61 Building a House-Mid

Building a House FOCUS Question What kinds of work do people do when they build a house?

From the Bottom Up Building a house is a lot of work. Work means using a force to make something move. A force can be a push or a pull. Workers begin with the floor. To make a strong floor, they push and pull a tool to move the wet concrete. This work uses a force.

Walls and a Roof Now the house needs walls and a roof. Workers use hammers to push nails into wood Hitting the nails uses a force Workers lift the walls onto the floor. Next, workers carry materials up ladders to build the roof. Climbing a ladder is also work. The workers push against each step with their feet to move up.

Electrical Power In many houses, wires carry electricity to outlets. Workers pull the wires to move them through the walls. Pulling wires uses a force. Air conditioners use electricity. Workers need help to push and pull the heavy machines into place. They need a crane for that work!

Ceilings Workers push the ceiling into place. This is work. Then, they keep pushing so it will not fall. Holding it up takes a lot of force! But the ceiling does not move, so this is not work. Workers use plaster to make the ceiling smooth. They use a trowel to push and pull the plaster across the ceiling.

Paint and Tile Workers paint the walls and ceiling with a roller or a brush. They push and pull to make the tools move Painting uses a force. Workers put tile or carpet on the floor. They push each tile into place. They pull the carpet toward the walls.