Patent ID: 8839582

Claim:
A wainscoting panel system for a wall, the system comprising: a plurality of rigid panels defining a thickness; a horizontal wall clip having a retaining wall; a horizontal guide having a lower front retaining wall, an upper font retaining wall, and an upper rear retaining wall; and a plurality of vertical and horizontal joints attachable to the wall to mount the panels to the wall as rows and columns of panels, the horizontal joints having upper and lower channels, an inner width of the channels being equal to or greater than the thickness of the rigid panels for substaitially adhesive free nounting of the panels in the channels for providing air flow behind the rigid panels, the horizontal joints each comprising the horizontal guide and the horizontal wall clip, wherein the upper channel is defined by the upper front and rear retaining walls of the horizontal guide and the lower portion of a upper rigid panel receivable into the upper channel, and wherein the lower channel is defined by the lower front retaining wall of the horizontal guide and the retaining wall of the horizontal wall clip, an upper portion of a lower rigid panel receivable into the lower channel; wherein the horizontal wall clip and the horizontal guide are interconnected with a vertically oriented tongue and groove connection, the tongue and groove connection being loose and laterally disposed between the wall and the rigid panel to allow vertical adjustment of the horizontal guide and allow the lower panel to support the upper panel.