So you’ve found those beautiful white kitchen cabinets or the cheap bathroom vanity you spent so much time seeking. Even better, you were able to find discount cabinets, thanks to opting for the ready-to-assemble variety. All of these benefits from your hard work, though, could quickly go out the window if you mess up while installing your RTA cabinets. With this in mind, here are some common installation mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
Going at the Layout Alone
For the consummate do-it-yourselfer, it can be very tempting to do a bit of measuring, have some great looking cheap cabinets shipped out and then just go to town getting them assembled. Without a design layout, though, you could end up with great looking cabinets spread out across a horrible design.
Fortunately, you can often avoid this mishap by simply purchasing from a reputable dealer. When looking at a set of bathroom or kitchen cabinets on RTA Cabinet Store, for instance, you’ll see links for design ideas. You can choose one of these expert layouts or even take advantage of the free professional design consultation.
Getting this type of help doesn’t mean you’re not a do-it-yourselfer; it just means that you’re a smart and prepared do-it-yourselfer.
Placing Cabinets at Improper Height
It’s common sense that you should always measure before investing in kitchen or bathroom cabinets. After all, those beautiful white kitchen cabinets will never look amazing if there are huge gaps where there aren’t supposed to be. Even those who do properly measure can sometimes mistakenly place cabinets at an improper height.
It may seem obvious to situate upper cabinets right up against the ceiling, or you may think there’s no harm in having your lower cabinets a bit taller than normal. Either of these assumptions, though, can prove disastrous. Just imagine going to install your microwave, stove vent or other kitchen and bathroom essentials and finding that they won’t fit under or above your ready-to-assemble cabinets.
Make sure you avoid this by considering the entire finished product and not assuming anything.
Failing to Measure New Appliances
Far too many homeowners have been nearly finished installing the gorgeous RTA kitchen cabinets they found only to discover something doesn’t quite fit. How could that be? They followed the age-old adage of “measure twice, cut once.” Then, they realize their mistake: they bought brand new appliances.
Many modern appliances come in standard sizes. Unfortunately, standard size from today is not the same as standard size from 20 years ago. Keep this in mind when doing your measuring, and always base your cabinet set purchase on the appliances that will end up in your home as opposed to the current older ones.
One of the main purposes of buying unfinished kitchen cabinets is to avoid paying contractors for installation. This doesn’t mean, though, that you can do this job with just a hope and a prayer. Avoiding the aforementioned mistakes will ensure those white kitchen cabinets, rustic bathroom vanity and any other cabinetry look amazing in your home.
