Hi, Folks -
This is my first post after enjoying the information here for quite a while.
I’m in the midst of building my first layout, using ladder roadbed made from Tufboard. I’ve been using the “1 x 2” (actually 3/4 x 1-1/2) stringers for the ladder sides.
When I went to the local Home Depot last week for more Tufboard, it was clear that something was different. The inventory was pretty picked over, and the all the regular price signs were replaced with special yellow tags. The sale prices were a lot less than normal.
They didn’t have any of the 1x2’s that I had been using, but they still had 1x8’s. The first time I went, the 8 foot lengths were marked down to $9.00, then when I went back a few days later they were only $6.00. I bought all they had. For comparison, the 1x2 8-footers had previously been about $6, so the effective cost (after ripping the 1x8’s into four stringers) is a full 75% less!
The bad news, of course, is it looks like Home Depot (at least here in the SF Bay Area) may be discontinuing Tufboard. Not all the local stores ever carried it, but at least 2 have this closeout in place. (The Emeryville store is pretty cleaned out. Santa Clara still has a fair selection of 12-foot lengths at severe discounts.)
So, if you are planning on using Tufboard for any upcoming projects and expected to just pick it up at the local HD, you might want to check it out sooner rather than later.
Hope this helps…
Kent