Patent ID: 10273697

Abstract:
A wall panel (20, 30) suitable for bathrooms, wetrooms and the like is disclosed. The panel is water impervious and comprises a core of wood plastics composite (WPC) and a laminate adhesively attached to the core. In preferred embodiments, the core is a wood plastics composite foamed board. The wood plastics composite preferably comprises PVC and wood fiber. The wood plastics composite may include recycled materials. The wall panel may be provided with a tongue-and-groove interlocking system with tongue and groove edges (21, 31 and 32). The system is configured to provide a contact area across less than the thickness of the panel which achieves a tight join at the front face and eliminates a visible gap. It also increases tolerance for machining errors or variation. The tongue-and-groove interlocking system is designed to provide tolerance for walls which are not precisely planar but may be bowed or uneven to a certain extent.