Patent ID: 7644556

Claim:
A method of assembling porch planks to accommodate expansion and contraction of the assembled planks, said method comprising: securing a first plank to a support, said first plank presenting a first edge surface and a tongue extending from said first edge surface, said tongue comprising: a tongue end wall; and a pair of tongue side walls extending between the tongue end wall and said first edge surface; and positioning a second plank adjacent said first plank, said second plank presenting a second edge surface and a groove projecting inwardly from said second edge surface along a groove axis, said groove comprising: a groove end wall; and a pair of groove side walls extending between said groove end wall and said second edge surface, said groove side walls presenting generally opposed tongue-engaging projections spaced from said groove end wall and from said second edge surface in alignment substantially perpendicular to said groove axis, wherein said positioning comprises inserting said tongue into said groove so that the tongue is received in the groove and said tongue end wall is directly engaged by said tongue-engaging projections, thereby providing an interior space between said tongue end wall and groove end wall, and first and second spaces between said first edge surface and second edge surface.