Perfect Plank Co.
Questions Answered About our Products and Services
Here are a few common questions about our products. Please make sure to scroll down to read the "IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFORMATION" section. Feel free to call the office at (800) 327-1961 if your question isn't answered here. Q:As a butcher block manufacturer, do you sell to residential/homeowners? A:YES! We strive to provide a quality product to both our commercial and residential customers. Unlike products sold in stores, we do not offer a "Do it yourself" option with pre-cut holes and parts. For this reason, if you are a residential customer, we please ask that you (or a professional) have woodworking experience and tools to install your purchase. Q: Do you cut to custom sizes? Does it cost extra? A: Yes, we offer custom sizing (squares and rectangles only) typically at no additional charge, however orders with an excess amount of cutting may incur extra charges. Rounds are also available for an additional charge (see below). Our quick turn around time (of approximately one week) is achieved by making standard sizes. It's also common (but not guaranteed) for material to ship slightly oversized; anywhere from 1/8" to 3/4" over. If you need exact measurements you can specify "exact sizing" on your order and we will make it as close as possible to those dimensions. We encourage butcher block orders with meticulous measurements be ordered oversized and cut on location. If we do trim your product to a smaller size the cost will be based on the standard size from which we are cutting. For example; if you order a Maple 1 1/2" x 20" x 100" butcher block it will cost the same as the 1 7/8" x 25" x 120". There is no charge for this custom cutting. Rounds We also offer the ability to cut perfect rounds for an additional charge of about 15 percent. Rounds can have a 0.75” variance in dimension. Full dimension rounds are additional. WE DO NOT OFFER: SINK CUT-OUTS, EDGE DETAIL (such as eased edges), OR CUSTOM ANGLES/DIAGONALS. Please call if you have further questions regarding custom sizing.  Q: What can I expect when I receive my product? Will it be exactly like the pictures online?  A: You can expect to see minor differences in color, grain, and widths of laminations (strips) as these vary from plank to plank. Every butcher block that leaves our mill is processed and visually inspected by multiple employees for anything that falls below our standard. Despite our efforts to minimize wild grain and defects in our A Grade product, wood can be unpredictable and (for lack of a better description) "natural". Product that varies from our guidelines is set aside until we contact our customers, supplying pictures to help them make an informed decision about their order. Q: What will I need when I receive my butcher block?  A: Before your butcher block arrives, you'll want to have available: 1. A sealant for your butcher block. Without the application of a sealant your butcher block may cup or end- check. The sooner you can apply a finish to your product, the better! These products are sold at your local paint or hardware stores. Several commonly used finishes you can use are a mineral oil (for food-safe applications) or a poly-urethane (for more protection from water rings). To ensure you’re happy with the final result, we strongly encourage you to speak to a knowledgable associate in advance for expert product advice. Remember: You need to seal all 6 sides! 2. A place to work/store your product. If you are not going to install your purchase immediately, you should store it inside where it is not subject to great changes in temperature and humidity. OUTSIDE STORAGE FOR ANY EXTENDED PERIOD IS UNACCEPTABLE. 3. Sandpaper. Having a little sandpaper on hand is always a good idea as we apply a small amount of sealant to the end-grain of our boards immediately after trimming. This helps protect against end-checking while in transit. Sometimes there is a little overspray on the surface that will need to be sanded before you apply the finish. 4. Band-Cutters. When the product arrives, you will need SOME sort of cutting tool to open the package for inspection. We use either strong plastic or steel banding to ensure your purchase stays intact during transit. Q: How long do I have before my product needs to be finished? A: Once you have established that your product has arrived in good condition and is flat, we recommend finishing your butcher block as soon as possible. Any exposure to even a slight difference in humidity can cause your board to cup or warp. Keeping the product inside a climate controlled area with the packaging as intact as possible  helps to prevent unnecessary exposure to moisture in the air. We realize you will have opened the package to inspect it when it was delivered. Use the existing packaging to shield the product until you are ready to finish. Q: Which carrier can I expect to deliver my product? How is my product packaged? A: We typically ship with XPO Logistics (XPO) (Formerly Con-Way Express) or United Parcel Services (UPS). Our packaging depends on how and where it's going (please read below). If you have an account or prefer another carrier, please let us know. While it may be more expensive, we are open to using any carrier you designate. PLEASE READ THE "IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFORMATION" SECTION before placing your order! Typically you can expect your package to have 1/8" MDF panels covering all four sides and both ends. We protect the corners with V-board and reinforce stability with special high tension tape. If the product is traveling across country, you can usually expect the package to have four to ten pairs of wooden stickers attached with resilient high tension metal banding. Closer destinations will use plastic banding, which is also VERY strong. If would like to pick up your butcher block in person, you can expect the packaging to be minimal; MDF panels with high tension tape. Make sure to bring adequate strapping to secure your plank to your vehicle. If your butcher block is longer than eight feet and hangs out the back of a truck/vehicle, it would be wise to bring a red flag to comply with road safety laws. PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT PROVIDE TARPS OR PROTECTION FROM WEATHER. IF YOU’RE PICKING UP, PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH AMPLE PROTECTION.
