Patent ID: 7877956

Claim:
A method for forming a surface comprising: assembling a plurality of panels to form a first row of panels with the panels in the first row being assembled edge to edge; each of said panels having an upper surface, which when assembled with at least one adjacent panel forms part of said surface; at least one edge of each of the panels having a portion comprising at least one of a tongue and a groove; attaching a first panel in a second row to at least two panels in said first row, such that an edge of said first panel is mated with at least two panels of the first row through a tongue and groove joint and engaging locking elements to lock said first and said at least two panels to each other; relatively sliding a new panel in a horizontal direction into position in said second row, such that an edge of said second panel is mated by a tongue and groove joint with at least one panel of the first row and locking the new panel to at least one panel of the first row by engaging locking elements; moving by horizontal motion said new panel toward said first panel of the second row to join an edge of said first panel to an edge of said new panel while said new panel remains locked to said at least one panel of the first row.