Am looking for either of the above products. Live in Austin, Texas. Tried both Lowe’s and Home Depot. Neither had a clue. Any suggestions where to look now? Thanks in advance.
John
Structolite is a US Gypsum product. You might try their website to see if there is a list of distributors or retailers in your area. http://www.usg.com
Gypsolite, I believe is the similar product made by National Gypsum & sold as Gold Bond Gypsolite) www.nationalgypsum.com
Austin, as far as I know, is not some backwoods village and there is surely a retail place in your area that carries it. It’s probably on the shelves somewhere in the very stores you were in. The trick is to find a place that is staffed by people that know anything about what they sell. Find a local lumber yard, if any have survived the mega-home supply stores. Or a paint store.
Ask any local builder that you might know where to buy materials. The extra money you might spend at the smaller stores is usually offset by what you’ve gained by dealing with people that know their products and can answer technical questions.
I’m sure there are knowlegable people working for Home Depot and Lowes & I hope one day to meet one. In the meantime, the smaller local stores get my business.
Wayne
One thing you have keep in mind when you are dealing with Lowe’s or HOme Depot. The person you ask if something is in stock is not the person who put that stock away.
I purchase 26 sheets of firecheck drywall from Lowe’s and planned to bring it home with their rental truck since the weight was over a ton. The rental rate is only for 75 minutes at Lowe’s. Since the store nearest me had only 11 sheets on the floor, the manager charged me a flat rate ($20.00) the take the truck to another lowe’s to get my load. The round trip took about 3 hours. As I got back in my own vehicle and started to go home, I was facing the wall outside the Lumber entrance. There in front of me was a stack of firecheck drywall reaching from the ground all the way up to the roof.
When you go into a local hardware store or LHS, for that matter, there is usually someone in the store who actually put the stock away and therefor can tell where it is.
Thanks, guys. I am aware of the limitations of Lowe’s and Home Depot. Went to the spot in the stores where they stock plaster and talked to the plaster “expert” in both cases. Both said they do not stock.
Also tried the national websites. Emailed NG and got a prompt response with an 800 number to locate distributors in Texas. Called and was told nearest is company in San Antonio that uses, but does not stock. No others in Central Texas. So much for Gypsolite. Now I’ll try to find a tel# for Structolite distributors in Texas. The way both products are described on the NG and USG websites, you would think any self-respecting building supply house would stock. Oh well! Seems like I am always looking for something that is hard to find.
Thanks again for your responses. I’ll let you know if I am successful.
John
Austin, Texas
No one in the Austin area that I can find stocks or can get easily Gypsolite. After call to USG rep, call to store in Austin they recommended (used to stock, but no longer), and call to store recommended by first store, I found Structolite at a local drywall “materials” store. Plan to pick up bag tomorrow and be installing already-made rock castings by tomorrow night. Thanks again to those who offered help.
John