If you’re looking for the best place to buy trim, you have several main options to pick from. Your ideal choice will depend on several factors, including your budget, transportation options, and the requirements of your project.
All major home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s carry a good selection of baseboards, but they are usually more expensive. General online stores like Amazon often have an adequate selection, while more specialized ones may carry a more extensive inventory. You can also go straight to the source and buy from a lumberyard or lumber supply store.
Home Depot
With over 2000 locations across the country, Home Depot is the largest and best-known home improvement store. It has an impressive selection of products covering pretty much any category you can think of.
This also includes baseboards. However, this variety comes at a price. While Home Depot has a wide range of prices, its products are still typically more expensive than similar products sold at different stores.
Shopping at Home Depot is probably the most convenient option if you have a car or truck large enough to transport your purchase, but it should be avoided if you’re on a budget.
As a bonus, you can find pretty cheap labour right outside, if you ever need help with the installation of your new purchases.
Lowe’s
Lowe’s is similar to Home Depot in many regards. It’s another large chain of home improvement stores and its inventory is as diverse as that of Home Depot. The main differences between the two chains lie in the availability of some specific brands, and of course, store locations.
If you’re okay with shopping from a major home improvement chain, choosing between Lowe’s and Home Depot mostly comes down to location.
Go with the one that has a store closer to you, but make sure to pay their competitor a visit to ensure that you’re not missing out on any nice baseboards.
Amazon
Amazon’s catalog diversity continues to impress even after the company has been on the market for so many years. It’s no surprise that they carry a good selection of baseboards too. The store is one of the best places to find the cheapest baseboards on the market.
Buying from Amazon can be a bit of a hit-and-miss experience. You should pay careful attention to user reviews, and ideally use a browser plugin that can help you filter for genuine ones.
Look into the specific brand whose products you’re buying too, and be wary of newly established companies with no history of presence on the market.
Specialized Online Stores
Stores like Newmouldings focus on one specific type of product – in this case, trim. They are your best option if you prefer to shop online and want to get the best variety of products possible.
The prices at specialty stores like these are typically a bit higher compared to Amazon and other general online stores. However, you get benefits like a better selection of products and customer service specifically experienced with the type of product you’re looking to buy.
Lumber Supply Store
A lumber supply store is (usually) the commercial front for a lumber yard, or at least works closely with one. They are a good option if you’re looking for wooden baseboards. If you have one in your area, you should check what they have to offer.
Some lumber stores are stocked very well, but others only carry a limited selection of products. They typically adapt their catalog to the preferences of local customers, so it’s possible that some stores may not even carry any baseboards at all.
Lumber Yard
And if you want to take things one step further than a lumber supply store, you can go directly to a lumberyard if you have one locally. This will usually give you the best prices, though the products you purchase may require some extra work.
For example, they may not be completely finished and may need additional sanding to polish rough cutting edges. Some lumber yards might offer professional services to help you with that, but that won’t always be the case. Check if they have any tools you can use on-site for a fee.
Final Thoughts
Even if you’ve already decided that you’re going to buy your baseboards from a specific location, it can’t hurt to look into alternative options.
As you can see, there is no shortage of places you can work with. Your options may be more limited depending on where you live, but online shopping should at least always be an option.
