20+ Years
Certified by AWI
Since 2006, Strata Design has been quality certified to ”Premium Grade” by the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). The AWI Quality Certification Program provides quality assurance for design professionals and owners through unbiased measurement of woodwork products and installation.
Certification credentials are earned by woodworking firms that, through comprehensive testing and inspection, demonstrate the ability to fabricate, finish, and/or install work in accordance with the quality grade criteria outlined in the Architectural Woodworking Standards (AWS) book. All of our casework is manufactured to the Custom, Premium, & Modular grades according to the AWS most current standard, 1st Edition, 2009.
AWI conducts a weight and durability testing procedure on cabinets. This test is designed to evaluate the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity of cabinetry by filling the cabinets with weight and targeting pressure points. These tests ensure that cabinets can safely support the weights they are likely to encounter in everyday use.
Strata Wall Cabinet
Duty Level 3
Strata Base Cabinet
Duty Level 4
Strata Tall Cabinet
Duty Level 3
The test is graded on a four-level scale that ranks the integrity of the cabinet. The following table specifies the ranks.
| Performance Duty Level | Assembled Unit Load (lbs.) | Typical Application |
| Duty Level 1 | *Weights vary per cabinet type | Light Commercial |
| Duty Level 2 | Commercial | |
| Duty Level 3 | Institutional | |
| Duty Level 4 | Labratory |
The AWI utilizes several tools for cabinet testing to ensure precision and quality. These include:
- Tapered Thickness Gauge: Measures gaps in cabinet components after testing.
- Metric Thickness Gauge: Measures gaps in cabinet components before testing.
- Digital Caliper: Measures reveal gaps between doors and drawer components, as well as thicknesses of core, shelf, and door panel materials before and after testing.
- Metric and U.S. Pocket Tape: Measures overall dimensions,
- Vernier Depth Gauge: Measures the flushness of cabinet component joints before and after testing.
- Level Measurement Device: Measures the levelness of the test specimen before and after testing.
Strata Design is committed to producing the highest quality cabinets and leverages AWI quality testing to ensure excellence. The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) supports this mission by setting industry standards and providing valuable growth resources, helping companies like Strata Design achieve their goals of quality and innovation.
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"By meticulously defining each step of the testing process, these methods guarantee the highest standards of accuracy, reproducibility, impartiality, and confidentiality, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of product quality and the trust of customers."
- Architectural Woodwork Institute