Hidden Clip for Grooved Building Members

A clip for attaching grooved building members to an underlying support member, comprising:

• a body extending longitudinally between a first end and second end and laterally between a front surface and rear surface;
• a blade extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end and laterally between a third end and fourth end, the blade being engaged with the body, wherein
• the body includes a first arm and an opposite second arm spaced from one another,
• the blade is engaged with the body with the first end and second end of the body substantially aligned with the first end and second end of the body in an initial position of the clip,
• in the initial position, the first arm engages the first end of the blade and the second arm engages the second end of the blade to assist holding the blade in the initial position, and
• the blade is releasable from the initial position upon application of a force to the blade.

A method of attaching grooved building members to an underlying support member, comprising:

• (a) providing at least one clip having a base defining a fastener opening extending therethrough, and a blade engaged with the base in a rotatable relationship, the blade extending from a first end to a second end and including a fastener hole aligned with the fastener opening in the base;
• (b) positioning two grooved building members on an underlying support member adjacent one another with adjacent grooved edges facing one other with a spacing between them in an aligned position;
• (c) holding the grooved building members in their respective positions in an aligned position;
• (d) inserting the at least one clip between the adjacent grooved edges of the two grooved building members in a pre-installation position either before or after step (c);
• (e) driving an elongate fastener through the fastener opening and hole and into the underlying support member, thereby causing rotation of the blade relative to the body until the blade rotationally abuts the body at an interface with the first end received in one of the adjacent grooves and the second end received in the other of the adjacent grooves;
• and
• (f) continuing to drive the fastener until the blade abuts a lower surface within each groove, defining an installation position with the building members attached to the support member.