# cork vs foam? a decision I need to soon make



## DT&I (Dec 6, 2013)

I've decided the Noch roadbed I want is too expensive (the wife is starting to ask how much more stuff I need to buy to do this...as in stop spending money), so I guess I'll go with cheaper roadbed. On ebay, I can get the cork or the foam for about the same price.
I'd like some opinions on each.
thanks


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Are you looking for sound damping? Or a finished product? Will you be putting ballist on top? Just curious. There could be cheaper options with more work involved. It would be good to know what direction you're going in. I don't know anything about cork or foam roadbed. But a cheap way out might be to get the foam roll that goes under sill plates in a house. Cut it to fit. I used shingles for my roadbed/ ballist, looks good to me. I didn't care about the noise. Cheap, easy, done.


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## DT&I (Dec 6, 2013)

I don't plan on ballasting...at this point I believe it would just be something to catch more hell over


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

I think foam roadbed has more realistic side contours than cork does, plus it won't dry out like cork can.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We use cork roadbed for our O-gauge modular layout, it's very easy to work with and I've had no issues with it. I don't worry about the side contours as all of the roadbed is hidden by the ballast before the job is done.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

You won't go wrong with either cork or foam.

I prefer the foam, for reasons already stated.

Don


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## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

I use foam.
I find it pretty easy to make a curve without having to split it.
I use Liquid Nails to glue it down.
Use the Liquid Nails for wood, the one for foam dries very quickly but hold well.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

This is your first rodeo right? I'd skip them both initially. If you read through most of the build threads you'll find second, third, fourth layout iteration. Ballast is cheap, and sometimes free depending on your scavenging skills. Wait on the inevitable alterations or complete do-overs before committing excess funding to the frivolous.

This is of course JMO. I'm certain it'll be pointed out how wrong I am.


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

I use cork, but my very first board, used nothing. I found that to be a mistake since I was using CDX unsanded plywood. 

I also tried making one using OSB, but the track nails kept bending. 

I tried the foam route, that did not work out well either, but I did not use hat pins to secure it either. When I tried the foam again, I was not able to get the liquid nail very smooth, so the you could see and feel the glue under the foam. The track was uneven as well.

So, cork for me.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I used cork on my last layout and on the one I am currently building. I use ply as a base and not foam. I do not glue the cork. I have found that for me it works best to staple it. I pound the staples flush with a tack hammer. This allows me to move the track if needed. The staples cannot be seen unless you are looking for them under the track. When all is set and running trains for a while proves that everything is located optimally I can ballast and non of it will be seen.


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

I found that the foam liked to krinckle in curves. If you ballast, the ballast hides it, but you said you weren't planning to ballast. If you plan to nail your track,it's too easy to get inconsistent nail depth and bad trackwork. If you glue the track, the foam lets the track move around a small amount (flex) more than I liked. The foam looks like foam....at least if you paint cork it looks a little like real roadbed. I prefer cork.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I put the cork down with pins first, lay the track on top to get everything aligned, and then glue. The glue pass is just a bead on the outside tapered edge of the cork, it I have to move it, it comes right up and can be reused, but it holds it in place until the track gets screwed down.


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## 05Slowbalt (Dec 19, 2011)

I use cork with liquid nails to hold the cork to my OSB sub-roadbed. With the cork and track it leaves maybe 1/4" of the track nails sticking up and I just use a mini hammer to nail the nail down to make it flush. Works great!


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

I have a combination of cork and foam roadbed all glued down with glue sticks. The track is glued with WS Foam Tack. I haven't finished my layout yet but it seems good after a test run. 

I'm just finishing my gate to complete the loops. The gate is working well and I just need to get the surface nice and level before adding track. Soon I hope.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Just an idea of what my cheap option looks like. I didn't have time for ballist. I laid down a thin sheet of foam over the whole layout. Think insulation under vinyl siding. Then I bought shingle starter self adhesive. Some deluted white glue to hold the stones. Cut to fit . It looks good, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


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## DT&I (Dec 6, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Just an idea of what my cheap option looks like. I didn't have time for ballist. I laid down a thin sheet of foam over the whole layout. Think insulation under vinyl siding. Then I bought shingle starter self adhesive. Some deluted white glue to hold the stones. Cut to fit . It looks good, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
> View attachment 32970
> 
> 
> ...


that looks pretty good


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Ground cover is dollar tree stuff, blended up. Bushes too. Tree, dollar tree. Cool tree, plant dipped in polyurethane. Small rocks, cat litter died, I also used chopped up leaves etc. Had to save money for the trains!


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