# Places to get free styrofoam



## HauntedWyo (Apr 13, 2017)

So most of us are always on the look out for free or really inexpensive material for making our props. I thought of several places where folks could possibly obtain free styrofoam big enough for tombstones, or building facades, or mausoleums, ...etc.

Go and talk to your local stores that sell appliances. A lot of appliances are boxed up with sheets of styrofoam inside to protect them during shipping and delivery. These sheets can be anywhere from 1- 3 inches thick. Some stores will unbox appliances at the store and just throw away the styrofoam. Other stores have the delivery people unbox the appliances at a customer's home and put the styrofoam and boxes back in the truck then take it all back to the store to be put in the trash. 

I went and talked to the person who works in the freight area of Home Depot, it's also where the trash gets put in a trash shoot then smashed and dumped into a large semi trailer. I asked them if they would be willing to hold out the large pieces of styrofoam for me and give me a call so I could go and pick it up. They were more than happy to accommodate. In fact I got a call today letting me know they had some styrofoam. I went and collected about 30 pieces of round styrofoam that were 24 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. I can use those to make blocks/bricks for a mausoleum or cemetery columns. 

Also, I know this isn't styrofoam, but you can also get free wood at places like Home Depot, or Lowes, If you go to the lumber dept. ask them if you can have some of their stickers. These are roughly 2"x4"s about 4 feet in length. It's what is under a stack of lumber to allow a fork lift to lift the stack of lumber off of trucks or put on their racks. They just throw those stickers away. You might be able to get these for free at other lumber yards. 
Then of course there are places that just give away free pallets.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

The problem is, most of that foam isn't all that useful for haunts. The foam you really want is the insulation foam that doesn't break apart into little beads, that can be cut cleanly and shaped evenly. Everything you mentioned is the bead foam.


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## islavista (Sep 14, 2021)

I know people donate free styrofoam sheets on boxgiver.com


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