Website design By BotEap.comEveryone knows that RTA cabinets can save you a significant amount of money on your new kitchen or bathroom, but not everyone knows the difference between the different types of RTA cabinets on the market. It seems that for every person who had a good experience building and installing their own cabinets, there are plenty of people who have horror stories of dealing with the wrong vendor or buying the wrong type of RTA cabinets. In this article, I’m going to cover the differences between the various ready-to-assemble cabinets on the market so you can make sure your experience is a positive one.

Website design By BotEap.comMaterials – Whether you are talking about custom, stock, or RTA cabinets, the materials used to build the cabinets should be the most important factor in the cabinets you are purchasing. The most common question I get from customers is “what is the door made of?”. People want to make sure the door is made of real wood, when in reality they should care more about the material the cabinet box is made of. 95% of RTA cabinets on the market will have solid wood doors and front frames (if not, that should be a red flag!). Where they differ will be what they use for the case and back panel. There is a wide variety of materials that manufacturers use, including plywood, fiberboard, particleboard, MDF, and solid wood. Plywood and solid wood will be your strongest cabinet box. There are several issues you might have to deal with if you buy cabinets that use particleboard or fiberboard with a veneer cover… 1) if the material gets wet, the fiberboard and particleboard tend to swell or buckle 2) Both materials tend to break or split, especially when using screws or nails. Screws will tend to lose their grip because the material is made from shredded wood or paper instead of shredded wood. a plywood or solid wood material. Ironically, most of the cabinets you have to special order from Lowes or Home Depot are actually made of fiberboard with a veneer. For a strong and durable cabinet, make sure the cabinet box is made of plywood or solid wood.

Website design By BotEap.comEase of Assembly: If you’ve heard any horror stories about RTA cabinets, it most likely has to do with the complicated assembly required. If you’ve ever bought anything from IKEA, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. One of my neighbors who just remodeled her kitchen with IKEA cabinets was telling me her story about the cabinets that she thought she was buying a lot of. I was surprised to find that literally everything comes in its own box… hinges are in one box, screws are in another box, cabinet faces are in another box, etc, etc… she was telling me it took a couple of hours identify all the different parts. After hearing her story, I can understand why some people don’t know how to deal with headaches. I can assure you that not all RTA cabinets are that difficult to assemble. A good, high-quality cabinet will come with everything ready to assemble in one box. Having worked with turnkey cabinets for the past 15 years, the cabinets I am used to working with only require a screwdriver to assemble and can be assembled in 5-10 minutes. In a high quality cabinet, the doors will already be attached to the front frames and everything interlocks with cam locks. If you find yourself buying each piece in a separate box, make sure you set aside a couple days for assembly because you’re going to need it!

Website design By BotEap.comPrice: Let’s face it, most people associate the price of a product with the quality of the product…this is not true. If you’ve ever searched the internet for RTA kitchen cabinets, you’ll find several dozen cabinet shops selling the exact same line of cabinets, with the highest priced websites selling the exact same cabinets (changing the name to slightly) for 2 or 3 times more. as the cabinet store with the lowest price. Don’t be fooled by the price. Check the materials, assembly procedure, and shipping schedule to determine if the cabinet is right for you. Shop around…just because a big box store has the buying power, doesn’t mean you’ll get the best deal…in reality, the best deals available will come from internet sites that have very little overhead and are running on higher margins. low. They can also usually offer better customer service.

Website design By BotEap.comSo if you’re at the point where you’re thinking about RTA cabinets, make sure you’re asking the right questions to ensure you have the best experience possible. By finding cabinets that are made with the right materials, are easy to put together, and are priced right, you can ensure a beautiful kitchen or bathroom and a project that’s easy to pull off.