{"id":1944,"date":"2016-11-16T22:49:42","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T22:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/?p=1944"},"modified":"2023-09-25T21:10:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T21:10:43","slug":"beginners-guide-measuring-kitchen-cabinets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/beginners-guide-measuring-kitchen-cabinets\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner\u2019s Guide to Measuring Kitchen Cabinets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Measuring your kitchen for new kitchen cabinets seems like it should be a pretty simple task, right? Just a tape measure, some scrap paper, and you\u2019re good! Not so fast\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s not rocket science, measuring for kitchen cabinets does<\/em> have a few tricks and pitfalls to watch out for, and this guide will help you make sure you don\u2019t wind up getting RTA cabinets<\/a> that don\u2019t actually fit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Graph Paper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A visual representation will always be clearer than just a list of numbers and references. Draw the kitchen. It doesn\u2019t have to be precisely to scale; that\u2019s what the measurements are for. But it does need to be good enough that those measurements make sense visually and intuitively in the drawing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure the Room, Not the Cabinets\u2014Mostly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The old cabinets you\u2019re getting rid of are, well, old, and about to be gotten rid of. Don\u2019t measure those. Measure the space they\u2019ll fill. A good rule of thumb is to measure just above the existing countertops or backsplash, as close to the height where the new ones will go as possible, as walls aren\u2019t always perfectly true from floor to ceiling, as we\u2019d all like to assume. There\u2019s a little leeway near the floor, but the counter needs to be a perfect fit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure Doors and Windows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For doors and windows, the trim is considered part of the size you\u2019ll need to account for. Measure the width from the outside of the trim on one side, to the outside of the trim on the other, and also from the nearest major structural reference point (usually a corner) to the center<\/em> of the door or window. The center gives a much more intuitive location, and fits with other measurements as you\u2019ll see. Plus, it\u2019s just the way things are done, and you\u2019ll want to comply to ensure accuracy in designing and selecting your new cabinets. If you really want to be thorough, measure the width of the trim as well, in case you decide to squeeze an extra inch or two into the design by changing to a narrower trim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For windows, also measure the height from the floor to the bottom<\/em> of the trim under the sill. Chances are if your new cabinets are the same height as the old ones, you might not need any extra clearance, but if the new countertop is thicker, or the cabinets a little taller, that\u2019s something you need to know the real limit for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Height of the Cabinets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do measure the height of the existing cabinets, both to the top of the cabinets<\/a> themselves, and the height and thickness of the countertop. This is fairly standardized, usually around 36\u201d, but there is some variation. If you\u2019re comfortable with the current height, you\u2019ll want to keep it the same. If not, you\u2019ll want a reference point for any changes, though do keep in mind that stoves are pretty standardized as well, along with dishwashers, so you won\u2019t be able to change very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appliances<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For major appliances like the fridge, stove, dishwasher, and sink, you\u2019ll want to measure to the centerline of the appliance, as well as its width, rather than the distance from the corners of the room to the edges. This is to make it easier to calculate any changes in width if you\u2019re changing out any of these appliances. Even if you\u2019re not, it\u2019s a more intuitive reference point. Most stoves and fridges have a little bit of leeway to be shifted to one side or the other. Not much; just a couple of inches, but enough to be flexible. Some dishwashers can as well, but others are firmly rooted to their spot by short hoses and drains, so keep that in mind as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Measuring a kitchen seems simple, but there are techniques and methods that are the standard that will help you get it exactly right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[2273],"amp_validity":null,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1944"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1944"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6264,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1944\/revisions\/6264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rtacabinetstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}