Alternatives to Shopping for Kitchen Cabinets at the Big Box Stores

When the time comes to renovate the kitchen in your home or rental property, you always want to get the best deal available. While searching for that deal you will encounter many options, styles and "deals". Naturally, the trick is to find the best cabinet for the cheapest price. If the vast selection of styles wasn't overwhelming enough, the multitude of pricing structures is sure to confuse even the saviest buyer. Some will price the cabinets by the linear foot, some will charge per cabinet, and others will lump everything together (or like Ikea, they will charge you for each individual piece that you have to buy). The big box stores do a very good job of marketing the idea that they can offer the lowest prices around.

While they may have a large selection of cabinets, chances are you are not getting the best deal. It is best to shop your around to find out what is available, at both the local store and most importantly here on the internet. The internet is now your best resource for deals, because internet-based companies do not have to deal with the high overhead of having a retail store. When you're shopping on the internet chances are it will be tough to determine what you are actually getting for the money. While a product may look like a quality piece it is always best to double check the cabinet specifications and make sure you do your research.

Most cabinets on the internet and at big box stores appear to be high in quality but in actuality are probably made with particle or press board. It is true that a cabinet made of particle or press board should hold up just fine, but it will only take a little moisture to affect the structural integrity of the cabinet. If you are looking for a high quality cabinet that traditionally is made of high quality materials, you want to think about RTA cabinets If you possess the ability to use a screwdriver you can assemble an RTA cabinet. Most RTA cabinets are easy to assemble and are generally more affordable than a pre assembled cabinet. One thing you must watch out for as previously mentioned is an RTA cabinet made out of particle board.

Most RTA cabinets use a "cam lock" to attach one piece to another. However, if you have an RTA cabinet that is made with particle board it will be very easy to damage the cabinet during assembly. Anyone who has tried to assemble the night stand or coffee table from Ikea will know that one bump into the locking mechanism and it will chip right out of the particle board. Your best option for a quality cabinet and the best deal is an RTA cabinet that is made of all wood. It is not unrealistic to save thousands over a pre-assembled cabinet and shopping online will generally save you hundreds if not thousands over the other retail choices.

You want to make sure you have the best quality cabinet for the best price. Cheap materials, and it will have a short life span. Too expensive and it will be tough to have a budget for the rest of your projects. Ikea takes the unique approach of making you buy the cabinet, and then buy the door separately.

This can be time consuming and costly. They will advertise their cabinets with all wood doors, while the rest of the cabinet actually ends up being particle board or press board. A good RTA cabinet will already come with the doors attached to the face frame and will be solid wood throughout.

Another thing to look for in a cabinet is the physical presence of a "face frame". Some cabinets that come ready-to-assemble are what the call "frameless". While this may look aesthetically pleasing, it affects the integrity of the cabinet and could result in sagging or cabinet malfunction.

So before you go running out to the big, advertised specials, make sure you do some research on-line. You will be amazed by the choices that are available and the savings that you will see by doing some research on the internet.

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