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