Cladding or siding assembly and installation method

A cladding or siding assembly for use as cladding or siding for a wall of a building or structure having a face,

• the cladding or siding assembly includes at least one panel member and at least two support rail members fixable to the wall to allow the at least one panel member to slidably interfit in between the support rail members, and the at least one panel member slidably located and supported at side edges of the at least one panel member closer to a rear face of the at least one panel member above or below at least one of the support rail members, to be supportedly located and be removable without damage and be re-insertable between the support rail members at any time during construction or any time later after completion of the cladding or siding assembly,
• wherein in use, the panel member and support rail members are oriented in a vertical plane but are spaced from one another in the vertical plane, the support rail members extending horizontally and are oriented at a right angle relative to the vertical plane and the support rail members including an upper support rail member spaced from a lower support rail member which are parallel and aligned with each other,
• wherein a body of each of the upper and lower support rail members includes a rear support wall and spaced first and second channel walls projecting from a same face of the rear support wall, the first and second channel walls terminating in respective first and second tab portions that project distally from the first or second channel walls, a middle channel space between the first and second channel walls, an upper channel space between the rear support wall, first channel wall and first tab portion, a lower channel space between the rear support wall, second channel wall and second tab portion, and the first tab portion projecting from the first channel wall less than the second tab portion projects from the second channel wall, thereby the first channel space being an upper channel space, the second channel space being a middle channel space and the third channel space being a lower channel space wherein the middle channel space separates and spaces the upper and lower channel spaces,
• and each panel member of the at least one panel member comprises a planar face panel member having side edges affixed to a first perimeter frame, the planar face panel member is designed and shaped to provide an outwardly planar facing front portion with the perimeter frame being designed to support and locate the planar face panel member peripherally from behind,
• wherein the first perimeter frame is formed of elongate extruded frame members with each elongate extruded frame member having an extruded body having in cross section a profile comprising side abutting parallel channels defining respective first and second recesses forming opposed frame members on each panel member of the at least one panel member, the side abutting parallel channels formed by a base wall residing adjacent to an edge of the panel member, a first leg and a middle leg projecting from the base wall distally of the edge of the panel member and where the middle leg is common to both of the side abutting parallel channels,
• at least one of the first or second recesses of the opposed elongate extruded frame members being adapted for interfitting within either the upper or lower-channel spaces of an adjacent upper and lower support rail member to secure the at least one panel member to the at least two upper and lower support rail members, wherein one of the recesses is located at a backside edge of the panel member where the backside edge is closer to a rear rather than to a front of the panel member,
• the upper and lower support rail members being adapted to be affixed to a wall spaced apart substantially horizontally with the respective upper and lower channel spaces being opposed, the spacing of the adjacent edges of the channel spaces being less than a height of the panel member whilst a distance between bases of the respective channel spaces being greater than a height of the panel member, and support rail member spacing, a width of the opposing channel spaces, a depth of the middle channel space and thickness of the panel member being adapted such that in use each panel member of the at least one panel member can be tilted towards the wall, with the backside edge of the at least one panel member inserted upwardly into the lower channel space of the upper support rail member then the backside edge of the panel member rotated toward a vertical position so a lower edge of the panel member clears an edge of the upper channel space of the lower support rail member and the panel member is lowered and inserted into the upper channel of the lower support rail member,
• wherein each panel member of the at least one panel member is located and held vertically and laterally by one of the first and second recesses at the backside edge, in opposing channels of the upper and lower support rail members and spaced vertically in horizontal rows from other at least one panel member by the middle space of the support rail members affixed to the wall, to provide a weathertight cladding assembly for a wall, without use of fasteners.