RTA Kitchen Cabinets: What Are They And Why They Are So Popular

Posted by Lift Top Table Guru on October 3, 2009

Let me start by saying that RTA or Ready-To-Assemble Cabinets have been sold for quite a while, but because of manufacturing improvements over the past several of years, there are now more and more companies creating and selling ready-to-assemble kitchen and bathroom cabinets (hereinafter referred to as RTA), with higher quality standards. I must say that the kitchen is one of the most expensive rooms in a house to build or renovate. Other than your countertop selection, kitchen cabinets are going to be the most expensive part of your kitchen refurbishment. Indeed, with the current state of the mortgage industry, and slowdown in the housing market, most people are looking for a way to enhance the resale value of their home without a substantial financial investment that they may or may not get back when they sell their house. With the current situation the question that troubles people’s mind is whether there is such a thing as budget kitchen cabinets?

The answer may be: RTA kitchen cabinets are the solution. Now this category of cabinets includes everything from the particle board cabinets that you assemble yourself, to the pre-assembled cabinets, or the RTA cabinets that you find on the Web that have plywood sides and come ready-to-assemble in a box. As you can comprehend by the descriptions, there are different levels of quality and material used in RTA cabinets. You also have to take into account the fact that some of the RTA cabinets that you find on the Web end up being stronger and sturdier than the name brand cabinets because they are using a solid plywood cabinet box for their construction.

Beyond doubt the key to a high quality RTA cabinet is how the cabinet is held together. Nonetheless, some of the lower end RTA cabinets use wood glue and staples or screws to hold the cabinet box together. These types of kitchen cabinets have a tendency to separate or split apart where the staples or screws connect to frame. Therefore, for a high quality RTA cabinet, make sure that they use a cam lock assembly. Briefly, a cam lock assembly is simply a locking system that you turn using a screwdriver to interlock the cabinet panels in place.

Another huge advantage to using RTA cabinets for your kitchen or bathroom project is availability. You will find out that one of the biggest problems with custom cabinets is the lead time required to order and get your cabinets in time for installation in your house. In reverse, with RTA cabinets, you can walk into a home supply store and buy them as needed. This allows you to adjust to the imminent changes that will occur in your project, additionally, it doesn’t slow you down in the event of miscalculations. What it ultimately comes down to with RTA kitchen cabinets is the cost. You could easily assemble and install the cabinets yourself with ready-to-assemble cabinets just as avoid the excessive labor costs associated with custom cabinet installation.

To cut the long story short, I have been installing RTA cabinets in all of my rental and flipped properties for years. On top of all that I have been able to save thousands on each kitchen by shopping around.