Water won't do that, it would have to get under the finish and then go up. I asked earlier about hand cream use??

So, what are the white spots that are clearly from something being sprayed onto the cabinets? Perhaps some household members don't want to fess up.

" I asked earlier about hand cream use??"

Who DOESN"T use hand cream? I'm sure she isn't rubbing it into the doors!

"So, what are the white spots that are clearly from something being sprayed onto the cabinets? Perhaps some household members don't want to fess up."

Perhaps some cabinet makers don't want to live up to their warranty.

Why are some of you trying to lay blame on the OP who has three-year-old cabinets with a finish that is already worn off around the handles? My last cheap-as-all-get-out cabinets were in my house since the 70s and looked better than that! And I used hand cream on my hands AND cleaners on the cabinets!!

Unless the warranty or info received with her cabinets specified what to use or not to use, the warranty on the finish should be good. Opening and closing the doors of cabinets is normal, as is cleaning them occasionally.

Yes, no windex, no paper towels, no hand cream in the kitchen! Common sense!

Explain, then, what is on that knob? Why is that peeling?

What knob is peeling? I can't see that in the pictures. I see some flash bounce back, but I don't see damage to the knobs. . . .

First photo...knob to the right. IT looks like there's something going on with that knob. Even the homeowner says the knob is showing signs of wear....her words, not mine.

Right, and she was only spraying dissolving stuff around the knobs.....

Yes, if around the knobs was dirty, and someone sprayed a cleaner that they shouldn't, you would get exactly the obvious droplet pattern that is so apparent on the doors. The white spots are from some type of spray, and clearly are the culprit in the finish becoming damaged.

The OPer says one knob is showing signs of wear. I didn't see where she says it is peeling and I can't see any peeling. But maybe you all have better eyesight than I do.

How do you think a metal knob would show wear? It appears that the protective coating of the know is wearing off. I am starting to agree that this is being caused by some kind of cleaner.

Did the OP say if she uses a cleaning service? It could be something that is happening without the OP's knowledge and it makes sense that a cleaning person would concentrate on cleaning the knob area.

water drops?

I would think a knob would show wear from the finish being rubbed away, or possibly scratches. I wouldn't expect a knob to show wear by peeling, which I would take to mean big flakes sloughing off, rather like sunburned skin peeling. I don't see any "peeling."

If the culprit is a cleaning agent, why is only one of the knobs showing what the OPer describes as wear?

Well what do YOU think it is crl? Do you really think water is causing such damage when in fact the way to clean cabinets is with a mild dish soap and water?

Not sure what folks are seeing as peeling on the knobs? Or did I misread something? Our bronze knobs are going to resemble those -- at least that's what the hardware folks said, I like some patina.

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Chicago Kitchen & Bath Fixtures Clark & Barlow Decorative Hardware

On the cabinets, not so much with the patina. Maggie_mi, good luck.

I may have misspoken when I said the knob was peeling. The OP said a knob was showing wear and I assumed, obviously incorrectly, that it had a protective coating (that many knobs do have and with use can peel off). I am clearly wrong so I retract my words. The knob is NOT peeling....it is simply showing signs of wear (whatever that means to you).

Appreciate everyone's input on this. If you could visit my kitchen, you would see that the cabinets still look beautiful everywhere except around the knobs (not sure why those "white spots" showed up in the photo the way they did, but they are not visible when you look at the cabinets, and they are most certainly not the result of my spraying a harsh cleaning agent; plus, if anyone in this household were surreptitiously cleaning the kitchen cabinets, or any other object in the house, I would fall to my knees with gratitude).

The knobs when new had a burnished, worn look--that was their style. When I look at them now, there's just the one that looks a bit more worn down than the others--the cabinet the kids open 20 times a day--but it's not really noticeable or problematic.

I was not given any instructions by Naylor's not to use certain cleaning agents, have not used any citrus-based cleaners, probably used that "kitchen cabinet cleaner" spray about 4 times. Otherwise, have maybe 3-4 times a year, used a damp cloth to clean obvious spatters.

Most importantly, in the letter denying warranty coverage, MasterBrand made no suggestion that I'd used an inappropriate cleaner. They said (based on their rep's report and photos) "the issues you are experiencing are a result of the finish being chipped off, as evidenced by the scratches and gouges around the knobs, which is considered wear and tear and not covered under the warranty."

I think this is ludicrous. All we've done is open the cabinets, sometimes with damp hands. As if it should matter--but no one in this household even has long fingernails. My contractor was the one who persuaded me to pursue this--he said it was obviously water damage, and no cabinet finish should break down like this.

