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Glossary of Technical Terms: Zinc and Copper
Essential vocabulary for understanding zinc and copper work - systems, finishes, parts and standards. Built for clients, architects and engineers who want to speak the same language as the project.
How to use this glossary
Zinc and copper work involves its own technical vocabulary, with terms drawn from traditional Portuguese sheet-metalwork, French technique (with strong historical weight in the sector) and the commercial nomenclature of European manufacturers. This page gathers the most frequent terms that appear in quotes, specifications and on-site conversations.
Entries are arranged alphabetically. For each term, we provide a brief, technical and accurate definition. The links lead, where applicable, to the service, materials or technical standards pages where the concept is developed. For any term not listed, get in touch.
A
2 terms
- Anthra-Zinc
- Pre-weathered finish in the VMZINC range, in an anthracite colour (dark grey towards black). Obtained by a controlled chemical surface treatment that accelerates the formation of a stable artificial patina. Widely used in contemporary architecture for its visual uniformity from day one.
- AZENGAR
- Textured finish in the VMZINC range, with an engraved surface that gives a hammered, more nuanced look than the smooth pre-weathered finishes. Suited to signature architecture projects looking for a different visual texture from standard zinc.
B
1 term
- Box gutter
- A concealed gutter built into the eaves or into the transition between roof planes. Made from zinc or copper sheet folded on site or in the workshop, it serves both drainage and watertightness functions at the meeting between the roof and the wall.
C
7 terms
- Camarinha (curved roof)
- A small projecting structure on the roof, normally tower- or dome-shaped, used in historic buildings (mansions, churches, public buildings) for lighting or ventilation. Building a camarinha roof requires zinc or copper work fabricated piece by piece in the workshop.
- Cassette
- Modular zinc or copper panel formed in the workshop with folded edges, fixed to a sub-frame by hidden clips or hooks. Typical system for ventilated facades - allows large dimensional variability and removal for maintenance.
- Chimney cap
- Trim element placed on top of the chimney, made in zinc or copper, to protect the flue from rain entry and improve the draught. Caps can be fixed or rotating.
- Coated zinc
- Informal term for zinc sheet with an organic coating (lacquer) or pre-painting. Less common in premium architecture, sometimes used in low-cost solutions or interior work.
- Coping
- Trim piece in metal sheet, usually zinc or copper, that covers the top of a parapet, low wall or boundary wall. It has an aesthetic role and protects the masonry from water entry.
- Copper, electrolytic
- Copper refined by electrolysis, with purity above 99.90%. It is the raw material for Cu-DHP copper sheet (with residual deoxidising phosphorus) used in construction, compliant with EN 1172.
- Cornice
- Horizontal projecting element that crowns a facade or marks a transition between floors. In heritage refurbishment, cladding the cornice in zinc or copper is a classical technique to protect it from rainwater.
D
2 terms
- Dormer (trapeira)
- Vertical window opened in the slope of a pitched roof, typically in attics. Dormers require zinc or copper trims to seal the meeting between window and roof.
- Drainage system
- Linear elements that collect rainwater running off the roof and carry it to the downpipes. They can be external (hung, supported on brackets) or recessed (box gutters). See the drainage systems page.
E
2 terms
- EN 988
- European standard that sets requirements for sheet and strip in zinc and zinc alloys for construction. Defines composition, gauges, mechanical properties and dimensional tolerances. See Technical standards.
- EN/DIN 1179
- European standard for the chemical composition of primary zinc, classifying commercial grades (Z1 to Z5) by zinc content and impurity limits. Construction requires grade Z1 (≥99.995%).
L
2 terms
- Lantern
- Raised roof element, typically glazed on the side faces, that brings zenithal light and ventilates the space below. Lantern trims in zinc or copper require precise execution at the joints.
- Lightwell (skylight)
- Glazed opening in the roof, made with a metal frame in zinc or copper that ensures watertightness between the glass and the roof sheet. The skylight trims demand precision sheet-metal craftsmanship.
M
1 term
- Mansard
- Two-pitched roof with very steep slope (often nearly vertical) that allows the lower space to be used as habitable floor. Zinc mansards are a signature of 19th-century French architecture and feature on some Portuguese mansions.
P
4 terms
- Parapet
- Construction element at the top of a facade or parapet wall, hiding the roof and acting as protection. The metal coping of the parapet (in zinc or copper) is one of the most common pieces of work on urban facades.
- Patina (formation and colour)
- Surface layer that forms on zinc and copper through reaction with the environment. On zinc, the basic zinc carbonate patina shows a light grey to bluish-grey colour. On copper, it evolves from gold to brownish and, after decades, to the characteristic green (verdigris). The patina is what protects the material and gives it the noble weathered look.
- PIGMENTO (zinc)
- Range of coloured pre-weathered finishes by VMZINC (PIGMENTO), in tones such as red, green, blue or brown. Suited to architectural projects looking for long-term stable colour on a zinc substrate.
