurface

refaire la surface

placage

veneer

rockwool

laine de roche

placoplâtre

plasterboard

roof

toiture

plafond

ceiling

room

pièce

plain-pied

single storey

room (small)

cabinet

planche

board (floor)

room (store)

cellier

planche voilée

warped floorboard

room (box)

débarras

plaque d’égout

manhole cover

room (living)

salle de séjour

plinthe

skirting

room (sitting)

salon

poncer

to rub down

rub down

poncer

ponceuse

sanding machine

rubble

blocaille

porte-fenêtre

french window

sagging

flexion

porter à faux

out of true (alignment)

sander (machine)

ponceuse

poser une vitre

put in a window

sandstone

grès

pourriture

dry rot

saw

scie

pouvoir

authority (documented)

scaffolding

échafaudage

préscriptions

instruction advice

screed

chape

préts

loans and mortgages

screw

vis

prise de courant

power point

screwdriver

tournevis

prixfermé

fixed price

serviced site

viabilisé

quincaillerie

ironmonger’s (shop)

sewage (disposal)

assainissement

rampe d’escalier

banisters

sill

appui

rangements

storage areas

situated

situé

realisation

to carry out agreement

skip (for rubbish)

benne

rebuchage

infilling (cracks)

skirting

plinthe

rédiger un contrat

to make (draw up) a contract

spade

béche

refaire la surface

to resurface

spanner

clé

remise

postponement

square, out of, or not

hors d’équerre

rémise en état

reconditioning

staircase

escalier

revêtement

surface

start (of building work)

ouverture de chantier

revêtement de sol

floor covering

stopcock

robinet d’arret

robinet à flotteur

ballcock

storage areas

rangements

robinet d’arrêt

stopcock

storey

étage

robinetterie

taps and bath fittings

supply or supplier

alimentation

rondelle

washer

surface

revêtement

salle de bains

bathroom

survey (property)

visite d’expert

salon

sitting room

survey or surveyor

géomètre

scie

saw

tank

citerne

salle de séjour

living room

tank (septic)

fosse septique

situé

situated

tape (measuring)

mètre ruban

sol

ground

tarpaulin

bâche

solive de plancher

floor joist

tenure, right to

jouissance

solive en acier

steel joist

terrace

terrasse

souche

chimney stack

trader (legal and licensed)

commerçant

sous sol

cellar

tray (e.g. for mixing plaster)

bac à gdcher

terrain

grounds

tray (shower)

bac de douche

terrain constructible

land (building)

trowel

truelle

terrasse

terrace

turf (to put down)

gazonner

terre sol

earth (electrical)

vendor

vendeur

toiture

roof

veneer

placage

tournevis

screwdriver

wall plug

cheville

tout-à-l’ égout

mains drainage

wall, retaining

mur de retenue

traveaux

work (required)

washer

rondelle

truelle

trowel

water supply

alimentation en eau

tubage

flue (metal liner)

water tank

ballon d’eau

tuyeu de trop-plein

overflow (pipe or drain)

wheelbarrow

brouette

vendeur

vendor

window

fenêtre

vermoulu

woodworm (holes)

window (to put in)

poser une vitre

viabilisé

serviced site

window (catch)

agrafe

vice de construction

botched building work

window, sash

fenêtre à guillotine

vis

screw

woodworm (holes)

vermoulu

visite d’expert

property survey

wool (wire)

laine d’acier

vitrage

glazing

work (required)

traveaux

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