Ready Made Vs DIY Cabinets: Why RTA Cabinets Are A Better Choice

When it comes to home renovation, installing kitchen cabinets is something most families need to deal with. Cabinets also take up a large share of the renovation budget, which is why many people start looking for ways to save money. This often leads to two choices. One is buying materials and building the cabinets on your own, and the other is purchasing ready made cabinets. So which option is better?

The answer depends on what matters most to you. Different concerns lead to different choices. In my view, you can look at three key points. One is the overall look after installation, another is the impact on the indoor environment, and the third is the environmental safety of the cabinet materials.

Look at 3 key points

If we compare the final appearance, are custom built cabinets better or are ready made ones better？

The final look of cabinets created in different ways will not be exactly the same. Based on my years of work experience, I recommend choosing ready made cabinets. There are two main reasons.

Cabinets built on site can have issues with exact measurements. Since the boards have to be cut on site and then assembled, the joints sometimes appear uneven. This later requires putty to fill the gaps, so the overall appearance is not ideal.

The edge banding of ready made cabinets is better. The quality and durability of cabinets depend a lot on how well the edges are finished. Ready made cabinets use machines in the factory to seal the edges very precisely. It is difficult for on site work to reach the same level, which means problems may appear after some time.

If we look at how installation affects the home, is it better to build cabinets on site or buy ready made cabinets?

Cabinets built on site and ready made cabinets create very different impacts during installation. I personally suggest choosing ready made cabinets. Here are the reasons.

After buying ready made cabinets, you only need to place and assemble them in the designated area. Most cabinets today are assembled on site using screws, and the process is fast with almost no pollution.

Building cabinets on site requires cutting the boards, and this creates a lot of sawdust. The dust will spread everywhere, and it can even get into the gaps of your tiles or stick to the walls. There is also a strong smell during the process. In addition, cutting and assembling on site often leads to scratches or stains on walls and floors. These issues do not happen with ready made cabinets.

If we look at indoor environmental safety, is it better to build cabinets on site or buy ready made cabinets?

The main concern here is the release of pollutants from the cabinet materials after installation. From this point of view, custom built cabinets may feel more reassuring. Here are the reasons.

When we buy the boards ourselves, we can strictly check the quality and the level of emissions. We can see the materials directly and examine them. For example, we can smell if there is a strong odor, which helps us judge the quality. If a board does not meet our expectations, we simply do not use it.

When buying ready made cabinets, we cannot fully confirm the quality of the boards used. Some cabinets from unknown manufacturers are heavily coated with paint. This paint can cover many problems, which is why some cabinets keep releasing strong smells. This is usually a sign that the materials are not qualified.

A third option

Besides building your own cabinets or buying ready made ones, there is also the option of purchasing RTA cabinets. Compared with fully made cabinets, RTA cabinets can save about one third of the cost. Compared with building cabinets yourself, RTA cabinets avoid issues like pollution, inaccurate measurements, and poor finishing.

However, if someone is still unsure whether to choose RTA cabinets, custom built cabinets, or ready made products, I often suggest they take a look at the cabinets from RaraRTAcabinets because they provide both RTA cabinets and pre-assembled options. This helps buyers make clearer decisions. The important part is that they are willing to send material samples, which reduces the chance of making mistakes from the very beginning. Of course, the final choice still depends on each person’s budget.