Patent ID: 7587871

Claim:
A wall covering for mounting on a support surface comprising a plurality of panels each having upper and lower marginal edge regions; said panels being mountable on said support surface in a plurality of horizontal courses with said panels in a first horizontal course having an upper marginal edge region underlying a lower marginal edge region of said panels in a second horizontal course positioned above the first horizontal course; said panels each being formed with a simulated brick and mortar design comprising horizontal rows of brick protruding from horizontal and vertical lines of mortar separating the brick, said brick and mortar lines having outer exposed faces, said upper marginal edge region of each panel being formed with a first tapered seating surface disposed at an acute angle to the plane of said mortar lines and exposed faces of said brick, said first tapered seating surface intersecting the exposed faces of some of said mortar lines, and the lower marginal edge region of each panel being formed with a second tapered seating surface at an angle to the plane of said mortar lines and exposed faces of said brick similar to the first tapered seating surface of said upper marginal edge region, said second tapered seating surface intersecting the exposed faces of some of said mortar lines for mounted positioning in overlying relation to the first tapered seating surface of the upper marginal edge region of an underlying panel as viewed in a direction toward the support surface with mortar lines of the underlying panel in adjacent substantially coplanar relation with mortar lines of the overlying panel while permitting relative movement of the lower marginal edge region of the overlying panel with respect to the upper marginal edge region of the underlying panel as an incident to temperature expansion and contraction of the panels.