!!!IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFORMATION!!! PLEASE READ!!! Q: How do I properly receive my shipment? Step 1: Preparation a). Communicate any special delivery restrictions or obstacles to Perfect Plank at the time of your order. Examples can include: -Inaccessible/Narrow Roads -Gated Communities -Island Property -Small Apartment Complex “Liftgate services” are available for an extra fee for customers with limited help on their end. (To see if this is a good fit for you, ask someone in the Perfect Plank office for more detailed information and pricing at the time of your order.) b). Have ample help on location to offload the truck. The driver will move the product to the end of the container, but is not responsible for offloading your product. Be aware that XPO offers “curbside delivery” with standard pricing. XPO will not likely drive up driveways nor assist in moving the product inside. Planning ahead will save time and money. Upon request, XPO will call the day before to schedule a window for delivery. c). Obtain a band cutter, or something suitable to cut through steel banding. You will need this to unpackage the product while the driver is present for thorough inspection. It’s also good idea to have something sharp for the tape and a smart phone nearby in case you need to take any photos or call us with questions! Step 2: Delivery Inspection It is a requirement of the shipping company that somone is available on location to sign for delivery. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING THE SHIPMENT TO OPEN AND INSPECT THE PRODUCT BENEATH THE PACKAGING FOR DAMAGE WHILE THE DRIVER WAITS. Signing for the packages without thorough inspection clears the shipping company of all responsibility and waives any right to a shipping claim or replacement top. If any of this is unclear, please call our office at (800) 327-1961 for further explanation. (Inspection is not required for UPS shipments). Any damage to the product, no matter how small, needs to be notated on the delivery receipt as “DAMAGED”. Read below for more detailed information about Shipping Damages. Q: I’ve unpackaged the top during inspection and I see a problem. What now? We do our best to minimize shipping problems, but despite our efforts they happen from time to time. Here are some issues we see with damaged shipments and the proper way to handle them. All of these procedures are designed to be implemented during the inspection process while the driver is still present. 1. THERE ARE A FEW MARKS AND/OR MINOR DAMAGES TO THE TOP THAT WILL NEED TO BE FIXED, BUT I THINK I CAN HANDLE THEM MYSELF. Write out on the delivery receipt “DAMAGED” and accept the product(s), provided the damages are likely low in cost and easily fixable. Please send photos and notify us by e-mail or telephone immediately to discuss options. After reviewing photos, if the damage warrants a refund, we’ll file a claim on your behalf to recoup repair costs. If you’re unsure of your ability to repair the product, or feel like it could become costly, please wait to hear from us before altering the product. Wrap up the product as much as possible to protect it from exposure to moisture. Continue reading under “Shipping Claims/Replacements” for further information on this process. 2. THERE ARE MAJOR DAMAGES TO THE TOP AND I CANNOT USE THE PRODUCT. Examples of this would be major cracks, splits, gouges, stains, or other issues that cannot be re-glued, cut off, rounded, or hidden. Write out on the delivery receipt “DAMAGED” and refuse only the damaged product(s). (Please wrap them up as best as you can with the existing packaging and whatever supplies you have available. Thanks very much!) As soon as we receive confirmation from the shipping company that the damaged tops are on their way back, we can then take appropriate steps in resolving the situation. Common options include re-makes, refunds, or further discussion if complications arise. Remakes are expedited as much as possible but are not guaranteed to ship that same week as the damaged delivery. We will do our very best to ship as soon as possible. 3. THERE ARE PIECES MISSING! Write out on the delivery receipt “DELIVERED SHORT” and accept what is there. It’s likely the missing piece(s) will show up in the system and be delivered shortly after! If that’s not the case, notify us by e-mail or telephone and we’ll assist however we can. If the shipping company declares the package “lost” we can promptly file a claim on your behalf and ship out a replacement as soon as possible. 