Chapter 7 : Construction 1. Adobe – a mixture of clay and straw used as a structural material in the Southwestern United States.

2. Batter board – Boards that support the lines set up to locate the building so excavating can begin for the foundation.

3. Beam – a horizontal structural member, usually used to support floor or roof joists.

4. closed-loop system – a system that includes a feedback device to provide control.

5. Communication system – the transmitting and receiving of information using technical means, such as special devices for transmitting and receiving information and special mediums for transmission.

6. Electrical System – the circuits that carry electricity in a product or for light, heat, and appliances throughout a home.

7. Floor Plan – a drawing that shows the arrangement of rooms in a building.

8. Footing – the lowest portion of a building’s foundation; the foundation wall rests on top of the footing.

9. Foundation – the footing and foundation wall that support a building and spread its load over a large ground area.

10. Heating System – the furnace and associated ducts or pipes used to distribute heated air or water to the different rooms of a home.

11. Insulation – material used in the walls and ceiling of a building to help control heat loss (in winter) and heat gain (in summer).

12. Joist – horizontal member of a house framework that supports the floor.

13. Landscaping – designing the exterior space that surrounds a home.

14. Modular Construction – a building system that involves basic room units of different sizes and shapes that can be combined on site.

15. Open-loop system - a system that is not controlled through use of a feedback device.

16. Plumbing System – the means used to bring in clean water and dispose of wastewater in a home.

17. Post and Lintel – the simplest form of a framed structure, with horizontal framing members (beams) supported by vertical members (posts).

18. Prefabrication – a system of building in which components, such as wall framing or roof trusses, are built in a factory, rather than on the job site.

19. Roof Truss – a structure that forms a framework to support the roof and any loads applied to it.

20. Subfloor – a covering over joists that supports other floor coverings.

21. Wall stud – vertical framing members to which gypsum board, paneling, or other wall coverings are attached.