Home Renovation Brazil — Glossary¶

A living reference for Brazilian construction terminology. Add terms as you encounter them — don't wait until you understand them perfectly. Writing a definition in your own words is itself a powerful learning tool.

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### term-name

**Definition:** A clear, concise explanation in the context of Brazilian construction.

**Also known as:** Other names, abbreviations, or synonyms (if any).

**Related:** [[related-concept]], [[another-related-concept]]

**Example:**
A concrete, specific example of the term in use.

A¶

alvenaria¶

Definition: The general term for masonry construction — walls built from units (bricks, blocks) bonded together with mortar (argamassa). In Brazil, alvenaria is the dominant residential construction method. Alvenaria estrutural means the wall carries structural loads; alvenaria de vedação means the wall is non-load-bearing (infill only, with a concrete frame carrying loads).

Also known as: Construção em alvenaria, construção em bloco.

Related: [[argamassa]], [[bloco-cerâmico]], [[laje]], [[fundação]]

Example: A typical Brazilian house is built in alvenaria de vedação with a concrete pillar-and-beam (pilares e vigas) frame, ceramic block walls, and a ceramic tile (laje) or wood-framed roof.

argamassa¶

Definition: Mortar — a mixture of cement (cimento), sand (areia), water, and sometimes lime (cal) used to bond masonry units, lay floors, or apply as a base coat on walls. Different traços (mix ratios) are used for different applications.

Also known as: Massa, cimento cola (when referring to tile adhesive mortars).

Related: [[alvenaria]], [[reboco]], [[emboço]], [[chapisco]]

Example: A standard argamassa for assentamento (laying blocks) is typically a 1:3 or 1:4 traço of cement to sand by volume. For revestimento (wall coating), a 1:2:9 cementsand mix is common.

B¶

bloco cerâmico¶

Definition: Hollow fired-clay block, the most common walling unit in Brazilian construction. The standard dimensions for vedação (non-structural) are 9×19×19 cm or 14×19×19 cm. Blocks are identified by their number of holes (6-hole, 8-hole) and nominal face dimensions.

Also known as: Bloco de cerâmica, tijolo de 6 furos, tijolo de 8 furos.

Related: [[alvenaria]], [[argamassa]]

Example: A 9 cm (nominal) bloco cerâmico wall plus 1.5 cm of reboco on each face yields a finished wall about 12 cm thick — common for internal partition walls.

C¶

cerâmica¶

Definition: Ceramic tile — fired clay tile used for floors and walls in Brazilian construction. Distinct from porcelanato (porcelain tile, denser and lower absorption). Cerâmica is the generic term; in practice it refers to tiles with water absorption between 6–20% (ISO Group BIII).

Also known as: Piso cerâmico, revestimento cerâmico, azulejo (wall tiles specifically).

Related: [[rejunte]], [[argamassa]], [[porcelanato]]

Example: A 30×30 cm cerâmica for a bathroom floor will absorb more water than a porcelanato and requires a slightly more flexible grout (rejunte flexível) to accommodate thermal movement.

chapisco¶

Definition: The roughening coat — first layer applied to bare masonry or concrete before the subsequent emboço or reboco coats. Made from a thin, rough cement-sand mortar (typically 1:3 or 1:4 traço) thrown or brushed onto the surface. Its role is to improve adhesion of subsequent coats.

Also known as: Chapisco de aderência.

Related: [[emboço]], [[reboco]], [[argamassa]]

Example: Before applying reboco to a bare ceramic block wall, a thin chapisco is thrown with a brush or trowel, creating a rough texture. The chapisco must cure at least 3 days before the next coat is applied.

D¶

disjuntor¶

Definition: Circuit breaker — a resettable overcurrent protection device in a Brazilian electrical panel (quadro de distribuição). Rated in amperes (A) and poles (monopolar, bipolar, tripolar). A tripped disjuntor will snap to a middle position or off position; it can be reset by switching fully off then back on.

