Patent ID: 7874118

Claim:
A panel for forming a covering, the panel having an outer surface, sides including lateral coupling elements to connect adjacent panels to form a covering, a recess provided in said outer surface at a transition from said outer surface to an adjacent side of the panel, said sides including lateral regions that form an interior joint when the panel is connected to an adjacent panel, the joint being remote of said outer surface, and a moisture-repellent layer extending continuously along said recess and an adjacent one of said lateral regions, said moisture-repellant layer having a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm, portions of said moisture-repellant layer having their thicknesses projecting from said adjacent sides of the panel in said lateral region, said thickness of said moisture repellant layer being chosen such that said portions are pressed together to form abutting seal layers that are in sealing contact and provide a watertight seal for preventing moisture flow into and along said interior joint when adjacent panels are connected, said recess having a surface that lies in a plane that intersects an associated one of said coupling elements extending below said abutting seal layers wherein the coupling elements contact any moisture leaking through said abutting seal layers, wherein a transition area from the moisture-repellent layer to a region of the panel that does not include the moisture-repellant layer is located below the plane and the transition area is not visible from the outer surface, wherein said abutting seal layers have complementary faces that fully engage when said adjacent panels are connected, and wherein said sides include tongue and groove connections that are arranged for connection by a movement perpendicular to the plane of the panel, and said tongue does not extend beyond said complementary faces.