Notas del episodio
What are RTA kitchen cabinets, and are they worth it? We break down materials, sizes, real 10x10 costs and planning in 8 minutes.
Chris and Jessica walk through everything you need before you buy ready to assemble kitchen cabinets: how to tell plywood RTA cabinets from cheap particleboard, the base, wall and tall cabinet types, standard kitchen cabinet sizes, what a 10x10 kitchen really costs, and how to measure and plan your layout.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:05 What RTA cabinets are
0:57 Plywood, MDF and particleboard
1:46 Our plywood Shaker line
2:16 Base, wall and tall cabinet types
3:12 Standard cabinet sizes
3:52 What an RTA kitchen costs
4:35 10x10 and planning your kitchen
5:18 Buying online vs locally
6:01 Assembly tips
6:43 Mixing RTA and assembled cabinets
7:17 Key takeaways
SHOW NOTES:
RTA means ready to assemble. The cabinets ship flat-packed and you build each box before installing it. RTA describes how a cabinet ships, not its quality, so start with the box material: plywood for the box and shelves, solid wood for frames, MDF only for painted door panels, and avoid particleboard near water. "Engineered wood" without the word plywood usually means particleboard.
Every kitchen uses three families of cabinets: base (standard, drawer, sink and corner), wall, and tall or pantry, plus fillers, end panels, toe kick and crown molding. Standard kitchen cabinet sizes: base cabinets 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep, wall cabinets 12 inches deep in 30, 36 or 42 inch heights, widths in 3-inch steps.
Typical 10x10 costs, cabinets only: economy particleboard RTA about $1,200 to $2,500, plywood RTA about $2,800 to $5,000, stock pre-assembled about $3,500 to $6,500. For the same line, RTA runs roughly $500 less before labor. Compare plywood with plywood and always ask for a delivered price.
Planning: sketch the room, measure each wall at three heights, place appliances first, fill from the corners with standard widths and leave room for fillers. Assembly: count every carton on arrival, dry fit then glue, check for square, hang wall cabinets first on a ledger board, and fasten into studs.
RESOURCES AND LINKS:
Full guide: https://usacabinetexpress.com/rta-kitchen-cabinets/
RTA cabinet reviews and buying guide: https://usacabinetexpress.com/rta-cabinet-reviews/
RTA Shaker line: https://usacabinetexpress.com/cabinet-brands/rta-cabinets/
Delivery and pickup: https://usacabinetexpress.com/delivery-and-pickup/
Showrooms and project quote: https://usacabinetexpress.com/contact/