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pink foam for Southern California

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  • Member since
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  • 128 posts
pink foam for Southern California
Posted by graymatter on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 7:20 PM

What better way to start the new year than starting or adding to a layout?!

I went to Homedepot to order nine ea. 2" x 4' x 8' EXTRUDED foam board. The minium order has changed from 64 sheets to 90. This all depends on who you ask at the pro desk.

I called Lowes and they will ship the blue stuff for $350 plus the minium order.

So before I go any further with this I want to ask if anyone in the area is interested in some extruded foam board. (Not the styrofoam boards)

Just message me on how many sheets of extruded 2" x 4' x 8' you would be interested in. I will get a price and send you a message on the price per sheet.

I am in the 92399 zipcode.

Maybe there are some hobby shops that will take a dozen sheets ?

 

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Posted by cuyama on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 7:32 PM

Or ... you can try purchasing from So Cal companies that have provided extruded foam to modelers in the past. Such as:

Foam Sales and Marketing
1005 West Isabel Street 
Burbank, California 91506
(818) 558-5717

Foamart is another one to try. Also in Burbank. It's a drive from the Inland Empire, but probably better than dealing with pallets of foam.

Byron

Edit: I see I made this same recommendation the last time you posted about foam.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/264774.aspx
Did you try those two companies?

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Posted by 7j43k on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 8:57 PM

I am constantly impressed that people's first hardware/lumber choices on this forum are Home Depot and Lowe's.

I have developed rewarding (if you get my drift) relationships with LOCAL businesses.

 

Ed

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 9:12 PM

Same here, but in SE. WI., I have access to local and big box, which is good, because both can survive, but, it also means it's too populated, to many people, too many cars, etc., etc., and it keeps growing.  Is it a vicious circle?

Do I sound like a GOM (grumpy old man)  Laugh

Mike.

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  • From: Southern California
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Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Thursday, December 28, 2017 11:31 AM

7j43k

I am constantly impressed that people's first hardware/lumber choices on this forum are Home Depot and Lowe's.

I have developed rewarding (if you get my drift) relationships with LOCAL businesses.

 

Ed

 

    Around here there used to be Builders Emporium and Ollie’s Home Center and a few mom and pop stores. Then came Home Club which was the home improvement membership warehouse store similar to Price Club, Cost Co or Sam’s Club. When I worked in construction we frequently used Home Club because their prices were competitive with our electrical wholesalers. Then Home Depot opened up and put them all out of business including Home Club. Home Depot opened up in a location in which all previous stores had failed including appliance stores and department stores including one of the first Target stores which was one of only a handful which were ever closed.
    There are still a couple of lumber yards open but they pretty much only sell lumber, not hardware. Loews opened up a store here but it closed in less than a year because they couldn’t compete with Home Depot on prices and nobody around here has extra money to waste. There also used to be Ace Hardware but they were a very small store and the prices were sky high.
    The thing is the big corporate stores have the lowest prices and the biggest selection. Guitar Center put all of the local music stores out of business.

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
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Posted by graymatter on Thursday, December 28, 2017 11:54 AM

Okay Bryon

Yes I have gone full cirlce with this! I drove several hours to several roofing/HVAC supply warehouses and left with nothing! The stock was either styrofoam or the 2' by 2' stuff. Or they could order it if I ordered much more than I needed. Or it had been returned or miss handeled and was to beat up.

Ace hardware No

84 lumber no

homedepot or Lowes depends on who you ask. The Pro desk couldn't find a way to order. I was told to call a certain Homedepot because they had some recently. But they had a minium order. I was going to try to convience the helpful person that they should order some pink stuff and being the only place in So cal surely they would sell out..eventually. "Okay they said, How much would that be?" This is why I made the post. I don't have $500 for foam. Thought others might be in same boat

foamart had some for $121

So a contractor suggested I call the manufacture. They only deal with vendors.

But owens found some out of state that could be shipped for $365.

I tried to find homasote and got tired and quit looking. "homo what?"

So I would just close this thread if I could. I will be using wood and cork.

Thanks

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Posted by NWP SWP on Thursday, December 28, 2017 11:59 AM

Just a suggestion could you use two 1" thick pieces glued together to get 2" or could you use four 1/2" pieces to get 2"...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by 7j43k on Thursday, December 28, 2017 4:09 PM

I bought two sheets four years ago at a lumber yard.  They stocked 2" and 1 1/2", I think.  I asked after it recently, and they don't stock it anymore.  I have a feeling that it's not a popular item these days at lumber yards.

I don't plan on using it anymore, so that's not a problem for me.

 

Ed

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, December 28, 2017 4:48 PM

7j43k
I am constantly impressed that people's first hardware/lumber choices on this forum are Home Depot and Lowe's....

I'm not sure that "impressed" would be my word of choice.

I'm constantly dismayed that apparently most home owners in warmer climes seem oblivious to the fact that insulating, whether to keep "cold" in or keep "hot" out is, in the long run, cheaper than the cost of the energy needed to keep things comfortable in its absence.

In this part of southern Ontario, it's needed pretty-well year round.  While we both heat and cool our house as necessary, the basement, including the layout room, requires neither due to high insulation values. 

Wayne

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Posted by cuyama on Thursday, December 28, 2017 5:21 PM

doctorwayne
I'm constantly dismayed that apparently most home owners in warmer climes seem oblivious to the fact that insulating, whether to keep "cold" in or keep "hot" out is, in the long run, cheaper than the cost of the energy needed to keep things comfortable in its absence.

That's an erroneous assumption. Many houses in the west are extremely well-insulated. But they use materials other than extruded foam (such as fiberglass batts).

One of the major uses of extruded foam, I'm told, is for under-floor radiant heating systems. Because of a lack of basements (among other reasons) these systems are very rare in California and other mild-winter areas.

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Posted by cuyama on Thursday, December 28, 2017 5:35 PM

graymatter
I tried to find homasote and got tired and quit looking. "homo what?"

As we discussed in the earlier thread, Homasote is not structural and thus not a direct replacement for extruded foam. Homasote has a dealer finder (“Homasote 440” is what is used in model railroading). A So Cal client of mine recently purchased Homasote sheet stock from Ganahl Lumber somewhere in Orange County. Independent lumber yards are often going to be more helpful than Big Box stores in general for these niche products.

One may also buy homasote pre-cut into roadbed from Cascade Rail Supply.

graymatter
I will be using wood and cork.

And that will work fine.

Good luck with your layout.

Tags: Homasote , Homabed
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Posted by rrebell on Monday, January 1, 2018 1:18 AM

Whats wrong with the beaded stuff, works great, just sad they no longer offer then in 2"x2'x4', now only available in 4x8 sheets.

 

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Posted by graymatter on Monday, January 1, 2018 10:29 AM

Steven

Yes glueing smaller demension  foam together  is an option. I can  find the formular extruded 2' x 2' x 1" foam in packs.

Thomas

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Posted by graymatter on Monday, January 1, 2018 10:32 AM

rrebell

If by beaded stuff you mean styrofoam...its an option. The stuff hear comes with aluminum foil bonded to it.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, January 1, 2018 10:33 AM

7j43k
I am constantly impressed that people's first hardware/lumber choices on this forum are Home Depot and Lowe's.

.

Around here there is no other choice.

.

All the "local" building supply houses only sell to contractors. As a do-it-yourself purchaser, Home Depot and Lowes are my only choices.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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    April 2017
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Posted by graymatter on Monday, January 1, 2018 10:34 AM

Byron

The homasote pre cut road bed is a good suggestion. Found some videos of Model Railroaders using it and it would work great for what I want to do.

Thanks

Thomas

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