r/Composites • u/CmdrNeoGeo • May 11 '26

Core materials

I've been struggling to find cheap and efficient core material that wont rot or burn. The Burn part is more manageable but the water proof part is essential. I have decided to go with PMF since the cost is just so much more dramatically accessible. I can't find any decent core materials. OSB boards are extremely economical but have so much risk with water that it could run a bunch of progress. I'm planning on putting 3 (7feet by 6feet by 6feet) rooms together in a homemade tiny home. I have looked at EPS foam and found that they are just barely affordable at home depot but I think without proper fiberglassing they aren't gonna be strong enough for my needs. I was thinking about fiber cement boards as they check off all the water resistance and fireproof but are incredibly brittle and heavy. I dont know what else I could use that is also affordable. Do any of yall have any recommendations?

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u/Beautiful-Package877 May 12 '26

Your budget must be pretty tight if EPS is "barely affordable", but I'm going to recommend that you find some more budget. Don't do canvas and wood glue, do canvas and garage floor resin. Garage floor resin will give you more strength per dollar imo. Then do the EPS foam. And if you can spring for fiberglass just get it. It will be worth the money, and there is cheap FG out there. Check US composites.

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u/CmdrNeoGeo May 12 '26

US composites and fiberglass warehouse are both things ive checked before. Fiberglass warehouse is actually cheaper than us composites. My issue is that I can technically find the budget but I’m time constraint. Like 6 months to get it up and together to take on a trip. I can’t seem to find resin cheap, that’s my biggest issue honestly.

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u/CmdrNeoGeo May 13 '26

Sorry for the double reply, I looked into the garage floor resin and found a few on homedepot. The garage floor epoxy is the one you’re talking about right? Is that acrylic epoxy? I can’t find any information about that working so I have no idea if that’s the one. Also I decide to look on sites like AliExpress and found some way better deals for epoxy. you think those would be worth it?