Skip to Content

Will Home Depot Cut Foam Board?

Will Home Depot Cut Foam Board?

Home Depot promises to provide its customers with tools, knowledge as well as assistance to build their dream homes. It’s a place where you can buy almost everything you need to make your dream home.

So, if you need a foam board but you want to cut it, will Home Depot cut it for you?

Home Depot does not offer a service to cut foam boards, even if they were purchased from their store.

However, you can get all the tools needed to cut and size your material for any project, be it a home renovation or a simple school art project.

Read further to know why Home Depot won’t cut foam boards. But first, here’s some general facts on foam boards. 

What Are Foam Boards?

Foam boards are strong and lightweight material that is most commonly used for insulation.

They may seem easy to cut and shape with a knife, or a panel saw, but still, you won’t be able to get that done at a Home Depot. 

Cutting foam boards is a common step in insulation as well as when you are using the boards for arts and crafts projects.

They are also used for architectural models and interior designs. Foam boards are readily available at Home Depot; you can get pre-cut foam sheets as well.

However, most people get big sheets that are both readily available and affordable.

There are two types of foam boards available at Home Depot.

The Two Foam Boards Available

The two types of foam boards available at Home Depot are: 

  1. Pink Foam Board
  2. Blue Foam Board

Both of these are made using polystyrene resin. Since they are made from the same material, their usage is pretty similar as well.

Both of these foam sheets have an insulating R-value of 5 per inch of thickness. The difference between the two is the color as well as the companies that produce them.

The blue is manufactured by Dow Chemical Co., and the Pink ones are made by Owens Corning company. 

Usage of Foam Boards

Both blue and pink foam boards can be used for insulation.

The blue ones are mainly used for insulation on the exterior walls, whereas the pink ones work best for interior walls. 

Once you know which ones to buy, you can get the sheet cut at home depot, but you will have to do it yourself. 

Does Home Depot Cut Foam Boards?

In a nutshell, the answer is no. Home Depot doesn’t provide service to cut the foam boards at any location.

The simple answer is that the foam’s residue is static, and it latches to surfaces nearby. The dust that comes off when cutting the foam boards is highly static.

Apart from that, it flies everywhere and gets onto every nook and cranny, which is hard to clean.

Hence, as per the new policy, no Home Depot will help the customer cut the foam board at the self-service station.

However, they can lend you tools to cut the foam board yourself at the cash counter.

Here’s how you can cut the foam board at Home Depot using different tools. These tools can easily be rented at Home Depot. 

Foam Board

How To Cut Foam at Home Depot

Foam board is a highly versatile material that’s used in many projects like photography, crafting, insulation, and building material.

You can buy and cut your foam boards at Home Depot to be quick with your project. Here are the tools you will need. 

Long Bladed Utility Knife

A utility knife is by far the best tool that is ideal for cutting foam boards.

Here’s a pro tip: rubbing wax on either side of the knife helps glide the knife through the board without getting caught.

You will also need a smooth blade knife instead of a seared one to cut your foam board. Moreover, it’s better to stand your board rather than use your knife as a saw.

Using your knife as a saw will only give you a rough cut, and it will also have little foam residue fly everywhere.

The long-bladed knife can cut through all kinds of fun boards, including crafting or foam board insulation. 

Hot Knife

You can rent a hot knife at the self-serving station at Home Depot to cut and size your foam board.

The hot knife can easily cut through a stiffer PVC foam board and styrofoam.

Moreover, a hot knife is more successful than a normal bladed knife, as it gives a smooth cut with as little effort as possible. 

X-Acto Knife

If you want to cut the board for a craft project, you will need an X-Acto knife because the form boards used for crafts are thinner.

An X-Acto knife gives you more dexterity and control over the cut and handling of your foam board.

However, an X-Acto knife doesn’t really work for thicker foam boards usually used for insulation. 

Foam Cutting Saw

You can also rent a foam cutting saw at the Home Depot to cut your foam boards effortlessly. A foam saw is ideal for cutting thick and large sheets of foam used for insulation.

However, this might not be ideal since using a saw leaves a huge mess behind, which is the biggest reason Home Depot stopped cutting the foam sheets in the first place. 

Precautions While Cutting the Foam Board

Cutting foam boards may not seem like a health hazard, but it can be pretty dangerous.

The small chunks that fly off while cutting the foam can get into eyes as well as nostrils and can be hazardous. 

It’s highly recommended that you wear protective equipment like protective glasses as well as face masks. Also, keep pets and kids away from the workstation. 

Bottom Line to Home Depot Cutting Foam Boards

All in all, you can’t get an employee from Home Depot to cut the Foam Board for you, but you can always use their tools to cut your foam board yourself.

To use their tools, you can rent them at an hourly rate. Just be careful and ask for tips from staff members if you have any questions!

Lisa P

Tuesday 23rd of January 2024

will home depot let me cut the board myself inside the store?

Lindsay Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of ProjectPerfectHome.com! I created this website to be a resource for everyone who wants to make the best home possible.