Kitchen
- Plan de travail, worktop. On a quote, "plan de travail ép. 3 cm", ép. meaning thickness.
- Îlot, island.
- Crédence, splashback. A low strip along the wall is a remontée or dosseret, 5 to 10 cm high.
- Retombée, the end that drops to the floor, the waterfall.
- Découpe, cut-out. "Découpe évier sous plan" is an undermount sink cut-out.
- Égouttoir or rainures, drainer grooves.
- Évier taillé dans la masse, a sink carved from the stone.
- Porte-à-faux, overhang. Past about 30 cm on 3 cm, the quote should mention brackets.
Edges
| French | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chant droit | Square edge | Slightly eased |
| Chant demi-rond | Half bullnose | Softer, hides small knocks |
| Chant chanfreiné | Chamfered | A small 45° strip |
| Chant quart-de-rond | Quarter round | Top edge rounded only |
| Chant rapporté | Mitred build-up | Glued at 45° to look thicker |
A chant rapporté is how a 2 cm slab shows a 6 cm edge without the weight.
Finishes
- Poli, polished. Shows acid marks more.
- Adouci, honed, satin to matt. What most people ask for on marble in old houses.
- Brossé or cuir, brushed or leathered.
- Flammé, flamed, rough, for granite outside.
- Bouchardé, bush-hammered, for steps and terraces.
- Sablé, sandblasted.
- Vieilli, aged, the usual travertine pool finish.
Bathroom
- Vasque, basin. À poser sits on top, encastrée is set into the slab.
- Plan vasque, vanity top. See bathrooms.
- Receveur de douche, shower tray. "Sur mesure" means cut to size.
- Habillage mural, wall cladding.
- Tablette, a shelf, also a mantel shelf.
Outside
- Dallage, paving, on a terrasse.
- Margelle, pool coping, see pool coping.
- Appui de fenêtre, window sill. Seuil, threshold. Encadrement, surround.
- Marche, contremarche, nez de marche, tread, riser, nosing. Giron is the tread depth.
- Moquette de granulats, resin-bound stone carpet.
Paperwork
- Devis, quote. The trader must say beforehand if it's paid.
- Bon pour accord, the words you write above your signature.
- Acompte, deposit. Solde, balance.
- Facture, invoice. TVA is VAT, see quotes and VAT.
- Gabarit, template. Métré, measured quantities.
- Pose, fitting. Fourniture seule, supply only.
- Destockage, clearance stock, see slabs.
On site
- Hydrofuge, water repellent. Oléofuge, oil and water repellent, better against cooking fat.
- Cristallisation, a treatment that hardens and shines marble, see restoration.
- Mastic, filler or adhesive, often tinted resin.
- Joint silicone. Ask for neutral-cure silicone for stone, acetic silicone can stain marble.
False friends
A plaque is a slab, not a commemorative plate. A tranche is one slab cut from a block, and "deux tranches suivies" means two slabs cut one after the other, which you ask for when the veins have to carry on across a joint. Marbre reconstitué isn't repaired marble, it's crushed marble in resin. Granit on a quote can mean any hard crystalline rock.
Decimals use a comma. "Ép. 2,5 cm" is two and a half centimetres.
Trades
A marbrier cuts and fits stone, that's us. A carreleur lays tiles. A cuisiniste sells and fits kitchens. A tailleur de pierre works structural stone on old buildings. In a village, one firm may do two of these.
