| 摘要 |
Molded exterior building panels formed from thermoplastic material and method of making and installing such panels in aligned relationship on building structures An upper margin of a building panel includes nail slots for fastening to a building An upwardly projecting lip along the top defines an engageable mounting groove behind this lip. A horizontally extending mounting hook on the back of a lower margin of each panel provides for hooking engagement with lip and groove of a next lower installed panel. During installation such hooking engagement advantageously supports the weight of a panel being installed and automatically provides alignment of the panel with the next lower installed panel, thereby freeing an installer from the burden of holding a panel in a desired position at a desired level while driving nails through the nail slots. Panels are molded from thermoplastic material with surface textures and patterns for simulating courses of attractive building surfacing products, such as clapboards, shingles, shakes and slates. Front and back lap-joint channels are routed along panel ends. The mounting hook is formed by heating, bending down and then setting a rear edge of a horizontally-extending, rearwardly-projecting ledge strip. Elongated nail slots accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of installed panels. Anti-overdrive ridges above and below the nail slots prevent driving nails so tightly as to restrict expansion and contraction. Wider multi-course panels may have a second horizontally-extending, intermediately-located mounting hook on the back for engaging a locking strip.
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