Where is extruded foam in California?

[Jetrock]

The stuff with the blue back is expanded foam--the white stuff. I use it, having little alternative--I peel the blue stuff off, it is just a layer of thin plastic. It crumbles and throws dust everywhere and you'll be covered with the little white things--use a face mask if using a power tool to cut it. It looks okay finished, though.

[barclaysierra]

Wow, guess I really lit a fire on this one. I have tried all of the Home Depots in the Sacramento area and a bunch of lumber yards. In spite of the Owens-Corning website reference, they no longer carry the product. However, one very nice clerk in the Roseville store routed me to another store who supposedly had it, and that store had a very nice clerk who said no, they hadn't carried it in some time. However, he routed me to Western Mcarther at 8300 Gerber Rd. off Power Inn in Sacramento. I called them and they said they don't carry the pink stuff, but the Dow blue stuff. I lost track of all the places I have been to or called, but this place is positive they have what I want. Only problem is they are not open weekends and close at 4:30 pm on weekdays. May be a week or so before I can get there, but it looks like I've found it. The stuff Home Depot sells looks like a nightmare to use, as some have indicated. I'm holding out for the real thing.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS....ULTIMATELY, I THINK I'VE FOUND IT, BUT WILL CONFIRM ONCE I PROVE IT.
JB

[barclaysierra]

EUREKA! I FOUND IT! Western MacArthur Co. on 8300 Gerber Road in Sacramento has it in all sizes. It is the blue Styrofoam extruded foam, exactly what we are all looking for. $8.11 for a 2 x 8 sheet incl. tax.

Again, thanks to all in the area and out who made suggestions and shared their experiences with the fake stuff. If you live in Sacramento area, this is the place. The salesman said they sell a lot of it for modelers taxidermy etc. They use it for pipe insulation and fabricated stuff they make.

JB

[Anonymous]

twhite where do you live ! Middle CA is full of fruit & veggie growers. Believe me I've
almost everywhere in California to have seen enough. take a nice trip down the I-5
(99 alternitive) between Sacramento & Los Angles & LOOK at the view ![banghead][banghead][alien][:)][:)]

[Jetrock]

It seems like there are a few of us in that neck of the woods--twhite is in Carmichael, just east of Sacramento. I'm in downtown Sacramento, AggroJones is in Roseville a bit farther east. I do the drive up I-5 to Redding quite a bit--lots of flatness there, but often some train-watching to be done, as there are a number of grain co-ops out that way. There's even more in 99, even a couple of old railroad stations still standing. From what I recall, the scenery going south from Sacramento is pretty flat too--the last time I rode to L.A. was 1998, mostly at night, so I don't remember much of the trip other than a near-endless series of rest stops.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by barclaysierra

EUREKA! I FOUND IT! Western MacArthur Co. on 8300 Gerber Road in Sacramento has it in all sizes. It is the blue Styrofoam extruded foam, exactly what we are all looking for. $8.11 for a 2 x 8 sheet incl. tax.

Again, thanks to all in the area and out who made suggestions and shared their experiences with the fake stuff. If you live in Sacramento area, this is the place. The salesman said they sell a lot of it for modelers taxidermy etc. They use it for pipe insulation and fabricated stuff they make.

JB

Interesting different company name but at the address I suggested.

[davekelly]

It's kinda cool that a simple call for help gets so many responses.

[barclaysierra]

davekelly, right you are. This forum has been a great deal of help to me, often supplying answers to questions I hadn't even asked yet. The foam problem was a stickler but assistance from this forum ultimately got me where I wanted to be. Again, THANK YOU ALL!
JB

[CharlieBedard]

An update for those of us in Northern California who have been stymied looking for extruded foam.

I FOUND SOME :-)!

After searching and calling just about every Home Depot and Lowe's in the Bay area I finally found a supply! It is not, apparently, illegal in California. I spoke with a store manager at the Home Depot in Campbell who told me that it wasn't available simply because it didn't sell as well as the Insulfoam white insulation. I guess some people actually use this stuff to insulate walls. Imagine :-)!

He was helpful enough to search the Home Depot database and, sure enough, the Home Depot in San Jose at the Blossom Hill store (across from Oakridge mall) has a ton of it. I went there this weekend to find that they had the Owens-Corning pink Formular 250 extruded foam in 3/4", 1" and 1.5" thickness in 2'x8' sheets. They did not seem to have any of the 1.5" stuff in the bin but I saw a palette of more sheets high up in the warehouse. Couldn't tell the size. But they had many sheets of the 3/4" and 1". Since my plan is to use the foam as roadbed, I bought 10 sheets of the 3/4" at about $6 a sheet. After all the searching, that seemed almost free.

So, for those of you in the Bay Area, it might be valuable for all of us to keep buying our foam at that one store so they will keep it in stock!

Good luck!

Charlie

[ckape]

Having recently moved from Minnesota (Where pink foam grows on trees) to Sacramento, I'm glad I found this thread. When I went to Home Depot checking out the supplies they had for the Free-Mo module I'm planning I got quite the surprise.

[Anonymous]

i have located it at fiberglass hawaii in santa cruz california .they sell surfboard blanks and fiberglassing supplies .there phone # is 831 476 7464 fax #[phone] .adress 1037 17th ave santa cruz .i have just discovered it on friday and have not yet had a chance to get down there .i know it comes in 2 inch thkns by 8 ft .its the blue stuff . there hours are mon thru fri 830 -430 sat 900-430 i am not sure of the price .but i know they have it for sure as my boss at work bought some for props for his kids on broadway plays . it might be worth it to try your area for the same type of suppliers or take a road trip down here ,its a nice drive down the one this time of year .if you need more info feel free to let me know .ps you may try a local roofing supply ,and remember its a jungle out there ..............................a hobo jungle that is. yor new friend tramptrac

[Anonymous]

This post is still running??........

[Jetrock]

It seems to keep picking up from time to time...it's nice to learn that the foam is available in California, but not so nice to learn that a drive to San Jose is necessary to obtain it--no offense to folks who live in San Jose, but I get the hives driving down there--it's no fun taking the freeway.