Decorative skirting panel system

In a decorative skirting system for installation along a side of a mobile home which is supported above the ground, the skirting system adapted to overlie and be held to the exterior surface of the lower portion of the mobile home sidewall and extend downwardly therefrom to the ground, the system comprising a generally coplanar plurality of panels of expanded polystyrene foam, each panel being formed with an array of rectangular projections stimulating masonry material, the improvement wherein:

• each panel has uninterrupted first and second vertical side edges extending to the ground, with a V-shaped tongue extending the entire length of the first side edge, and a correspondingly configured V-shaped groove extending the entire length of the second side edge, the tongue of one panel engaging the groove of an adjacent panel to maintain the panels in a coplanar relationship, the V-shaped tongue and groove having a common specified width and depth necessary to maintain the coplanar relationship,
• the uninterrupted vertical side edges permitting an individual panel to be slidably disengaged from adjacent panels without disturbing the adjacent panels by detaching the top of the panel from the mobile home sidewall and sliding the panel vertically upward a distance at least that of the height of the panel,
• the V-shaped configuration of the tongue and groove providing a minimum surface area between an engaged tongue and groove for the specified width and depth and preventing binding arising from dimensional inhomogeneities, thereby facilitating the slidable disengagement;
• and
• the rectangular projections are aligned in vertical columns with simulated mortar lines therebetween, such that the boundary between adjacent panels falls within a simulated mortar line and is thereby disguised.