Hi, This may sound like a stupid question by here goes. Where do I find homosote? I have never seen it in my local Lowes, that I know of. Is it sometimes called something else? Besides model railroad roadbed, what else is it used for? Gary
I called around to local "lumber" yards and asked if they carried it. I used it before and I liked working with it more than foam. But I did paint it so I did not have issues with liquids during different build phases. Here is a list of some uses: Uses for Homasote You can also hit the where to buy link on the left and see if any place is around you.
You could always used homasote roadbed. http://www.homabed.com/ Not affiliated, no personal interest.
Although it's not found at the big chain stores, you might find it at other construction/wholesale places. Most people don't know of this product being called Homasote. So when inquiring, ask if they have any material used for expansion/contraction joints between cement. It's about 3 1/2" wide and 10' long. I've found it at a few places around my area. You can cut these down to the width of your track, or if you need a yard area done, then butt a few pieces up with each other and give the top a sanding to help get rid of the seams. If you are looking for a full 4x8 sheet of it, then that will be a bit difficult to find. Here is a pic of what the strips look like (cut into two 5' pieces) Homasote strips - RailImages.com -Mike
A generic name for it is paperboard. Although you may not always get something of the same quality with that term, it might help you find Homasote. "Homasote" is actually a brand name.
Most concrete supply places should sell it. Try the name tintest its used for expansion joints in cold climates. Whenever you pour concrete up against exsiting concrete there needs to be a joint for frost. I get it at work all the time. Best part is I don't have to pay for it and I can have my carpenters cut it to the correct width.
Go to Homasote Company - America's Leading Green Building Products Manufacturer and that site will have a "Where to buy it" tab. Enter your zip code and that's it! If you're near a big city, you'll have better luck. Kansas City, for example, has only two places that sell it.
Thanks very much for that web site. I've lived down here for over 50 years and have always gotten a "Huh, what's that?" response to my question. Now, I find that Lowe's carries it at a store just 50 miles north of me. :tb-cool:
Forget about it! Homasote offers no advantages over other materials such as extruded foam. It's heavy, absorbs water and moisture, has poor dimensional stability, makes a mess when cutting with power tools, is sometimes hard to find, and difficult to handle on uneven terrain or scenery. IMHO, it's only saving grace is that it will accept and retain - for a while - track nails. You would be far better off using extruded insulation foam sheets. They are easier to find (except in real arid climates), offer excellent dimensional stability (absorbs no moisture), weighs next to nothing, are easy to cut and sculpt, accepts paint and scenery materials readily, and makes an excellent surface for cork or vinyl roadbed.
Due to it's inherent higher density, Homasote has better sound deadening qualities than extruded foam alone. That being said, if your laying your track on cork or vinyl roadbed, and that perhaps on another layer for a sub-roadbed, then the differences are negligible. David
Thanks. I had heard that homasote was especially good for sound-deadening, but I know that when you have two densities of material (different speeds of sound propagation through them), the chances are good that they will propagate sound waves at cross purposes and effectively reduce them almost to zero. So, for example, if you were to use extruded foam and then the lighter, rubberier stuff for roadbed, you should experience a fairly quiet track system. The same would be true if you used plywood and extruded foam (although I know it is tricky and by no means a sure thing...depends on the application), vinyl underlay, cork roadbed, and other things such as homasote. I used the 1/8" (maybe its closer to 5/32") yellow vinyl underlay that I think is used in malls to cover my yard surface. Below it is 5/8" plywood open to storage underneath that bench. I glued my tracks and in some cases used the odd nail to that surface. Over the underlay I sifted a mix of plaster of paris and sandy garden soil. The soil looks good, but the tracks are dead quite.
Homasote is actually used as acoustical panels because it has excellend sound deadening qualities. Also, as for holding nails--for a while--there are stories of layouts dismantled after 40 years and the track nails and Homasote were still in place just like they were on day one. I have a test oval on a hollow core door layout topped with 1/2" Homasote. The cork roadbed & track are held in place with track nails. Has been in place for almost 15 years and everything is just as sturdy as it was back then. In fact, I can rearrange the track whenever I want to try out new arrangements. In Atlanta, there is a local lumber yard that carries lots of it. None of the big box stores around me carry it, but the Home Depot 25 miles across town actually does keep it in stock. Call around--the place I called that has it knew about it right away and the guy gave me the price ($21 a sheet) from memory. They move quite a bit of it. Jamie
Jamie, Since I have a rough idea where you live since my son once lived in the same general area, which "Home Depot 25 miles across town" are you talking about? Any where Cartersville or Acworth? Gary
As a matter of fact, it is the Home Depot on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw (near Acworth) that had it last year. Jamie
