This is a glossary will include vocabulary about building a home without hiring a general-contractor. I'll include words that can help you from start to finish of the construction.
architect
noun
A person who designs buildings and in many cases also supervises their construction.
Example: In keeping with the designer's and architect's goal of creating an elegant structure, the decision was also made to make these screens transparent.
fr: architecte
carpenter
noun
A person who makes and repairs wooden objects and structures.
Example: Accordingly, his employment as a carpenter is reminiscent of Jesus' vocation.
fr: charpentier
concrete pump
noun
A concrete pump is a machine used for transferring liquid concrete by pumping.
Example: The worker uses the concrete pump to create the house's foundation.
fr: pompe à béton
contractor
noun
A person or company that undertakes a contract to provide materials or labor to perform a service or do a job.
Example: The school meals service is provided by private contractors.
fr: entrepreneur
drill
noun
A hand tool, power tool, or machine with a rotating cutting tip or reciprocating hammer or chisel, used for making holes.
Example: In connection with this, a serial cable was made from some cable and twisted together using a vice and a drill chuck, before soldering the connectors on the end.
fr: perceuse
electrician
noun
A person who installs and maintains electrical equipment.
Example: In 1881 he worked for the American Telephone Company in Budapest where he was the chief electrician to the company.
fr: électricien
fascia board
noun
The fascia board is the one mounted at the point where the roof meets the outer walls of the house and is often called the ROOFLINE.
Example: This fascia board covers up the roof and holds up the gutters.
fr: planche fascia
formwork
noun
Formwork is temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured.
Example: Other sub-contractors included Eiffel Construction Metallique (responsible for Steel Construction), Greisch (responsible for deck construction), Munch (responsible for pylons) and PERI (responsible for formwork and Scaffholding).
fr: coffrage
foundation
noun
The lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level.
Example: This building's foundation is not very strong, that's why it's tilting like that.
fr: fondation
french drain
noun
A French drain or weeping tile is a trench filled with gravel or rock or containing a perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area.
Example: The french drain runs all the way around the house to redirect rain water.
fr: drain français
hammer
noun
A tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle, used for jobs such as breaking things and driving in nails.
fr: marteau
I-beam
noun
A girder which has the shape of an I when viewed in section.
Example: The floor is supported by this huge I-beam.
fr: poutre en I
insulation
noun
Material used to insulate something, especially a building.
Example: Just 100mm of insulation in the roof of the hotel can reduce heat loss by 50-70% (Webster, 2000).
fr: isolation
jackhammer
noun
A portable pneumatic hammer or drill.
Example: I rented this jackhammer to get rid of this slab of concrete.
fr: marteau-piqueur
mortar
noun
Mortar is a workable paste which dries to bind building blocks such as stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units, to fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, and sometimes to add decorative colors or patterns to masonry walls.
Example: This mortar has been holding these bricks for decades.
fr: mortier
nail
noun
A small metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven typically into wood with a hammer to join things together or to serve as a peg or hook.
Example: The carpenter uses his hammer to nail these planks together.
fr: clou
plate compactor
noun
An engine-powered, walk-behind machine used for compaction of a wide variety of sand, gravel and granular base materials.
Example: Let's use the plate compactor to compact the gravel ground.
fr: dame sauteuse
reinforcement bar
noun
A steel reinforcing rod in concrete.
Example: The reinforcement bars hold the concrete together so it doesn't crack.
fr: barre de renforcement
soffit board
noun
The soffit board is tucked away under the fascia board. The soffit can be ventilated to allow the flow of air into the roof area.
Example: This soffit board allows for air to circulate between the attic and the outside.
fr: planche de soffit
stucco
noun
Fine plaster used for coating wall surfaces or molding into architectural decorations.
Example: This house's exterior is covered in stucco.