Also known as: Breaker, disjuntor termomagnético.

Related: [[quadro-de-luz]], [[fiação]], [[NBR-5410]]

Example: A standard Brazilian bedroom circuit is typically protected by a 16 A monopolar disjuntor. If the circuit is overloaded (too many appliances), the disjuntor trips, cutting power to prevent fire.

E¶

emboço¶

Definition: The intermediate mortar coat applied between the rough chapisco and the finishing reboco. Emboço serves to roughly level the wall surface and create a base for the finer finish coat. Applied in a layer approximately 20–25 mm thick and ruled flat with a régua (straightedge).

Also known as: Reboco grosso, mass base coat.

Related: [[chapisco]], [[reboco]], [[argamassa]]

Example: The three-coat traditional system in Brazil: chapisco (adhesion) → emboço (leveling, ~20 mm) → reboco (finish coat, ~5–10 mm). Each coat must cure before the next is applied.

F¶

fiação¶

Definition: The wiring — the electrical conductors (copper wire) inside conduit (eletroduto) or within wall chases (rasgos) in a Brazilian building. Brazilian residential wiring uses copper conductors with PVC insulation; aluminum wiring is not used in Brazilian residential applications.

Also known as: Condutores elétricos, fios.

Related: [[disjuntor]], [[quadro-de-luz]], [[NBR-5410]]

Example: NBR 5410 requires that fiação in Brazilian homes use cross-section sized for the circuit load. A standard 20 A lighting/socket circuit uses 2.5 mm² conductor; a 30 A shower (chuveiro) circuit requires 6 mm² conductor.

fundação¶

Definition: Foundation — the structural element that transfers building loads to the ground. Brazilian residential buildings use fundações rasas (shallow foundations: sapata, radier, bloco de coroamento) or fundações profundas (deep foundations: estacas). The correct type depends on soil bearing capacity (capacidade de carga do solo).

Also known as: Base estrutural, fundação direta (shallow), fundação indireta (deep/piled).

Related: [[laje]], [[alvenaria]], [[estrutura]]

Example: A single-story house on competent soil in Brazil typically uses a radier (slab-on-grade) or sapata isolada (isolated spread footing) foundation. Multi-story buildings on poor urban soil (common in São Paulo) require bored concrete piles (estacas escavadas).

I¶

impermeabilização¶

Definition: Waterproofing — the application of membrane or coating systems to prevent water penetration into structures. Critical in Brazil for lajes (flat roofs/slabs), banheiros (bathrooms), cozinhas (kitchens), underground walls, and external platibandas (parapets). Failure to waterproof is the leading cause of building pathologies (patologias) in Brazil.

Also known as: Manta impermeabilizante, membrana impermeável, impermeabilizante.

Related: [[laje]], [[reboco]], [[vedacit]]

Example: Before tiling a bathroom floor, a two-coat liquid impermeabilizante (such as Vedacit or similar) is applied to the concrete substrate, allowed to cure 24 hours between coats, then the tile adhesive mortar is applied over the dried membrane.

L¶

laje¶

Definition: Concrete slab — in Brazilian construction, laje refers to both horizontal structural slabs (floors and ceilings between storeys) and flat roofs. Laje maciça is a solid slab; laje nervurada uses hollow ceramic infill blocks (lajotas) between concrete ribs to reduce weight. Laje impermeabilizada refers specifically to a waterproofed flat roof slab.

Also known as: Laje de concreto, cobertura em laje (flat roof), laje pré-moldada (precast).

Related: [[fundação]], [[impermeabilização]], [[estrutura]]

Example: A typical Brazilian two-story house has a laje de concreto armado between floors and a laje de cobertura (roof slab) that requires annual inspection and re-application of waterproofing membrane to prevent water infiltration.

N¶

nível¶

Definition: Level — both the tool (nível de bolha, bubble level) and the concept of horizontal or vertical alignment in construction. A nível a laser (laser level) projects a horizontal plane and is increasingly common in Brazilian renovation work for setting tiles, door frames, and suspended ceilings.