Maybe this is, as OldTimeCarpenter suggested, an isolated manufacturing error, and not typical of Kitchen Craft finishes. If they'd honored the warranty and addressed the problem, I'd be singing their praises. But they didn't, so I wanted to make others aware, in case it would help someone avoid a similar experience.

jerzeegirl, I have got no idea what the problem is. I don't know if it's a defective finish or something else. It just bothers me when there's an inaccurate description of what's going on in threads like this because I often see one poster make an error and then the rest of the thread assumes the error is factually correct and the whole discussion is off track.

! Jellytoast!

Here is the applicable paragraph from KC's warranty:

This warranty shall become void if the cabinets are in any way modified, improperly installed or damaged prior to or during the installation. Furthermore, this warranty will not apply to cabinets damaged by misuse, neglect, abuse, acts of God, exposure to moisture, exposure to extreme temperatures, normal incidental deterioration such as nicks, scratches, abrasions and natural aging whether resulting from the effects of normal wear and tear or abnormal use. Natural woods may vary in color, characteristics and exhibit subtle changes as they age. For example, white painted face frames may eventually have visible cracking around the joint
area and cabinet colors may darken or lighten over time. Sunlight, smoke, household cleaners and other environmental conditions may also affect the color match over time. These variations are considered to be the nature of the material in relation to their environmental exposure and are not covered under this warranty.

" ... normal incidental deterioration such as nicks, scratches, abrasions and natural aging whether resulting from the effects of normal wear and tear or abnormal use."

This looks like a bit more than "normal incidental deterioration" to me, but hey, maybe it is normal for their cabinets. After reading their warranty, it makes me wonder what it DOES cover.

Exactly! I bet this company isn't the only one who has a warranty like this.

Kraftmaid replaced all the doors and drawers on my bathroom cabinet when the finish started peeling within a few years. They didn't give me a hard time at all, just replaced them quickly and without drama. Some companies do stand behind their warranties. I think it is very helpful to know which ones do and which ones don't.

Unless someone is repeatedly sopping things, I can't imagine an appropriate finish would deteriorate like that in just 3 years use.

Are these certified by KCMA? Where are they being manufactured?

I agree with Green here.. it looks like something was sprayed on the cabinet and ate the finish.

If you blow the photo up, it looks like little chips, not spray marks.

Maggie - I was mad on your behalf just looking at those cabinets. I speak from years of experience being screwed over by companies who would not honor their warranty. I would be scared to get new doors from them. Have you considered having a cabinet maker hand make all new doors? Then you would know what you were getting - wood, finish, knobs. I would have a hard time letting them bring new junk (doors) into my house from KC again. I priced these for my kitchen not long ago - glad I passed!

Has KitchenCraft or their rep seen the cabinets in real life, or just the photos? I'm telling you, grab your receipt, a couple of doors, the duties/taxes receipt you paid at US Customs and head over to Naylor's and show them. If nothing else, take them to a local KitchenCraft dealer and ask them if they've seen anything like it before.

Let Naylor's know that their bad rep will be all over social media too, that's not something they can afford.

Their website says they are a certified member of KCMA; Kitchen Craft was a Canadian company, but was bought by MasterBrand (in Indiana) in 2002. They do have factories in Indiana, but I'm not sure where my cabinets were made.

Thanks for all the suggestions--I'll talk to my husband about whether we could sue for a refund (that we could use to hire someone to make the doors) instead of replacement doors.

When their rep came into my kitchen to examine the cabinets, btw, he said nothing about cleansers or sprays--he immediately started talking about fingernails scratching and gouging the finish. I was astounded. How could a cabinet maker suggest that their finish shouldn't be expected to stand up to people opening the cabinet doors? It reminded me of the time a car dealer told my sister that the peeling paint around her gas cap wouldn't be covered under warranty because she'd spilled gasoline on it.

Just a thought. Naylor's will be sad that this line is out there since the dollar is on the rise. That should bring them more business from state side, but not with their attitude. I live in the Detroit area and can tell you they just lost a large potential customer. I was looking at the GW for this type of information and would like to thank all of the commenter's.

I am doing a large home remodel and was looking at Costco's Tuscan Hills Cabinets when I noticed the warranty. It says not to expose the cabinets to heat or water. WHAT? These are going into the laundry room, the master bath and the kitchen. They recommend that I remove the cabinet doors around the oven when self-cleaning the oven. It says I must get spills immediately. WHAT? I have kids and I am not going to play cop.

What a shame that you have to go through all of this. I am glad your hubby is a lawyer. That will benefit you no doubt. Good luck

Hubby suing is why all of our costs are up. This looks like user error to me.

