Patent ID: 8205395

Claim:
A method of installing a wall panel system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a mounting strip having a length, a strip front face, a strip back, an upper edge, a front lower edge adjacent the strip front face, a strip bottom, and a first groove therein, the first groove extending the entire length of the mounting strip and extending upwardly from the strip bottom and curving toward the strip front face as the groove extends upwardly from the strip bottom; (b) providing a panel having a panel front face, a panel back, an upper end, a lower end, and a curved tongue extending upwardly from the upper end and toward the panel front face as the tongue extends upwardly from the upper end, the upper end defining a shoulder adjacent the panel front face; (c) mounting the mounting strip to a structure, an extension of the strip back being located in a vertical plane after mounting; (d) locating the panel adjacent the mounting strip such that the tongue of the panel is adjacent to the groove of the mounting strip and locating the lower end of the panel away from the vertical plane; (e) inserting the tongue into the groove of the mounting strip such that the shoulder of the panel abuts the front lower edge of the mounting strip; and (f) tilting the lower end of the panel toward the vertical plane until the panel back is located substantially in the vertical plane.