Surface covering panel assembly and methods of manufacturing and of installing the same

A panel assembly for installation over a receiving surface, comprising:

• surface covering panels designed to be installed adjacent each other, each surface covering panel comprising:
• a padding layer panel made of a first material;
• a sheet member affixed to the padding layer panel, the sheet member having a first surface interfacing with the padding layer panel, edges extending beyond the padding layer panel, and a second surface opposed to the first surface;
• and
• a first component of a fastening element affixed to the edges;
• and
• joining padding layer panels, each joining padding layer panel designed to be mounted to side-by-side edges of adjacent surface covering panels, the joining padding layer panel comprising:
• a body made of a second material different to the first material, a top surface, and a bottom surface;
• and
• a second component of the fastening element affixed to the top surface of the joining padding layer, the first component and the second component of the fastening element adapted to interface with each other such as releasably attaching the joining padding layer panel to the edges of the adjacent surface covering panels,
• wherein the fastening element has a width designed to maintain fastening of the adjacent surface covering panels when the surface covering panels and the joining padding layer panels undergo thermal expansion resulting in shear displacement of the first component and of the second component relative to each other parallel to the sheet member,
• wherein the padding layer has a density of between 1.7 PCF and 2.1 PCF,
• where the body of the joining padding layer panel has a density of between 2.6 PCF and 3.0 PCF, and
• wherein the density of the padding layer is greater than the density of the body of the joining padding layer panel of between 0.8 PCF and 1.0 PCF.