Bulletproof Base Boards? What should I use

[Garrett Diegel]

We are putting in Smartcore flooring in a tri-plex This will be a  hold property at this time so we want to make it as bullet proof as possible as we renovate. We are working on one unit and adding flooring but have been advised to change our the floor / base board trim since we are doing the floor. It has old trim from 1985 so matching is not really possible. We are thinking of doing something like the rubber commercial base boards like this http://www.lowes.com/pl/Wall-base-Flooring/4294928...

What do you think would be the most versitile / bullet proof option that would go along with multiple applications. What have you used before?

[Shane H.]

Maybe I'm a bit old school, but that seems pretty ghetto.  What kind of property are you putting this in....Section 8 or very low income?

Stuff would probably be pretty hard to paint around when you repaint as well -- something to think about.

Why not a hardwood like Ash or Oak - stain dark and  put 2-3 coats of poly on the top -- Ash and Oak are both pretty affordable if you get the smaller base.  Look pretty good if stained or painted right - If painting - buy some Sherwin Williams Enamel paint.  Oak has held up pretty well for me due to how hard the wood is.  Hard to screw it up and if you do it's easy to repair.  Last tenant move out the tenants cat used 4 door frames and the newel post as a scratching/marking post - due to the hardness of the wood only cost me $100 (well the tenant) to have it repaired/touched up.  

No offense or trolling meant for the ghetto comment - just what comes to mind and appears super cheap - looks like something you'd find around here in a 1970's aircraft plant dated C or D grade office.  Is that a normal construction residential material used in Nevada?