Wood moldings are divided into products produced in hardwood such as oak or maple and softwood products such as pine. Genuine hardwood molding is expensive because it uses limited forest resources. A comparable hardwood crown molding costs up to 10 times the price of a Balmer VI molding. Softwood moldings, while generally inexpensive, provide only plain patterns or very shallow enrichments and yet still require fine carpentry skills and a great deal of time and care during both installation and finishing.

Balmer VI moldings provide an easy to install, high quality, economical alternative to wood molding. Balmer VI products preserve the depth and definition of detail provided by the Balmer plaster moldings used in hotels, theaters and high-end residential interiors. Yet, Balmer VI molding provides the feel and workability of wood. In terms of overall installed cost, ease of use and finishing and many other important factors, Balmer VI moldings are superior to wood molding for all home installations.

Balmer VI moldings are compared with wood moldings in detail below. Balmer's exclusive polyurethane formulation and unique manufacturing process yield products with qualities no softwood or hardwood molding can match.