4. THE DRIVER IS NOT LETTING ME INSPECT MY PRODUCT! WHAT DO I DO? All XPO drivers we work with are cooperative and reasonable people. We rarely have this problem, but in this unlikely situation write out on the delivery receipt “DAMAGED”. You shouldn’t assume responsibility if you cannot 100% determine if the product is in good condition. If the driver presents further difficulties in allowing this notation, please give us a call and we’ll attempt to resolve the situation. If our office is closed, please notate something on the delivery receipt before letting the driver leave that explains the difficult situation. We’ll address it as soon as possible.  5. I SEE ANOTHER PROBLEM, BUT I’M NOT SURE IT’S SHIPPING DAMAGE. In this situation we’ll need to be 100% involved to see the issue. Please take photos and send them to perfectplank@att.net. Give us a call and we’ll have a look as quickly as possible in attempt to determine the cause of the problem. When they happen, most issues are in some way related to shipping damage. If we determine the cause of the issue to be unrelated we will give you direction over the phone. A decision made by the customer without Perfect Plank’s involvement will not qualify for a shipping claim, refund, nor replacement. In the scenario where our office is closed, please mark “DAMAGED” on the delivery receipt to protect yourself. If the issue is a defect in our workmanship we will resolve the situation with you directly and not persue a shipping claim with XPO. A receipt signed Free and Clear (or any other term besides “DAMAGED”) for a shipping related damage will likely result in no claim, refund, nor replacement by Perfect Plank Co. 6. WHAT CAN BE DONE IF MY PLANK IS DAMAGED BUT I DIDN’T MAKE NOTE ON THE DELIVERY RECEIPT? At this stage of the process by signing for your product free and clear without noting damage on the receipt, the shipping company views the transaction as complete and is unlikely to consider any recourse on unreported damage. While there is nothing that Perfect Plank can do to challenge this signed document, we are happy to provide customers with the shipping terminal contact information in an attempt to dispute the damage directly.  If a top has notable damage on the outside of the packaging, on occasion it is reported by XPO employees/truck drivers internally. Upon calling the shipping terminal and speaking to an XPO representative, if a customer is able to successfully change the status from “free and clear” to “DAMAGED”, Perfect Plank will gladly commence the shipping claim process after confirmation from the shipper. Any other available options? Give us a call to discuss! If you can find a way to transport it here and back, in majority of cases we’re open to a repair or replacement option for little to no cost! Of course some exceptions apply, but we’re willing to help! Shipping Claims/Replacements At this point you’ve notated on the delivery receipt “damaged” and you’ve either refused or accepted a top with some damage. No doubt you’re a little frustrated and looking to get things resolved. E-mail or call our office and we’ll explain the step-by-step process to get the ball rolling! email: perfectplank@att.net telephone: (800) 327-1961 or (530) 533-7606 If we’re remaking a top, the earlier we know the better. If it’s early enough in the week, sometimes we can glue and ship that same week. Damages found later in the week unfortunately can take longer. We’ll do our best in getting replacements out ASAP! If you’re looking to recoup some costs on a product you’ve decided to keep, a claim can sometimes take 3+ weeks to process. We ask for your patience with this process. As soon as  a claim is approved by XPO, we immediately issue and mail a check to the customer’s shipping address. If the claim is deemed unreasonable by XPO and denied, it can either be altered and resubmitted or disputed by the customer. Still have questions? Call our office at (800) 327-1961 and we'll do our very best to help!
Pacific Coast Maple & Plantation Mahogany Rounds Sealed with Mineral Oil (SEALING AND INSTALLATION SERVICES NOT OFFERED BY PERFECT PLANK CO.)