- Pre-weathered
- Zinc subjected at the factory to a chemical treatment that accelerates patina formation, giving the sheet the stable grey look of weathered zinc. Pre-weathered finishes (QUARTZ-ZINC, ANTHRA-ZINC and equivalents from other manufacturers) skip the visually irregular phase of natural patina formation.
Q
1 term
- QUARTZ-ZINC
- Pre-weathered VMZINC finish, light grey trending to a luminous greyish tone. One of the most-used pre-weathered finishes in European architecture for its chromatic neutrality.
R
4 terms
- Refurbishment
- Intervention on an existing building that recovers, replaces or modernises parts of the construction without demolishing the whole. With zinc and copper, refurbishment is common in historic centres: replacement of degraded roofs, recovery of decorative elements and introduction of new systems compatible with the existing structure.
- RHEINZINK
- German manufacturer of zinc for construction with more than 50 years of experience. Offers natural, pre-weathered blue-grey (prePATINA blaugrau) and graphite (prePATINA schiefergrau) finishes. See our materials page.
- Ridge
- The highest horizontal line of a pitched roof, where two slopes meet. The ridge trim in zinc or copper secures watertightness at this junction and allows top ventilation of the substrate.
- Roofing density
- Volumetric mass of zinc, equal to 7.2 kg/dm³. This property matters for roof load calculations - a 0.7 mm sheet weighs around 5 kg/m², much less than most ceramic or concrete tile alternatives.
S
6 terms
- Sheet-metal trade (funilaria)
- Traditional craft of working thin metal sheet - tin, copper, zinc - for construction. The sheet-metal worker cuts, forms and solders sheet pieces for roofs, gutters, chimneys and decorative elements. This craft is the manual foundation of modern zinc and copper work.
- Snap-lock panel
- Generic term for zinc or copper panels whose edge is formed at the factory or in the workshop to interlock directly with the adjacent panel without seaming. Includes commercial systems such as click or proprietary variants from manufacturers.
- Soldering (tin-lead)
- Traditional technique for joining zinc and copper sheets by applying a molten tin-lead alloy with a soldering iron. In modern architectural zinc, soldering is used less and less, with preference given to mechanical seams that better accommodate thermal movement.
- Standing seam (single vs double)
- Classical system for joining longitudinal bays of zinc or copper. In the single standing seam, the bay edges are folded and locked once; in the double standing seam the operation is repeated, securing greater watertightness and mechanical strength. Double seam is the choice for standard roofs; single seam is tolerated only on facades or on roofs with very steep slopes.
- Standing seam (joint debout)
- French term, frequent in technical literature, for the standing-seam system. See the entry Standing seam (single vs double).
- Sub-frame (ventilated)
- Set of profiles (treated timber or metal) mounted on the building's main structure, onto which the metal cladding is fixed, leaving a ventilated air cavity behind. It is the technical foundation of ventilated facades and modern cold roofs.
V
3 terms
- Ventilated facade
- External cladding system in which there is a continuous air cavity between the insulation and the outer panel (in zinc, copper or another material). This cavity allows moisture to be released and improves the building's thermal and acoustic performance. Detailed on our zinc and copper facades page.
- Vents
- Controlled openings on the roof or facade plane that secure ventilation of the system's air cavity. Essential to avoid condensation and extend the service life of the metal cladding.
- VMZINC
- French manufacturer of zinc for construction, European market leader, with a complete range of finishes: natural, QUARTZ-ZINC, ANTHRA-ZINC, AZENGAR and PIGMENTO. Learn more at materials.
W
1 term
- Waterproofing flashings
- Set of folded metal trims that seal the joints between the roof and vertical elements (walls, chimneys, parapets). Good flashing execution is decisive for the overall watertightness of the roof.
Z
3 terms
- Zinc-copper alloy
- Metal alloy used in modern architectural zincs, per EN 988. Made of high-purity zinc with controlled additions of copper (0.06%-0.2%) and titanium (0.07%-0.2%) that improve creep resistance and workability.
- Zinc downpipes
- Vertical pipes that carry water collected by the gutters down to the ground or the building's drainage network. The most common zinc downpipes have diameters of 80, 100 or 120 mm and are fabricated to EN 612.
- Zinc roof ventilation
- Set of measures that secure airflow between the insulation and the metal roof cladding. Includes air inlets at the eaves, outlets at the ridge and isolated vents. Essential for system longevity, avoiding condensation on the inside of the sheet.
Couldn't find the term you were looking for?
This glossary covers the standard vocabulary of zinc and copper work in Portugal, but technical literature and specifications may use local variants or commercial nomenclature specific to each manufacturer. For a personalised consultation - on a specific specification, a system compatibility or a construction detail - get in touch with our technical team.
To go deeper into the technical material options, see materials. For the regulatory requirements, see Technical standards applied.
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