There are gazillions of offers you can get for such furnishings like the RTA cabinet. It is fairly cheap and available at just about every home improvement center or online suppliers. The pictures are all so nice and we go gaga about how it would look like in our basement or bathroom.
Let us not be too hasty in grabbing just about any of these cheap cabinets. Yes, they are not too heavy on the pocket but at the end of the day, we all want value for our money.
This we can ensure that we will by being more diligent in inspecting the quality of the workmanship and materials that the cheap cabinets are made of.
Research
Since we are on the look out anyway of affordable furnishings, we might as well invest a little more time and effort in researching for the type of materials that RTA cabinets are made of.
Issues
Quality cabinets are made of plywood or solid wood.
Most RTA cabinets are made of either particleboard or fiber board with laminated cover. The problem with these materials is that when they get wet, they absorb moisture, thus leads to bubbling and warping.
Another issue is that the screws, nails, or staples that hold together the cabinet, because of the material not being solid, have the tendency to lose their grip; thereby, shortening the life of the cabinet. (Click here)
Other problems
I have read some reviews and one unsatisfied customer had written that when she bought her cabinets, they came in several boxes. When she got home and opened those boxes, she found that every piece came in a separate box. She took literally three days to figure out which part goes with another. Moreover, she finds that some pieces were missing.
Owning RTA cabinets should not have to be so difficult, should it? All we wanted was a nice set of cabinets that are affordable for our basement or bathroom remodel.
Solutions
It is more often than not easier to shop online, as it is convenience at your fingertips. However, we have to make sure that we understand that the RTA cabinets we are buying from online retailer sites are what the dealer says they are.
In some cases, the RTA cabinets that we get online end up being sturdier than branded cabinets as they actually use solid plywood for their cabinet box.
We just need to make sure that we do look at how these cabinets were built; that solid wood is used for the cabinet doors, for the box plywood, and either solid wood or plywood for the back panel.
Another factor is what holds the whole cabinet together. Low-end cabinets use staples, screws, and wood glue. RTA cabinets of this type are not as strong as they are inclined to separate where the staples connect to the framework. When compared to higher end RTA cabinets, these ones have the level up as they use cam lock assemblies that offer a stronger attachment. (Read more)
It is not bad to wish for a good-looking set of cabinets in our basement or bathroom. Let us just not be too slack with our choices when we finally decide to make the purchase.