Things to Look for In RTA Kitchen Cabinets

As you start looking for the best ready-to-assemble or RTA cabinets for your kitchen, you need to look for certain things.

Things to look for in an RTA cabinet

While buying RTA kitchen cabinets, the following factors should be considered at the onset.

  • Joinery

The process of assembly decides whether or not the furniture is comparable to a custom or high-quality manufactured cabinet. Custom cabinet makers and factories largely depend on the joinery that might take a little more time but ensures longevity. Some manufacturers use metal clips and cam locks. But a reliable RTA cabinet builder won’t depend on any inferior joinery method.

The materials used for the joinery inform important things about the manufacturer. Plastic is less expensive but less sound structurally than metal, for instance. If you see plastic components, avoid buying the furniture. The manufacturers of such cabinets are likely to cut the corners somewhere else as well.

  • Types of wood

This is one of the key features that people should look for when it comes to buying quality kitchen cabinets. Hardwood doesn’t necessarily mean to be hard. It might be harder than some types of wood while softer than others. So, you need to know the species of wood is being used. Imported RTA cabinets are usually made from Russian Birch which is a hardwood, at least technically. Though affordable it is not durable.

However, RTA cabinets made from this wood are often tagged as solid hardwood cabinets. But in terms of their capability to withstand the abuse, the cabinets are not reliable. They are prone to dings and dents, which aren’t covered by a warranty. Besides, maple can be a better choice as it is more capable of withstanding common wear and tear without having dents, dings, or scratches.

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  • Finishes
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If you want the kitchen cabinets to last longer, take care of their finishes. Conversion varnish or CV is the most widely used and practical finish for wholesale cabinets as well as RTA cabinets. Apart from being durable, the finish features water and chemical resistance properties. It is UV resistant as well. CV’s strength lies in its hardening process. It uses a two-component system – a hardener is being added to the finish before the application.

If done right, a hard finish like CV can compensate for softer timber. On the other hand, lacquers such as household paints are air-cured and you can’t expect them to be as durable as the CV. They are faster to apply and cheap. But over time, their finish fades away. So, even if you see that the description says that ‘8 step finishing process has been used, be sure to know its exact meaning. 8 layers of inferiority can’t ever be superior.

Rather, you should check if the manufacturer is using the CV. If formaldehyde is being used should also be checked.

Though not everything, these are the most important things that you must take care of while planning to buy RTA cabinets for your upcoming kitchen renovation project.

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