Also known as: Prumo (for vertical); nível de bolha, nível a laser.

Related: [[cerâmica]], [[alvenaria]]

Example: When laying floor tiles (cerâmica), a 2 m régua (straightedge) and nível de bolha are used to check that the tile surface is perfectly horizontal — a 2 mm tolerance over 2 m is typically acceptable for residential floors.

P¶

parede de vedação¶

Definition: Non-load-bearing infill wall — a wall that divides interior space but carries no structural loads. In the Brazilian pillar-and-beam (pilar e viga) system, the parede de vedação fills the space between structural elements. It can be demolished or modified without structural risk (with proper assessment). Contrasts with parede estrutural in alvenaria estrutural systems.

Also known as: Parede divisória, parede de bloco de vedação.

Related: [[alvenaria]], [[fundação]]

Example: When renovating a kitchen in a pillar-and-beam concrete building, a homeowner can typically remove a parede de vedação between kitchen and living area (subject to permit and professional assessment) because the structural loads are carried by the concrete frame, not the wall.

PVC¶

Definition: Polyvinyl chloride — the most common pipe material for drainage and cold water supply in Brazilian residential construction. PVC pipes are orange (esgoto, sewage/drainage) or white (água fria, cold water supply). PVC for water supply is pressure-rated (typically 6 kgf/cm² or 10 kgf/cm² classes). Do not confuse with CPVC (for hot water) or PPR (also used for hot water).

Also known as: Tubo PVC, cano PVC.

Related: [[impermeabilização]], [[NBR-5626]], [[NBR-8160]]

Example: A standard Brazilian bathroom drain uses orange PVC 100 mm pipe (esgoto) from toilet to the external collection point, and 50 mm orange PVC for shower/basin drains. White PVC at 25 mm is typical for cold water supply within walls.

Q¶

quadro de luz¶

Definition: Electrical distribution panel (quadro de distribuição) — the enclosure containing circuit breakers (disjuntores), residual current devices (DRs), and the main disconnect (disjuntor geral) for a residential electrical installation. Brazilian panels are typically surface-mounted in utility areas, hallways, or kitchens.

Also known as: Quadro de distribuição, caixa de disjuntores, quadro elétrico.

Related: [[disjuntor]], [[fiação]], [[NBR-5410]]

Example: NBR 5410 requires that every Brazilian residential unit have a dedicated quadro de distribuição with a disjuntor geral and individual disjuntores per circuit. A typical three-bedroom apartment has 8–12 circuits.

R¶

reboco¶

Definition: The finish plaster coat — the final layer of the three-coat wall system (chapisco → emboço → reboco). Applied thin (5–10 mm) and leveled smooth with a desempenadeira (float). Reboco provides the surface for painting or tiling. A well-executed reboco has no cracks, is plumb, and has a consistent texture.

Also known as: Massa fina (when applied very thinly), revestimento argamassado.

Related: [[emboço]], [[chapisco]], [[argamassa]]

Example: After the emboço coat has cured for at least 7 days, a 5–8 mm reboco coat is applied using a 1:2:8 (cementsand) traço and finished smooth with a sponge float (desempenadeira de esponja) before the surface fully sets.

rejunte¶

Definition: Grout — the material used to fill the joints between tiles after they are set. Brazilian rejunte comes in normal (cementitious, for dry areas) and flexível (flexible polymer-modified, for wet areas, swimming pools, and large tiles). Color selection is important as rejunte is difficult to change after curing.

Also known as: Rejuntamento, argamassa de rejunte.

Related: [[cerâmica]], [[impermeabilização]]

Example: In Brazilian bathrooms, a rejunte flexível in a width matched to the tile joint (typically 3–5 mm for standard cerâmica) is applied after the tile adhesive has cured (minimum 24 hours). The grout is worked into joints with a rubber squeegee and excess removed before it sets.

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