Not true. Most people never sue anyone EVER. If more people did then these companies would start putting out the quality that they charge us for. I am looking for new cabinets and all of the them say they make quality cabinets for both the kitchen and bathroom. However, when you read the warranties if you expose them to water, sunlight, humidity or heat then they will not warranty their products. Here is an idea. What if they make cabinets for the sink with the proper finish so that if it gets wet the finish will hold up. There are finishes out there that can accomplish that. Finish a cabinet for a bath that can hold up to humidity. Why aren't they doing that? Oh, because most people NEVER sue, so it is cheaper to deal with the very few who do rather than do the job right. I hope she sues the pants off them.

So, shepherdkisses, you'd be OK with plastic cabinets? You can do some interesting--though pricy--things with Corian. Or would stainless steel be more to your liking? Cabinets made from wood are not meant to stand up to exterior grade conditions. That's abuse. Abuse is never covered. Only a manufacturer's defects.

I imagine the OP has had cabinets before and can tell the difference between a finish that holds up well and an inferior one that doesn't.

?? I read through the discussion and I didn't see any mention of exterior grade conditions. Confused.

Hi Sophie. As I was reading up on cabinets and finishes I came across articles on different types of laquer and oil finishes. There are finishes available that should last for years on any type of wooden cabinet. Unless you really soak them the finish should be fine. The owners in this case say that they just washed these areas with water basically. The finish looks like it rubbed off from normal wear and tear. If they had cleaned the doors with an abrasive cleaner the entire door would be an issue. You should be able to run your hands over these cabinets as much as you want to without the finish coming off.

Anyway, with the finishes that are available this should not happen after only three years. Unless they used sandpaper to clean the knobs, this finish was not done correctly. I have old oak cabinets in my kitchen and I washed them with Windex. They are from 1993, and the finish looks better than these three year old cabinets.

We have a similar issue with our Kitchen Craft cabinets as well. When we called them, a guy came out, took some pictures, and then we received a follow up saying the damage is caused by water. All of our lower cabinets in the kitchen look terrible, and Kitchen Craft's best solution was a colored pencil/stick (that doesn't match).

The crazy (to me) part is that the cabinets we removed from our kitchen (purchased circa 1996) and gave to our friends to install in their garage (which were oak) look 100x better TODAY (honestly, the finish still looks new) than this garbage, and I can guarantee there was no special handling done on those cabinets at any time in their lifespan.

This is a garbage finish from a company that does not stand behind their warranty.

Oh for crying out loud!! This is a kitchen. Where food is prepared and cooked. Where food is eaten. Where food and dishes and pots and pans are cleaned. The cabinet finish should wear better than that in Just Three Years!! I have thirty year old cabinets and they don't look like that and they get cleaned with soap and water and various cleaners. There is a problem with the FINISH.

Is anyone is still actively pursuing these issues? We have had major problems with Kitchen Craft and I would like to know if anything worked... and if not, I am ready to join in a campaign to get some action. thanks!

Hello, Do you have nay update on this situation? I know it has been a few years. I ust got a KC kitchen with a painting nimbus finish and after only a few weeks, the paint is already all scratched up. I also thought the the masterbrand brand and the warranty would give me peace of mind. I was wrong. The rep is offering to send a company to fix the chipped paint, but what will happen after a few more years of use???

So disappointed .

This is the same company that makes Omega Dynasty, isn't it?

Lisa, yes you are correct, but I believe they are all individual companies that were purchased by masterbrand.

I have been busy on other projects.. but I am ready to ramp up complaint to Kitchen Craft - so I'm glad you wrote. I think you should let them send someone out to 'fix' and see if you can chat with them about finish and potential problems. I was recently told by a painter that the peeling on my cabinets cannot be repainted because it cannot be sanded! so there is not even a way to repair the cabinets. I would like to hear back about what their 'fixer' has to say. I am planning to write the company again and give them a chance to respond positively. If anyone else is still having problems please post.

re Omega Dynasty - what was issue?

Wedding ring?

Maggie - did you ever resolve this? I have major issues and would like to connect with you. I am going to try to email you but not sure how this works

Sorry, I don't understand how this 'thread' works. Just seeing other posts. I would like to connect all of us. Not sure how to do this. Anyone?? I believe there are real issues with some of their materials and they need to respond. Responses I have received are similar to all and NOT acceptable. Have also seen similar complaints on other sites.

You can check each person's profile and see if they have private messaging enabled. If so, then you can message them. If not, I think your only hope is that they see these threads.

Our cabinets have the same problem. Water splash leaves an etched mark in the finish and high touch areas are becoming gummy and lifting off. The finish never cured properly or something.