The term “RTA” has its roots in the furniture industry and first appeared when producers started selling desks, bookcases, and other home furnishings that required user assembly after delivery.
RTA cabinet means ready-to-assemble cabinets. It gives homeowners a way to save money on kitchen remodeling, though this choice does come at a time and labor cost. These cabinets are delivered in flat packs with all the necessary hardware for assembly, as opposed to being ready-to-hang cabinets.
Prior to the development of technology, RTA cabinets were regarded as being “cheap,” but this is no longer the case.
It pays to spend some time learning more about RTA cabinets before you begin looking for new kitchen cabinets. You can learn about what to look for when purchasing RTA cabinets, approximate costs, assembling, and more with the help of our thorough guide.
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What Are RTA Cabinets?
Simply put, RTA cabinets are ones you assemble yourself. They are regarded as “stock” cabinets, which means that they are typically produced in accordance with a set of predetermined criteria. However, they don’t forgo extras like soft close doors and drawers; instead, they offer sturdy construction and lovely finishes.
RTA cabinets, on the other hand, are delivered to you in boxes and need you to assemble the individual parts yourself. This choice offers the following two main advantages: cost savings and time savings. Assembled cabinets, on the other hand, are delivered to your home by the cabinet supplier already assembled, which may relieve some of your stress. For the renovator who values both quality and affordability, both options are fantastic.
Pros Of RTA Cabinets
- Affordability
- Availability – short lead times with many RTA cabinets ready to ship
- Endless styles to choose from
- Avoid the headache of the big box store’s limited offering of overpriced particle board cabinetry
- Assembly is fun for DIY enthusiasts
- Order RTA cabinets from the comfort of your home
- Since Lily Ann made her debut in the furniture industry in 2004, quality-RTA cabinet designs and manufacturing methods have advanced significantly. We’d like to believe Lily Ann is a motivating force!
Cons Of RTA Cabinets
- Our RTA cabinets are very simple to assemble and require only basic tools. Although most people prefer RTA cabinets, some people would rather spend more money on assembled cabinets.
Buying Considerations You Should Know For Rta Cabinets
Assembly
Considering how simple they are to assemble, ready-to-assemble cabinets have grown in popularity. The majority of products only require glue, wood dowels, and screws, all of which ought to be included with the cabinets along with detailed instructions. For securing hardware and hinges, cabinets, drawers, and doors have predrilled holes. A screwdriver is frequently the only tool required for assembly.
If there are online videos that demonstrate how your cabinets are put together, it’s a good idea to watch them. Reviewing demonstration videos prior to assembly can help avoid common assembly errors.
Quality
Similar to pre-assembled cabinets, ready-to-assemble cabinets come in a wide range of quality, from subpar to excellent. RTA cabinets are just as sturdy and enticing as anything you would find in a kitchen showroom, and you can purchase them. However, you must be able to spot subpar workmanship. Avoid cabinets with rail drawer guides that are integrated, stapled drawers made of particleboard, and doors made of veneered MDF or particleboard.
A high-quality cabinet will have the following characteristics:
- Solid wood drawers with dovetail joinery
- Full-extension drawer guides
- Doors that have a solid wood frame, with panels made either of solid wood or plywood
- Finishes and coating applied by brush rather than sprayed on
While you can examine these features in person at a store, you can also ask for a door sample when purchasing online. This guarantees that when you eventually place an order, you will know what you will be getting even if you have to pay a small refundable deposit and shipping.
Different Types Of Rta Cabinets
Beyond the cabinet’s style, there is also the cabinet overlay, which is something to take into account when buying any kind of cabinetry, not just RTA cabinets. This has to do with how the cabinet door rests against the frame of the cabinet. Three different cabinet overlay types exist partial overlay, full overlay, and inset overlay.
Inset
Cabinet doors with insets fit inside the frame and sit flush against it. The cabinet’s door edges are protected and less likely to nick or get damaged because the entire frame is visible. This kind can cost more and tends to take up less space than either a partial or full overlay. They give off a sleek, clean appearance with everything falling into its proper place and proportion.
Partial Overlay
You will most commonly find partial overlay cabinets, which are also the most common. Because of the overlay, there is some space between drawers and cabinet doors, and hardware is not always required. The most affordable cabinet style to buy is a partial overlay. A more conventional and classic appearance is provided by the partial overlay.
Full Overlay
The front of the cabinet frame is completely covered by the full overlay style of the cabinet. There is hardly any room between the cabinet doors where they meet. Hardware must be installed before you can open and close cabinets and doors. A little more storage space and simpler access to items in the cabinets are made possible by the full overlay. The style is thought to be modern and sleek.
Cost Of RTA cabinets
RTA cabinets are significantly less expensive than custom or assembled cabinets. Savings are achieved in two ways. RTA cabinets are shipped at a lower cost than fully assembled cabinets because they are delivered to you disassembled and take up less space. Second, labor costs will be reduced because you will be handling assembly and installation.
The materials, finish, complexity, and level of completion are just a few examples of the variables that can significantly affect your costs. Cabinets with white, melamine-coated particleboard cabinet boxes and drawers, flat panel doors, and unfinished components that you paint yourself are the least expensive options.
Veneered plywood cabinet boxes, hardwood face frames, solid wood doors, and dovetailed drawers are more pricey options. Accessories like crown molding or interior lighting can be more expensive, as can cabinets with unusual sizes and angles.
The length of the wall that will be covered by cabinets, measured horizontally, is what is commonly used to determine the price of kitchen cabinets. Both the top (wall) and bottom (base) cabinets are typically included in the linear foot cost. Kitchen cabinets for an entire kitchen can cost anywhere between approximately $250 per linear foot and $750 or more, depending on the combination of inexpensive and expensive options you select.
Get price quotes from two or three suppliers for comparable products. You might need to compare prices from various suppliers for the hardware, doors, and cabinet boxes. You ought to be able to complete this work online, and RTA cabinet suppliers are frequently helpful in providing sources for the other materials.
Verify whether replacement parts for your cabinets are readily available. Your kitchen remodeling project might be delayed if a component breaks or is damaged during assembly. And you’ll want to be able to quickly replace a part if it breaks in the future.
How To Choose RTA Cabinets?
When selecting the best RTA cabinets for your kitchen or bathroom, everything comes down to personal preference. You have a lot of options, including cabinet style, color, and finish. To determine which ones will work best for you, however, there are a few things you should consider. Make sure the cabinets will fit properly in the available space and that they are of good quality with attractive features.
Features
As was previously mentioned in the buying considerations section, it is crucial to ensure that the cabinets are of high quality so they last for a long time, but the features available are also crucial. Consider features like a soft-close mechanism, vertical dividers, a trash pull-out, corner storage, and the availability of replacement parts when choosing cabinets. As you prepare meals and enjoy your kitchen, these extra features can simplify your life. Additionally, they make it simpler for you to organize and store your kitchen supplies.
Space
This project depends on you knowing exactly how much room you have for each cabinet. Before making a purchase, get the measuring tape out and take three measurements to make sure your calculations are accurate. For each cabinet, you need to purchase and measure its length, width, and height. If you don’t feel confident doing this, hire a professional to guarantee you get the precise size you require.
Where To Buy RTA cabinets?
IKEA, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Costco are a few big-box stores where you can find RTA cabinets, but online retailers have a much wider variety. When you shop in a store, you can talk to the salespeople, who might be able to explain the variations among the cabinets on offer and offer guidance on how to arrange your space. Some online retailers may also offer these services, and some of those websites even offer the option to design a unique layout and show photorealistic renderings of the space.
