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Jun 13, 2023

Home Depot Or Lowe's: Which Has Better Deals On Molding?

When you're ticking off your DIY to-do list after moving into a new home or are giving your current home some love and maintenance, you probably have a few obvious items on your list, like repainting

When you're ticking off your DIY to-do list after moving into a new home or are giving your current home some love and maintenance, you probably have a few obvious items on your list, like repainting the walls, installing a backsplash, and hanging some shelves. But did you know adding molding to your baseboards is a great way to add style and sophistication to your home? And it pays off in more ways than just aesthetically — according to New England Building Supply, 97% of surveyed real estate professionals believe that molding and trim impact the price of a home.

But before you rush out to the nearest hardware store, it's best to take some time to determine what molding style you want and where you can get the best value for your dollar. To help, we looked at four molding offerings from Home Depot and Lowes to help you decide where to pick up your materials. We considered materials, ease of installation, cutting and painting, and price point. Read on to see our verdict.

Home Depot is one of the most popular hardware stores in the United States, with nearly 2,000 locations across 50 states (via ScrapeHero). As a big box retailer, they are often a go-to for DIY projects and building materials. But how does their baseboard molding stack up against the competition? We looked at two versions of their baseboards from Builder's Choice and Finished Elegance. One is a popular basic molding choice and one adds decorative details.

The Builder's Choice is a straight-edge, non-ornamental baseboard molding made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) that comes primed and ready for painting. It's an affordable option at $1.74 per linear foot, and reviewers noted that it's straightforward to install. One reviewer was disappointed in the quality of the MDF, even at this price point, but overall this baseboard scored stellar reviews.

If you're seeking a more decorative piece of molding, Finished Elegance offers a good mix of contemporary clean lines with classic, low-profile embellishment. However, it rings in at $2.48 per linear foot — a much steeper price point than the Builder's Choice. In addition, it does not come primed, which is good if you want more control over what type of paint or stain to use. However, this will require some extra work on your end. And with 84 5-star reviews out of 127, it's also a highly-rated option.

Lowe's is roughly as ubiquitous as Home Depot, with 1,738 locations in the United States (per ScrapeHero). To keep the comparison between Home Depot and Lowe's baseboard molding offerings as fair as possible, we looked at basic and contemporary-yet-classic options from Reliabilt that are comparable to the style and materials of Home Depot's Builder's Choice and Finished Elegance brands, respectively. All four boards are made of MDF, but Lowe's offers the best value regarding quality, price point, and ease of installation.

Reliabilt's basic craftsman style molding offers clean lines that will fit with all contemporary styles and is available at approximately $1.63 per linear foot, which is about 11 cents cheaper than Home Depot's Builder's Choice. In addition, it's primed and ready to paint, and reviewers were thrilled with the ease of cutting and installation, making this an excellent choice for DIY molding projects.

The more decorative option from Reliabilt has a nearly identical silhouette to Home Depot's Finished Elegance molding and clocks in at roughly $1.58 per linear foot — almost a whole dollar cheaper than Finished Elegance! As with Reliabilt's basic offering, reviewers appreciated the ease of installation, how clean and stylish the product looks, and its price point. Plus, it comes primed and ready to paint. We also can't ignore the 640 5-star reviews this option boasts, making Lowe's molding offerings the preferable choice for most.