Floor Maintenance & Warranty

Wood Floor Maintenance

Your new wood floor represents a significant investment and warrants proper care to ensure its enduring beauty and longevity. To uphold our warranty and maximize the benefits of your wood floor, please adhere to these care and maintenance guidelines:

  1. Regular Cleaning: Clean your wood floor weekly using a vacuum, duster, or broom. Avoid using vacuums with beater attachments, as grit can cause wear and damage.

  2. Moisture Caution: Never employ a wet mop for cleaning, as moisture can harm your wood floor.

  3. Spill Management: Promptly wipe up spills to prevent any potential damage.

  4. Area Rugs: Place area rugs in high-traffic areas and in front of sinks and appliances. Opt for mats without solid backings to prevent moisture entrapment.

  5. Footwear Awareness: Avoid wearing hard-soled or high-heeled shoes on your wood floor, as these can lead to damage. Keep your pet's nails trimmed to prevent scratch marks.

  6. Sunlight Protection: Use curtains, blinds, or shades to shield your wood floor from direct sunlight.

  7. Humidity Control: Maintain the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55% to prevent excessive expansion or contraction.

  8. Furniture Protection: Employ pads under furniture legs to prevent denting or scratching. When moving heavy objects, use a hard barrier like a board on the floor and move the item across the barrier instead of sliding it.

  9. Spill Prevention: Ensure that water or cleaners do not pool, sit, or soak into your wood floor. Both moisture and certain cleaners can cause damage.

  10. Cleaning Products: Refrain from using ammonia-based cleaners, oil-based soaps, bleaches, detergents, abrasive soaps, waxes, acidic cleaners, or acrylic products on your wood floor. Only use hardwood floor cleaning solutions from reputable manufacturers such as BonaKemi, Basic Coatings, Minwax, SmartPlank Cleaner, or their equivalents for cleaning purposes.

Warranty

WHEN THIS WARRANTY APPLIES

This warranty is effective for all wood floors manufactured by SmartPlank, LLC (“SmartPlank”) after October 1, 2019, except for products that are sold “as is”, which carry no warranty. These unwarranted products will be designated as “off-goods”. Our warranty extends only to the original purchaser of the flooring, and not to subsequent purchasers of homes or other locations where the flooring is installed. Our warranty only applies if the flooring is installed and maintained in strict compliance with the installation instructions available online at smart-plank.com. You must undertake regular and preventative maintenance for this warranty to apply. The Installer has the final responsibility to inspect the product before installation. SmartPlank will not be responsible for installation of defective parts or parts that, for whatever reason, do not meet the expectations of the final consumer.

MANUFACTURING AND STRUCTURAL WARRANTY

SmartPlank warrants to the original purchaser against any manufacturing defects caused by improper milling, grading, or finishing defects (if the purchased product is factory finished). SmartPlank also warrants to the original purchaser that its flooring will remain free from defects in lamination, assembly, milling, dimension and grading for as long as the original purchaser owns the floor.

DELAMINATION WARRANTY

SmartPlank warrants against delamination for humidity level between 35% and 55%.

RADIANT HEAT INSTALLATION WARRANTY

For Radiant heat applications, SmartPlank warrants to the original purchaser, the Manufacturing and Structural warranty, when the Radiant Heat installation instructions are followed. Radiant heat for the purpose of this warranty is considered as Hydronic and air heated Radiant installations only and when applicable flooring products manufactured by SmartPlank are used. This warranty does not cover Electric Radiant heat installations of any kind.

RESIDENTIAL FINISH WARRANTY

For residential applications, SmartPlank warrants to the original purchaser that when used under normal residential traffic conditions, its factory-finished flooring will not wear through or separate from the wood for a period of thirty-five (35) years for smooth prefinished products or fifteen (15) years for distressed (and prefinished product other than smooth) prefinished products from the date of purchase. The finish must be worn through on more than 10% of the total floor area before SmartPlank is obligated to take action under this warranty.

