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Building trades

Carpenter

Charpentier

Builds, assembles, and fits timber structures, frames, floors, roofs, and wood parts with accuracy and strong measuring skills.

Advantages

  • The trade creates strong structural parts that are easy to understand visually.
  • Carpenters work with precise measurements and practical problem-solving.
  • Projects can be very varied from roof frames to wooden floors and stairs.
  • The job develops strong manual skill and good spatial understanding.
  • Timber construction is useful in new buildings, renovation, and eco-building.

Disadvantages

  • Large timber sections can be heavy and difficult to move.
  • A small measuring mistake can affect the whole structure.
  • Some work is done outside and depends on weather conditions.
  • Cutting and assembly require constant concentration and safe tool use.
  • Some structural jobs involve working at height or in awkward positions.

Tools

Main tools used in this job

Each card shows the English term, the French term, and one visual reference to help students recognize the item more easily.

Saw

Circular saw

Scie circulaire

Cuts timber sections and boards quickly before assembly.

Hammer

Framing hammer

Marteau de charpentier

Drives nails and helps position structural timber during assembly.

Square

Carpenter square

Equerre de charpentier

Checks right angles and supports precise marking on timber.

Chisel

Wood chisel

Ciseau a bois

Cuts joints, housings, and timber details by hand.

Photo: Fishdecoy / Randy C. Bunney · Public domain

Drill

Drill driver

Perceuse-visseuse

Drills pilot holes and fixes screws into wood members.

Tape measure

Tape measure

Metre ruban

Measures lengths, spans, and positions before cutting and lifting.

Level

Spirit level

Niveau a bulle

Checks level, plumb, and alignment during fitting.

Chain saw

Chain saw

Tronconneuse

Cuts large timber sections on some structural and site tasks.

Materials

Main materials used in this job

Materials are shown with the same bilingual format so the learner can connect the right object, name, and usage.

Timber

Structural timber

Bois de charpente

Main sawn timber used for frames, posts, beams, and roof structures.

Beam

Wood beam

Poutre en bois

Horizontal structural member used to carry floor or roof loads.

Rafter

Rafter

Chevron

Sloping timber member that supports battens and roof coverings.

Glulam

Laminated timber

Bois lamelle-colle

Engineered wood element used for some large or modern structures.

OSB

OSB board

Panneau OSB

Structural panel used for bracing, floors, and some wall assemblies.

Screws

Wood screws

Vis a bois

Fixes timber members or wood panels securely during assembly.

Nails

Nails

Clous

Used for temporary fixing and some structural assemblies.

Bracket

Metal bracket

Equerre metallique

Reinforces and fixes wood members together at junction points.

Connector plate

Connector plate

Connecteur de charpente

Metal connector used on some prefabricated timber assemblies.

Joist hanger

Joist hanger

Sabot de charpente

Supports joists and beams at secure fixing points.

Photo: ArmchairBuilder.com · CC BY 2.0