• Baseboard floor moldingEmpty Room image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
  
  There are several different types of floor molding, or baseboard, types on the market for you to choose for your home. Once you have become aware of and have a good, basic understanding of a few of these varying types, you can evaluate your own personal home needs and become more confident in your decision in choosing the kind of baseboard molding that is right for you.
  
  

Medium-Density Fiberboard

• This kind of baseboard molding called medium-density fiberboard (MDF) happens to be the most commonly used and is considered to be a wood product created from wood fibers combined through a pressure treatment. This type of baseboard does not cost very much and can be easily painted with a high gloss paint throughout the entire home. However, since it is not made with natural wood, it should not be stained.
  
  

Pine

• Baseboard moldings are also made from natural pine wood. This material of baseboard is also the least expensive option of natural wood. This kind of wood is not best suited for staining because the pine does not soak up the stain evenly through out the whole wood work. In order to get that sleek smooth wood finish, it's best to coat pine baseboards with light paint.
  
  

Oak

• Oak baseboards are a bit pricier but they work very well with staining liquid and varnishes. They are also very easy to find in hardware stores, unlike woods such as birch and maple. Oak wood also easily absorbs stain evenly and can even be stained to match a certain shade of hardwood flooring in your home.
  
  

Vinyl

• Vinyl is another type of baseboard molding available. It is most commonly installed in utility rooms and basements in residential homes. Vinyl molding comes in rolls and is attached with a very strong industrial strength glue.
  
  

Poplar

• Poplar wood baseboards are a great option for homeowners interested in treating or staining the wood after installation. This allows for more versatility in the aesthetics of the room; an appealing factor for those doing their own interior design. Poplar wood is essentially the only baseboard available that can be stained prior to installation.