What’s Inside an RTA Panel? (Why Materials Matter Most)

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When you look at an outdoor kitchen,

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most people just focus on the finish,

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but what’s underneath it is what

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determines how long it’ll actually last.

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And that’s what people often ask us.

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What exactly is in the inside of an RTA

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panel? Hi, I’m Phil with RTA Outdoor

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Living. [music] And today we’re going to

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talk about what are our panels actually

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made of? Because if you’re comparing

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other outdoor kitchen options, the

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materials inside the structure are one

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of the most important things to

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consider. Our panels are made with high

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strength composite concrete. They’re not

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hollow. They’re not framed with steel.

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[music] It’s one solid piece of

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structural concrete that’s engineered to

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live outdoors for decades. The single

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piece design creates a level of

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durability you just don’t get from the

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steel frame systems or even the cement

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board systems that are going to rely on

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layers. One of the biggest

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differentiators when it comes to an RTA

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panel is what’s not inside. There are no

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steel studs to rust,

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no wood to rot, no cement board to

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absorb moisture or crumble over time.

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The problem with these layered systems

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is that one weak material eventually is

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going to impact the entire structure.

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With RTA, the integrity comes from one

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single monolithic concrete form. The

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texture you see on the outside of an RTA

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panel isn’t stuck on. It’s molded

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directly into the concrete. That means

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no veneers, no adhesives, and nothing to

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delaminate or peel over time. The

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structure in the finish itself is the

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same piece. That’s what makes it

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incredibly strong and weather resistant.

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Every RTA panel is cast with the exact

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openings

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for your grill,

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for your fridge,

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any other appliances that you have in

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your [music] design. Because the

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concrete is molded at the factory, the

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cuts are going to be clean, accurate,

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[music]

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and ready to go for your installation.

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There’s going to be no need for

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additional cutting on site. No special

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tools required, and no need to worry

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about damaging the structure. Outdoor

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kitchens live in tough environments.

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Snow, rain, sun, you name it. Great

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thing is concrete handles these

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conditions [music]

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better than almost any material. The

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weight gives it its stability. The

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density helps resist the weather. And

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the simplicity, just having one

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material, means fewer failure points

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over the years. Even though these panels

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are strong and substantial, they’re

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designed to be manageable. Two to three

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people can carry and install these

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kitchens. These panels are designed to

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interlock, bolt together, and create

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[music] a solid structure without any of

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the complex framing or messy

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construction techniques like you might

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find on some other systems. If you want

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to take a closer look at how our panel

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system works, try our free online design

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tool or speak with one of our design

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experts. We can walk you through the

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materials, the layout, and help you see

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exactly how an RTA kitchen will fit in

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your space. I hope this video gave a

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pretty clear picture of what’s actually

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inside an RTA panel and why that matters

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for our long-term durability. If you

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have any questions about the materials

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or installation, just ask. We’re here to

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help.