Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi all,

Newbie here, have spent ages searching online for stores that stock the "pink/blue polystyrene" and cant find it anywhere. I have googled the hell outta the internetz and have come back with a big fat ZERO.

the only info I can find is "Hardware/builders merchants" and posts from 2008!

I tried searching the forum too, but I didn't seem to get any comprehensive results either.

Im based in the UK on the south coast and have been to B & Q and Travis Perkins. I have rung Covers and also a polystyrene box manufacturer. All of which dont stock or have no idea. Travis Perkins was the closest as they sell 8x4 sheets of normal polystyrene. Close, but no cigar!

Im desperate to get cracking so have avoided buying online but its looking less and less like I have a choice. where do you guys buy yours from? Or do you have any decent alternatives? Online/Real World options appreciated.

Im asking for Extruded Polystyrene/XPS and the sort is this the correct term. One company told me I was after "Block Polystyrene"?

(Apologies if this is a typical thread, I know what they are like on other forums I go on, but I have genuinely spent hours over the past few days looking!) Help me Dakka Dakka, your my only hope!

This:
http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/news/2010/11/blue-foam-pink-foam-foamboard-and-styrofoam/

pointed me here:
http://new.panelsystems.co.uk/newsc/index.pl?c=StyrofoamCT

From the first link:
"People have terrific difficulty getting hold of these materials almost entirely because of them traditionally being called “Pink or Blue Foam” which is, sadly, now an obsolete term.
Pink/Blue foam is actually EXTRUDED Polystyrene. This is a closed-cell extruded form of polystyrene that is commonly known by the trade name of “Styrofoam”. Just as most people call a vacuum-cleaner a “Hoover” Extruded Polystyrene is called “Styrofoam”."

I've been looking for the same, but not tried to get any yet.

Thanks for the help. I found the first page before, but the second one is good.

Only downside is it reckons you need to order in quantities of 24! Thats a lot of styrofoam!

I did try looking for Styrofoam retailers over here and nobody seemed to know either.

At least if I find no other option I guess I can order 24 sheets and build a house out of it! lol

http://www.modelshop.co.uk/product/Styrofoam,_blue_165_x_300_x_300mm_RF32160


http://www.modelshop.co.uk/category/Raw_Materials/Styrofoam,l.html


any good ?

That sir appears to be perfect! However, it does seem a bit more expensive than I was hoping! I thought this stuff was reasonably cheap! Guess not!

After scrolling through their products, I think getting "sheets" rather than block, seems to be the best idea. (Can glue them together afterall!)

So tempted to go for the Green stuff (its cheaper too)
http://www.modelshop.co.uk/product/Styrofoam%2C_green_50_x_315_x_620mm_RF33007

50mm would be a good height for a warhammer minature I think... (Thinking of creating a bunker dug into a rockface and it needs a bunker entrance door, so needs to be a bit taller than a marine/ork (not sure of their height though!)

Wonder how much P&P is...


EDIT: now for the long shot, can anyone recommend a shop I can actually travel to to buy some instead of going online. (Want to work out whats more cost effective)

Just found this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STYRODUR-EXTRUDED-POLYSTYRENE-INSULATION-50MM-/170661801227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27bc3c6d0b

But thats a load! lol!

That ebay site is just down the road from me. Nice find.

I might be able to grab one and split the pack with you.
Anyone else up for a few sheets?

I don't think you'll get it much cheaper than that.

And from the looks of it you can build somewhere to store it out of it as well.

http://new.panelsystems.co.uk/newsc/index.pl?c=Craftfoam&page=1 also sells it... a lot more expensive for the amount of course. ....


but wait...

http://www.craftfoam.co.uk/

All online craft orders receive a FREE craft knife.

Craftfoam looks good, but 4x the price?
Built for purpose, though.

Skinnereal wrote:That ebay site is just down the road from me. Nice find.

I might be able to grab one and split the pack with you.
Anyone else up for a few sheets?

I contacted the seller direct about buying it in smaller quantities, she said they cant split the packs, but she does sell stuff specific for what I need!
>Linky
60cm x 60cm x 5cm @ £7.50

sounds like a good deal to me as dont need to worry about storage so much! My partner would kill me if I come wandering back home with enough foam to build a boat!
She moaned about the fact I picked up a cardboard box from work because we are trying to get rid of crap and I'm collecting it!

