Kitchen Cabinet Secrets for Charlotte NC
Contractors are constantly looking for ways to cut the budget on their renovation jobs. After talking to several of my friends that were contractors, I found some of the secrets they use to putting more money in their pocket. Ironically, most of them have been using RTA kitchen cabinets that could be bought and assembled for far less than standard cabinets.
Below is a story from one my friends that is a contractor in the Philadelphia area.
“I was in one of home supply centers and was going to buy my kitchen cabinets the usual way. I already had the pre-assembled kitchen cabinets loaded into onto one of those flat carts when I casually complained to another customer that there has got to be a better way than hauling all these kitchen cabinets around. The other customer jokingly said buy them online. Of course I thought it was a joke. I did a little research and found out that the kitchen cabinets get shipped to you, you avoid any store hassles, and the best part is that the cost was 40% less than the big box home center prices. Part of the reason these kitchen cabinets cost less is because they are considered “kitchen cabinets around. The other customer jokingly said buy them online. Of course I thought it was a joke. I did a little research and found out that the kitchen cabinets get shipped to you, you avoid any store hassles, and the best part is that the cost was 40% less than the big box home center prices. Part of the reason these kitchen cabinets cost less is because they are considered “RTA kitchen cabinets” which stands for ready to assemble kitchen cabinets.
So I decided to do a search and see what I could find online. I was floored! There are many choices out there and it was easy. When the kitchen cabinets arrived, I was shocked again. Not only were the kitchen cabinets solid wood, but they did not have one piece of cardboard or particle board. The reason I mentioned this is because the big box stores have solid fronts but very little else in the areas of real wood.
Finally, I thought these kitchen cabinets might be a hassle to assemble. The kitchen cabinets were easy to assemble. Each cabinet came with a single page of directions and needed only a flat head screw driver to put them together. The cabinets with drawers were a little more time consuming and I used my electric drill to make the assembly go faster, but overall the kitchen cabinets are easy to put together.
Finding an RTA cabinet store might be difficult in some areas of the country, but if you look online you will be able to find these sites quite easily. There is a shipping cost; however, if you buy enough kitchen cabinets the shipping is reduced or actually free. Keep in mind that after I added shipping costs, my overall spending was still a lot less than what I would have spent at a super center.
So the secret to in-expensive kitchen cabinets is to go online and find them yourself. So start searching, it might be a little more effort but it is worth it.”
Source: RTAcabinetstore.com by Gary Nealon
www.LKNcabinets.com offers FREE kitchen cabinet quotes for the greater Charlotte, NC area
See us at Southern Ideal Home Show!
Charlotte – Fall
Friday August 27 – Sunday August 29 2010
“Celebrate Summer. Welcome Fall.”
Lazy days of summer end, and the busy season of home improvement begins. Three packed days of ideas, new products, demonstrations, evaluating, planning and buying.
Kitchen and Bath
Your dream kitchen and bath begins here. Visit with experts and discover the latest in appliances, cabinets, granite, counter-tops, fixtures and tile. Bring your plans to the show as experts will be on hand to answer all your design needs.
Outdoor Kitchens
Grills, outdoor appliances, designs, cabinets and accessories. Ideas for every lifestyle and budget.
Cooking Stage
Learn how to be a Gourmet Chef. Watch cooking demonstrations and see the newest ideas and recipes for healthy cooking and living.
Building & Home Improvement
Hundreds of companies and experts will be on hand to help you build, remodel, renew and improve the home.
Outdoor Living
Landscape experts will answer questions about, lighting, irrigation, lawn & garden equipment, stone, decorative concrete and more. Interiors Shop for the latest in furniture, home décor, window treatments, rugs, art, & accessories that personalize a home.
Taste & Travel
Food and wine to sample and buy, plus destination information.
How to start Kitchen Remodel
7 Steps For Starting Your Kitchen Renovation- Demolition Time!
Before any remodeling project can begin, there is always going to be some demolition required. Depending on how far you are taking your kitchen renovation project, that could mean simply removing the countertops or stripping the room down to the bare studs. For many homeowners, the demolition can easily get out of hand when hammers and prybars are flying around. While it may be a good way to get our your aggresssion, it could result in more problems than you had before. Taking your time and actually disassembling the room versus demolishing it, is the smart way to go
Before any remodeling project can begin, there is always going to be some demolition required. Depending on how far you are taking your kitchen renovation project, that could mean simply removing the countertops or stripping the room down to the bare studs. For many homeowners, the demolition can easily get out of hand when hammers and prybars are flying around. While it may be a good way to get our your aggresssion, it could result in more problems than you had before. Taking your time and actually disassembling the room versus demolishing it, is the smart way to go. Here are 7 steps to remodeling your kitchen.
1. Think Safety. If you are going to around any electrical outlets or plumbing, it is important to make sure that both are turned off. As we all know, accidentally hitting an electrical wire can prove painful, if not lethal. While hitting a water line may not be lethal, it can sure cause a lot of headaches and a big mess.
2. Protect The Items You Are Keeping. For example, if your floors are in good shape, and you plan to keep them, it is important to cover them. The last think you want to do, is damage something during demo or construction and increase your overall remodeling budget.
3. Remove all Fixtures. If you are planning to keep any of the lighting fixtures, knobs, faucets, etc.. it is important to remove them and put them in a safe place. That way, when you are wildly swinging that hammer, you damage any of the fixtures you were planning on keeping.
4. Save the Trim. In most cases, you can usually save and re-use the mouldings and trim that you will find in the room. By removing them now, you will prevent any accidental chips or dings when removing the countertops and cabinets. Once you have the trim removed, start working on the countertops. Depending on the type of countertop material, it may be as simple as using a utility knife to cut the caulk or paint between the countertop and the backsplash and cabinets. For laminate or other artificial materials, you may also have to remove any screws that are holding the countertop to the cabinets.
5. Removing the Countertops. It is usually a good idea to have some extra hands to remove the countertops, but if you are trying to do it yourself, and it is a material like laminate, you can usually chop it into manageable pieces that you can haul out on your own.
6. Base Cabinets. Start by removing the drawers and any movable parts on your kitchen cabinets. Once you have that off, it is time to climb into the cabinets and remove any of the screws that are anchoring the cabinets to the walls. After the base cabinets are free from the walls, it is now time to separate them from each other. Most base cabinets will be secure with screws as well, so by removing those screws you will be able to separate and remove all of the base cabinets.
7. Taking Down the Wall Cabinets. When it comes to removing the wall cabinets it is a good idea to have an extra set of hands or a brace to support the cabinets. Unlike the base cabinets, this time start by removing any of the screws that connect the cabinets to each other. Once those are removed, you can start pulling out the screws that are holding each cabinet to the wall. By starting the wall cabinets with the screws that are connecting them to each other, you can safely remove each cabinet individually.
Once the kitchen cabinets are removed, it is either time to strip the dryall or plaster off, or start patching so that you install your new cabinets. By taking your time and not going with the sledge hammer approach to demolition, you can minimize the unneccessary damage and ensure that your project comes in under budget.
Source: RTAcabinetstore.com by Gary Nealon
www.LKNcabinets.com offers FREE kitchen cabinet quotes for the greater Charlotte, NC area
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