The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association is the leading authority on cabinetry quality and sustainability in North America. The KCMA sets the gold standard for the assembly and finishing of kitchen cabinets.
Your kitchen cabinets are subjected to a harsh environment that often causes the premature failure of standard latex and oil-based paints. In order to ensure the suitability of coatings used to finish cabinets, the KCMA developed and administers the AINSI/KCMA A161.1 Certification program.
Using top quality lacquers and industrial grade coatings, at Momentum, our products and application methods exceed the finish standards set out by the KCMA. These products have passed tests that create, in accelerated form, the cumulative effects of years of normal kitchen conditions for pre-finished cabinets. Cabinet finishes are inspected to ensure that stringent standards of appearance are also met:
- To test the ability of the finish to withstand high heat, a cabinet door is placed in a hotbox at 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent relative humidity for 24 hours. After this test the finish must show no appreciable discoloration and no evidence of blistering, checks or other film failures.
- To test the ability of the finish to withstand hot and cold cycles for prolonged periods, a cabinet door is placed in a hotbox at 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent relative humidity for one hour, removed and allowed to return to room temperature and humidity conditions, and then placed in a coldbox for one hour at -5 degrees Fahrenheit. The cycle is repeated five times. The finish must then show no appreciable discoloration and no evidence of blistering, cold checking or other film failure.
- To test the ability of the finish to withstand substances typically found in the kitchen and bath, exterior exposed surfaces of doors, front frames, drawer fronts and end panels are subjected to vinegar, lemon, orange and grape juices, tomato ketchup, coffee, olive oil and 100-proof alcohol for 24 hours and to mustard for one hour. After this test, the finish must show no appreciable discoloration, stain or whitening that will not disperse with ordinary polishing and no indication of blistering, checks or other film failure.
- To test the ability of the finish to withstand long periods of exposure to a detergent and water solution, a cabinet door edge is subjected to exposure to a standardized detergent formula for 24 hours. The door edge must then show no delamination or swelling and no appreciable discoloration or evidence of blistering, checking, whitening, or other film failure.
At Momentum, we are committed to exceeding the highest industry standards for cabinet finishing. This commitment starts by ensuring our products exceed the AINSI/KCMA 161.1 Certification requirements.
