US Made RTA Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinet Construction
Standard Cabinet Construction and Hardware Detail
Our cabinets are engineered for strength and durability, this is why we are confident to offer a limited lifetime warranty* on all of our U.S. made cabinetry. Our industry leading 'Blind Dado' system ensures rock-solid joints and the easiest assembly of any US made or imported cabinet. Explore the cabinet below to see how we design quality into every detail. Really, there is no comparison -however, in the interest of fairness we offer a look inside a 'quality' import cabinet below.
Casework Simplicity by design. Only 3/4" UV cured plywood is used in casework construction (including the back panel -not pictured). Casework material options include: Birch, Maple (recommended), Cleaf Linen, and Melamine. Using the same 3/4" thick material for all casework parts lowers costs and makes our cabinets some of the easiest to assemble cabinets available. All assembly holes are pre-drilled. The durable UV cured finish resists dents and scratches. Our casework is covered by a lifetime warranty*
3/4" Rabbeted Back Panel Our 3/4" back panel adds strength to the cabinet and helps keep the cabinet
square during assembly and installation. Being able to place a mounting screw anywhere
along the back panel makes installation easier too. The interior depth is about
1/4" deeper than systems using a 1/4" back panel with an upper and lower
hanging bracket or nailer.
Solid Wood - Dovetail Drawer Box Our drawer boxes are dovetailed and available in 5/8" solid birch, maple, or walnut. The bottom is fully captured,
glued and stapled -and available in 1/4" or 1/2" thickness. Choose from bull-nose or square top edge.
Drawer boxes ship assemble with Blum glide clips pre-attached. Our drawer boxes are covered by a lifetime
warranty*
Blind Dado Joinery Solid engineering. Blind dado and screw joinery is perhaps the strongest
and best looking joint in cabinetry. A 3/8" tenon fits snugly into the
blind dado creating a secure connection. This snug fit makes assembly much
easier than systems using butt-joints and screws. Wood glue may be added
to cement the connection -this extra peace of mind is not possible with
butt-joints.
Blum TANDEM plus BLUMOTION Drawer Glides Blum TANDEM plus BLUMOTION runners are the latest advancement in concealed
runner technology. They offer four-dimensional adjustment, excellent stability
and minimal sag; all while maintaining smooth running action and unmatched
soft close. Made in the U.S.A and covered by a lifetime warranty*
Solid Wood Doors and Drawer Fronts Doors and drawer fronts are 3/4" solid wood (unless specified). Finishing
options include: ICA water base or catalyzed conversion varnish. Traditional wood or, Cleaf, and Luxe material options. Doors
and drawer fronts are covered by a lifetime warranty*
3/4" Full Depth Shelf Adjustable shelves are 3/4" UV cured plywood and full depth for maximum
storage. Scratch/dent resistant and covered by a lifetime warranty*
Blum 110+ Clip-top Blumotion (soft-close) hinge Our standard hinge is the Blum 110+ Clip-top Blumotion (soft-close) hinge.
The hinge installs easily with no tools and allows doors to be adjusted
in 3 directions. A "deactivation" switch on the hinge allows the Blumotion
feature to be turned on or off depending upon individual preference. (this
feature is commonly used on very small doors). Hinges are covered by a
lifetime warranty*
3/4" Plywood Toe Kick Our toe kick is 3/4" thick plywood, captured with blind dadoes and secured
with screws. Standard toe kick height is 4".
Imported RTA Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinet Construction
Standard Import Cabinet Construction and Hardware Detail
Imported RTA Cabinets typically feature face frame construction, but vary in joinery methods and other construction details. Explore the cabinet below to see typical construction and more information about different methods.
Casework The most common configuration for imported RTA cabinets is 1/2" sides
| top | bottom with interlocking face frame. This particular cabinet series
uses cam and lock, similar to Ikea type joinery. The face frame is rabbeted
for the sides or top and bottom (base cabinets do not have top, only wall
cabinets have a full depth top), this provides the majority of the support
for the cabinet.
Corner Brace There is no top or 'Drawer Stretcher' (industry lingo for the 6" "top"
pieces shown in the US Made Cabinet above) in imported RTA cabinets. The
common solution is a brace, shown is a plastic brace which helps to square
and support the cabinet. Other manufactures of imported cabinets use metal
or wood braces.
Doors and Drawer Fronts Doors and drawer fronts for imported rta cabinets typically feature a
catalyzed conversion varnish finish. There are some imported cabinets which
feature water based paint and stain. Center panels are typically MDF.
Hinges One piece of hardware that has always lacked (as far as we are concerned)
is the hinges on the imported RTA cabinets. The pictured hinge is typical
for imports, it attaches directly to the face frame with one screw (this
is our issue -one screw) and are adjustable in 3 directions. The hinge
pictured features a soft-close attachment.
Drawer Box Drawer boxes for imported RTA cabinets are typically 5/8" hardwood with dovetail joinery. Undermount softclose drawer glides are standard on most lines. The bottom panels are mostly 1/4" plywood captured in rabbet joints. Typically imported drawer boxes are not finished well, especially the dovetails. Face frame drawer boxes are not as wide as frameless drawer boxes because of the space taken up by the face frame.
Interior and Shelf The interior finish varies among imported RTA cabinets, pictured is a
painted white interior. Some imported cabinets feature a UV cured natural
birch interior or wood veneer stained to match the door/drawer color. Adjustable
shelves are typically 3/4" plywood. Shelf pins also vary depending on the
manufacturer (pictured are plastic shelf clips). Shelves are also typically
full depth as shown, however, some manufacturers use 1/2 depth shelves
(this is common on the East Coast).
Face Frame A 1.5" face frame is the default construction for nearly all imported
cabinets (however, some manufacturers are now making frameless cabinets).
Face frames are typically 3/4" thick and provide the majority of the stability for the cabinet. The
frame surrounds the door and drawer opening. The frame overlays the cabinet
by 3/4" on the interior and 1/4" on the sides (meaning a smaller drawer
box vs. frameless cabinets - and wasted interior space). The drawer
glides attach to the frame in the front -and to the back, not the side
of the cabinet as in frameless (fig.1 shows this attachment).
Toe Kick Toe kicks for imported RTA cabinets are typically 4.5" high and approximately
2.5" deep (the depth depends upon the manufacturer). Toe Kick Skins (4.5"
high by 1/4" deep and 96" long) are cut to size and cover the gaps where
two base cabinets meet. The toe kick support piece (pictured) is typically
1/2" thick for imports and because of the face frame overlay, extend 1/4"
beyond the cabinet side. This extension is used to properly space the front
of the cabinet (we recommend using a 1/2" spacer in the back). This extension
is generally cut off at the end of a run.
If you have any questions regarding the assembly or construction of our U.S. Made cabinets please call 888-821-9767 or email us at [email protected]