LIGHT COMMERCIAL FINISH WARRANTY

For light commercial applications, SmartPlank warrants to the original purchaser that its factory finished flooring will not wear through or separate from the wood for a period of five (5) years for smooth prefinished products or three (3) years for distressed (and prefinished product other than smooth) prefinished products from the date of purchase. The finish must be worn through on more than 10% of the total floor area before SmartPlank is obligated to take action under this warranty.

EXCLUSIONS FROM THIS WARRANTY

This warranty does not cover indentations, scratches, or damage to the floor caused by negligence, or damage from any of the following causes:

  • Water 

  • Wet mopping

  • Erosion 

  • Pebbles

  • Sand

  • Abrasives 

  • Insects 

  • Pets 

  • Spiked or high heeled shoes

  • Misuse 

  • Abuse

  • Accidents 

  • Natural wood discoloration or changes in color due to exposure to sunlight

  • Extreme environmental condition 

  • Excessive or insufficient humidity or moisture

  • Extreme sunlight 

  • Failure to follow all of manufacturer’s specific written installation instructions 

  • Poor workmanship by an installer, repairman, or other third party

  • Bumps and/or dimples created by nailing machines, cleats or staples

  • Improper maintenance 

  • Insufficient damage prevention and/or protection in kitchen workstations and underneath furniture

  • Misuse

  • Alterations to original manufactured products

  • Failure to follow recommended wood floor care and maintenance guidelines as set out in this document

NATURAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION

SmartPlank wood flooring products are natural products. Some minor contraction and expansion may occur. Changes in the product due to the natural properties of wood are not covered by this warranty. These occurrences and/or visual changes in the hardwood floor will frequently self-correct with seasonal climate changes and/or under normal environmental conditions. SmartPlank will not repair or replace a floor due to natural changes caused by normal environmental conditions.

YOUR AVAILABLE REMEDIES

If your wood floor fails to perform under this warranty, SmartPlank will decide what portion of the floor is defective and determine the cause of the problem. SmartPlank will then, at its option, repair or replace the portion of the floor that it determines to be defective and covered by this warranty. 

In the unlikely event that SmartPlank is unable to repair manufacturing defects after a reasonable number of attempts, SmartPlank will refund, if requested, the purchase price of the portion of the floor SmartPlank determines to be defective. SmartPlank will not refund the installation costs or any amount beyond the purchase price of the floor.

WARRANTY AND DAMAGE LIMITATIONS

Any attempt to repair, replace, or refinish the floor prior to SmartPlank’s inspection and authorized repair actions will void this warranty. No distributor, dealer, installer, agent, sales person or SmartPlank sales representative is authorized to change or increase the terms or coverage of this warranty program.

THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS SET FORTH SmartPlank SOLE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS WARRANTY. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER REPRESENTATIONS, COLLATERAL AGREEMENTS, CONDITIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY CONDITION OR WARRANTY AS TO MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, DURABILITY, SUITABILITY, QUALITY, CONDITION, OR ANY CONDITION OR WARRANTY ARISING BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE IN LAW OR EQUITY OR FROM A COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE FACE HEREOF. IN NO EVENT SHALL SmartPlank OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM USE OR LOSS OF USE OR THE PERFORMANCE OR NON-PERFORMANCE OF SmartPlank OR FROM A BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY IS ASSERTED ON THE BASIS OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE. SmartPlank's TOTAL LIABILITY UNDER THIS WARRANTY WILL NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCEED THE ACTUAL TOTAL PRICE PAID BY THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER FOR THE FLOORING.

ADDITIONAL TERMS

Certain conditions, exclusions and limitations set out in this warranty are not permitted or effective in some states. Some of the conditions, exclusions and limitations may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other legal rights which vary from state to state. This manufacturer warranty replaces any legal warranty otherwise applicable within the limits permitted by law, and SmartPlank hereby specifically disclaims any such legal warranty to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law.