Common Construction Terms

Adhesivo para pisos - adhesive for ceramic tile

Adoquines – paving stones

Agregado – an addition

Agregar un cuarto – to add on a room

Aire acondicionado - air conditioning

Aire condicionado central or industrial - central air conditioning

Aislamiento - electrical insulation

Alambrado - wiring

Alero – overhang

Andamio - scaffold

Antesala- small entrance room

Apagador or interruptor – light switch

Arena - sand

Armazón – a frame

Arquitecto paisajista –landscape architect

Atico – attic

Asfalto - asphalt

Azulejo - bathroom or kitchen tile

Bajante – a horizontal drain pipe for a rain gutter

Balcón - balcony

Baño – bathroom

Barandal – a banister

Barnizar – to varnish

Bisagra – a hinge

Bloque – cinder block

Bodega – a storage room

Bondex – a substance used to glue tile to the floor

Botiquín – a medicine cabinet

Caja de breaker - breaker box

Canoa – rain gutter

Cava – wine cellar

Celosia – louvered window

Cemento – cement

Cerámica – ceramic floor tile

Cerchas – trusses used to frame structures

Cerradura - a lock Llavín in Costa Rica

Cesped – lawn

Cielo artesonado – coffered ceiling

Cieloraso – the interior ceiling of a house

Chimenea - chimney

Chorrear concreto – to pour concrete

Cimientos - foundation

Cloaca or alcantarilla – sewer

Columna - column

Comedor – dining room

Cuarto de empleada – maid’s quarters

Cuarto de pilas – laundry room

Desagüe – drain

Desayunador – breakfast counter

Distibución – the layout of the house

Dormitorio – bedroom

Ducha – shower

Ebanista – a person who builds doors or cabinets

Empotrable – built in

Enchape – a stone facade

Esacaleras - stairs

Escalera de caracol – spiral staircase

Espejo - mirror

Fachada – façade

Fontanería - pluming

Formaleta - a wooden frame used for filling spaces with concrete

Fragua – grout

Fraguar - to grout

Fregadero – kitchen sink

Frente – front of a house or property

Fuente - fountain

Grado de inclinación- slope

Grifería – faucets

Gypsum or tablaroca– sheet rock

Hierro forjado – wrought iron

Iluminación - lighting

Jacuzzi – Jacuzzi

Jardinera – flower bed

Ladrillo - brick

Lastre or grava - gravel

Lavamanos – bathroom sink

Línea blanca – kitchen appliances like a refrigerator

Loza sanitaria – bathroom fixtures like the tub and toilette

Llave de paso – Any type shut off valve for plumbing. Metal or PVC for water, gas, air pressure

Madera - wood

Mampostería – cement work

Manija – door handle

Marco - door or window frame

Medio baño – half-bath

Muebles de cocina – kitchen cabinets

Muro de contención or retención – retaining wall

Obra gris – grey work = the cement work for a structure

Pared – interior or exterior wall

Pasta - putty or plaster for interior or exterior finishing of walls or ceilings

Patio – patio

Patio de luz – an interior patio or light well

Perforar un pozo - to drill a well

Permiso de construcción – construction permit

Perling – Perling is slang for Perfil=C shaped metal studs for framing construction, including;

Vigas=beams ,Cerchas=trusses , Columnas=columns and Viguetas de entrepiso=floor joists.

Persianas – Venetian blinds

Piedra - stone

Pintura – paint

Pintura base – primer

Piscina – swimming pool

Plafón – a light fixture

Planos – plans

Plantel or sitio para construir – a construction site

Portón – a gate

Puerta – door

Puerta corrediza – sliding door

Puertas de baño – doors for a shower stall

Radiestécisa or marcar pozos - water witching (locating underground water)

Rancho – a gazebo type structure used for BBQ’s and other outdoor recreation activities

Reflector – flood light

Repello – concrete plaster

Repellar - to plaster

Rodapie – a footboard or baseboard

Sala – living room

Sellador - primer

Sistema de riego or aspersión – sprinklers

Sótano – basement

Tabla – a board

Tanque captación - backup water tank

Tanque de agua caliente – hot water tank

Tanque séptico – septic tank

Tapia – low exterior wall

Techar – to roof

Techo - roof

Teja – a roof tile

Tejado – a roof with tile

Temporizador – automatic timing device to shut off electrical equipment

Terraza – a deck

Texturizar – to texturize

Tierra - earth or dirt

Tina or bañera – a bathtub

Toma de corriente – wall plug tomacorriente in Costa Rica

Tragaluz – a skylight

Travesaño - crossbeam

Tubería - pipes

Tubo - pipe

Tubo de drenaje – drain pipe

Umbral - threshold of a door

Varilla – rebar

Vestidor or walk in closet – walk in closet

Verjas – bars for windows

Vidrio – glass

Vidrio bisvelado - bevelled glass

Vidrio escarpado – frosted glass

Vidrio polarizado or ahumado – smoked glass

Viga – beam

Viga corona – The crown or main beam or top supporting beam that the next floor or roof structure is built on top of. Can be cement, steel or wood

Viguetas de entrepiso - floor joists.

Vitral - stained glass

Zanja – a ditch

Zinc – a metal used for roofing