As a company that specializes in kitchen cabinets, we feel the kitchen is an important statement room in the house. And at the core of the kitchen, great-looking kitchen cabinets can make or break the feel of the room. These seemingly simple structures not only define the aesthetics of the space but also play a role in functionality. The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) has established a set of rigorous standards designed to ensure the structural integrity of the cabinet itself, as well as the protective cabinet coating. In this blog, we examine what is the KCMA Standard, and does it matter with cabinet refinishing?

Cabinet Refinishing Products best paint — Milesi and Envirolak products have been tested and meet the requirements for the KCMA Standard

For starters, cabinets that come prefinished from a factory should have a KCMA rating.

The KCMA rating system includes various aspects of cabinet manufacturing, with a primary focus on ensuring durability, quality, and performance. Part of that means the cabinets are able to withstand general wear and tear. Some of these considerations include load-bearing abilities, joints’ sturdiness, and building materials’ quality. This relates to refinishing in that a KCMA sticker lets us know these cabinets, at one point, met a set of industry standards. A high-quality refinisher will inspect the above-mentioned factors, with a focus on the integrity of the top coat. This can be a conversion varnish, solvent-based or water-based lacquer, or polyurethane on wood cabinets. The level of deterioration of this coating may help determine the materials to be used when refinishing.

The KCMA rating does not specify how cabinet paint is applied. However, it does consider a handful of qualities that are tested for in a factory setting.

The KCMA standard considers the different requirements needed for kitchen cabinets that would matter less on other surfaces. These include testing for:

Heat and cold resistance: For this test, doors are tested in environments between -5 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If a coating can withstand this in the shop, it will have a much better chance of not cracking out under NORMAL kitchen wear. (We pray that your kitchen never gets that hot or cold)

Spill resistance: For this test, doors are exposed to vinegar, lemon, orange, grape juices, tomato ketchup, coffee, olive oil, and 100-proof alcohol for a full 24-hour period. Mustard is also applied to a 60-minute period because that stuff stains even the best coating. Tumeric is NOT included in testing and is the hardest stain this author has ever attempted to remove. But please note that if these items perform well for the above mentioned time frames, they should hold up well for daily spills.

Stain resistance: Similar to the above, doors are subjected to various stains for between 4-24 hours depending on the type of door. Most KCMA-rated products hold up exponentially better than even the best house paints. Hand grease, in particular, is something that builds and absorbs fairly quickly with house paints. (This is commonly seen on painted metal doors leading to a garage, or around cabinet handles that have a deteriorated finish).

Humidity/moisture resistance: Lastly, humidity does not get along well with even high-quality interior house paints. Humidity will cause paint to break down over the years, with kitchens and bathrooms being the most challenging areas. The KCMA rating system has high standards for humidity resistance, which is imperative due to steam as well as cleaning.

So, how does the KCMA Standard relate to cabinet refinishing?

A cabinet paint is said to be KCMA-rated if it can meet the above standards in a lab-based setting. The heat/cold testing lets us know this product is flexible and will move with the wood (rather than cracking). Spill and stain resistance lets us know these paints will not stain like an off-the-shelf house paint would. Humidity and moisture resistance let us know the cabinet paint will not deteriorate at the same rate as paint with less stringent standards. So, KCMA testing has identified cabinet paints with the best qualities for a lasting finish. However, not all cabinet paints are created equally. And neither is the level of craftsmanship that goes into surface prep and application.

Which cabinet paints work best for cabinet refinishing?

Roughly half of the cabinet refinishing process takes place in the home. Therefore, environmental factors must be taken into consideration. While you should avoid prolonged exposure to ALL paints, solvent-based products (such as lacquer and conversion varnish) “gas off” and are particularly volatile to humans and animals. They are also combustible and should be avoided in residential settings for safety. But fear not! There are many wonderful water-based options available. High-quality and ultra-durable brands accepted by professionals include Milesi, Centurion, Renner, Envirolak, and ICRO. You will notice Sherwin Willimas, Behr, PPG, Valspar, and Benjamin Moore are not included on this list. While some of these companies are making strides into the cabinet refinishing market and adding KCMA-rated products (Sherwin Willimas Gallery Series looks promising), they are not at the level of the above-mentioned tried and trusted brands.

Cabinet Painting, Cabinet refinishing only — Just Add Paint recent Kitchen Project in Harrisburg, using Melesi 2K Poly

I usually say, “You get what you pay for, ” but Sherwin’s Gallery Series is as expensive as the others and will not hold up as well as others on the list. That is not to say this isn’t a good product for DIY if you don’t want to get into special ordering an industrial product a pro would use. However, I suggest getting the best product you can get your hands on. Because fixing a botched or worn-out cabinet job can double the cost of your project in both time and money.

High-skilled prep and application are imperative, especially with industrial, KCMA-rated cabinet paints.

One quality these types of finishes have is that they perform best when sprayed. The paint atomizes differently when put through a sprayer, and will be more durable as well as look better. In fact, a highly skilled refinisher will be able to produce a finish similar to that from a factory. But only if the surface preparation is done correctly. While prep may sound easy, kitchen cabinets present a plethora of issues that require problem-solving.

For starters, a dust-free HEPA vac/sanding system with a contour sander (see Festool and Surfprep) is necessary to handle the detailed areas that are difficult to hand sand. Knowing some chemistry and having experience with removing stubborn grease, deteriorating varnish, and even wax from cleaning products are helpful. Even the best primers and paints will not stick to a contaminated surface. Knowledge of how to build a booth to contain your project in the kitchen is required. A high-quality HEPA air scrubbing system is certainly helpful for dealing with particulates and harmful vapors. Lastly, experience in working with these temperamental products is a massive advantage since they react differently than house paints. There is a learning curve with all products, so avoid someone experimenting with an unfamiliar product in your kitchen.