Although splitting an order could be good. Damn my ability to not make up my mind!
________________________________________________________________________

EDIT: Just done the maths. the sheets are 50% the size of the uber pack. So you need 16 sheets to = the bigger stuff
£7.50 x 16 = £120 (£128 P&P)
or
£60 (£75) if you go for the uber order...

It's there for another 15 days, and I can cut it down, if the size is a biggie.
Postage to you might be a bit more afterwards, though.

You should try local vendors by searching the trade neme "roofmate".

Or do what I so and get it directly from a building site. Almost any building installing a new flat roof will have this type of material there by the pallet load.

Of course I run said site so can get spare materials gratis, five finger discount is not recommended (its too bulky to stuff up your shirt for a start! ).

Skinnereal wrote:It's there for another 15 days, and I can cut it down, if the size is a biggie.
Postage to you might be a bit more afterwards, though.

Trying to work it out as if the postage still is around £15, it would cost me only £8 more for the smaller ready to use stuff. So for the convenience, im definetely tempted by ordering the smaller stuff.

My Logic:
I would like maybe 4 Sheets of the 600x600 stuff. = £38 (with P&P)
Would work out at 2 Sheets of the 1250x600 stuff.
£60 / 8 = £7.50 per sheet.
x£2 = £15 (£30 with P&P).

It all comes down to the P& P, also how many of the sheets you would need/want.

Just going to go out on a limb and say this, but here in the States we can get this crap in a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet thats 2 inches thick for $27. Its just insulation...

Catyrpelius wrote:Just going to go out on a limb and say this, but here in the States we can get this crap in a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet thats 2 inches thick for $27. Its just insulation...

Its harder to get over here it seems.
That link on ebay I found has 8x4's, but in packs of 8.

Catyrpelius wrote:Just going to go out on a limb and say this, but here in the States we can get this crap in a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet thats 2 inches thick for $27. Its just insulation...

Difference is in the UK, it's only used in roof insulation, the house walls there are double skinned brick rather than wood/plastic siding insulated with the blue/pink foam. I know when I lived there it was harder to find than rocking horse poo, but it seems at least there are now people providing it to the public, rather than just the construction trade.

LavuranGuard wrote:

Catyrpelius wrote:Just going to go out on a limb and say this, but here in the States we can get this crap in a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet thats 2 inches thick for $27. Its just insulation...

Difference is in the UK, it's only used in roof insulation, the house walls there are double skinned brick rather than wood/plastic siding insulated with the blue/pink foam. I know when I lived there it was harder to find than rocking horse poo, but it seems at least there are now people providing it to the public, rather than just the construction trade.

It is indeed! I went in to one place and the guy was like "Yeah we have Polystyrene, dunno what you mean by Extruded though!"

"Is it the white crappy stuff that falls apart?"
"Yeah its normal... crappy stuff"

He looked almost insulted when I called it crappy! haha.

Think I might go for the smaller lot, I mentioned the idea of the big panels to my other half but she changed the conversation quick like so I think I know what I that means!

So, we buy the big panels, get them cut to size, and get them slung in the port. Sorted

They'll be a doddle to store, you have a roof? Use them for their designed purpose for a bit, and take them out when you want to use them

Skinnereal wrote:So, we buy the big panels, get them cut to size, and get them slung in the port. Sorted

They'll be a doddle to store, you have a roof? Use them for their designed purpose for a bit, and take them out when you want to use them

Love the idea, but we don't have a loft! We have a flat roof.
Think I might buy some of the smaller sheets first mate, and then if I get on with the stuff, then go for a bigger order if you are still up for it at that point!

A flat roof probably means you already have some, just keeps some buckets and towels for the winter.

notprop wrote:A flat roof probably means you already have some, just keeps some buckets and towels for the winter.

*Starts cutting into his roof...*

Have you tried Wickes? They stock a pink foam called Space Board - http://www.wickes.co.uk/space-board/invt/161280/

Pretty much the same as styrofoam from what I can see, and only £5.00 for a sheet (50mm x 500mm x 1200mm).

B&Q often stock this in the autumn / winter as well

If the stuff in your roof is yellow and has a silver lining to one side that will be Cellotex. It's not foam but compressed loft insulation - very fibrous (sic) - have tried to work with this and it's not nice - very dusty and crumbly...

Makes you fingers itch as well - that can't be good.

And highly, highly, carcinogenic if any dust from it is inhaled. Steer well clear of that stuff.

I got mine from ebay in 2ft squares. was able to order whatever quantity I wanted.