How to Buy Ready-to-Assemble (RTA) Furniture

Ready-to-assemble, or RTA, furniture promises great value, but you may have heard horror stories about assembly or quality. Here are some ways to avoid frustration.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring Tapes
• Notebook Papers
• Pencils Or Pens
• Ready-to-assemble Furniture
• Electric Screwdrivers

1. Take vital measurements with you when you shop: lengths of walls, wall height under windows, width of stairwell and so forth.

2. Look at the joinery on the floor samples. The pieces should fit together tightly, without wobbles.

3. Check the floor samples for damage such as chipped veneer. This type of damage is difficult to impossible to repair, and if a floor sample shows signs of serious problems, it's reasonable to expect that your furniture will experience the same fate.

4. Choose pieces that are substantial and heavy. Flimsy pieces will be more easily damaged when moved and just won't hold up as well when loaded with books or electronics.

5. Ask about the instructions. Some foreign-made pieces have instructions that were badly translated into English, although some U.S. retailers are rewriting for clarity.

6. Ask whether there's a manufacturer's help line if you have a question while assembling your purchase.

7. Find out how long the piece typically takes to assemble. If you're not handy, you'll probably want to add to the time, but it gives you a starting point for deciding whether this is a project you want to tackle.

8. Look at the instructions if possible to find out what tools you'll need for assembly (a power screwdriver can be a godsend) and to see whether they're easy to follow.

9. Talk to the salesperson about having someone else assemble the piece if you decide the job isn't for you. Most stores can put you in touch with an independent assembly service or, for an additional cost, will assemble the piece for you.

10. Ask about the store's return policy. Be aware that it's sometimes difficult to get pieces back in the box exactly as they were originally packed, so beware if that's a condition for returning merchandise.

Tips & Warnings

• RTA furniture generally offers exceptional value - and it has a plus when you move: It can be disassembled. Be sure to save the original assembly instructions to ease reassembly later.
• Assemble the furniture in the room in which it will be used. Otherwise you may find it won't fit through a doorway or can't turn a crucial corner.
• Don't overtighten fasteners during assembly; you can damage the furniture. Some instructions will recommend giving fasteners the last few turns by hand rather than with a power tool that has too much muscle.

[steve180]

on 9/19/2008 I'd recommend using a RTA kitchen cabinets vendor who will give you a free online quote such as http://www.kitchenspro.com.

[selen]

on 6/9/2008 checkout http://www.getafurniture.com i saw some at their web site.

[visiondecor]

on 11/6/2007 There are a lot of good furniture companies you can purchase from. It might be a good idea to contact their customer service department and ask a few questions about their shipping provider and manufacturer. Make sure they are respectable services because it will indicate if they are a respectable vendor.

If you decide to purchase RTA furniture. Ask to make sure the company can provide parts (in case you can't assemble something correctly). And make sure they have a good return policy (in case you received your item damaged.) However, if you talk to a customer service representative they have all your valid information.

Remember, furniture is quite large, it takes time to pack and ship.

[mwilson]

on 5/3/2007 Any one know of some particularily bad RTA furniture companies? in the home theater area... looking to buy a TV stand.