Washing and Staining After Borate Treatments Here are some guidelines to follow after performing a borate treatment to your log home: Shell-Guard®RTU Washing - Never wash down a wall within five days of application. It's really best to wait at least seven days.
Can borate be applied to wood that has not been stained?
In order to be effective, the borate treatment needs to not only cover the surface of the wood, but penetrate deeply to ensure adequate protection. This means the borate needs to be applied only to bare wood that has not been stained or painted. The stains or paint will prevent the borate from soaking in and therefore offer no protection.
What is borate used for in construction?
It is widely used in the construction industry to protect wood, framing, siding, studs and other wood materials. A borate wood treatment is what is known as a biocide. It protects wood against fungi and rotting, and repels wood-eating pests such as termites and carpenter bees and ants.
How long does Bora Care last on wood?
Also, since Bora-Care is a wood treatment product, it will stay in the wood forever and protect it forever. The down side is that Bora-Care can only be applied to normal raw wood.
Do borate treatments work for termites?
Keep in mind that borate treatments are only useful as a preventative measure against wood eating insects. If an infestation has already occurred and termite damage is present, the borate treatment will not be effective. For this reason it is advisable to treat the wood as soon as possible.
Can you stain over borate treated wood?
If you have wood that you want to treat that is not already treated, painted, stained, etc., then you can apply paint, water sealant, or stain as long as a Boracare or Timbor treatment is dry. For Boracare you will usually need to wait at least 24 hours to make sure the application is completely dry.
How long does it take for borate to dry?
SHELL-GUARD Borate/Glycol Formula In warm, dry climates the drying time may be as little as a few days. Under humid condition it may take four to six weeks of drying time before a stain can be applied. You can check to see how drying is progressing by touching the treated wood, especially in the early morning.
How long does a borate treatment last?
How long will Bora-Care® stay in the wood? Since Bora-Care® is derived from minerals, once the active ingredient diffuses into the wood it will remain indefinitely. There are no natural forces that will degrade or break down the product inside the wood.
How do you put a borate on a log home?
Some borates come in a powdered form, you simply mix the powder with water and apply it to the wood. It can be very effective if applied to wood that is not being hit by water or too exposed to the elements. Water can wash the borate out of the wood.
How long does borate treated wood last?
It is a long-lasting and affordable alternative to many other materials out there. It can last a significant amount of time if cared for properly. Pressure-treated wood can last up to 40 years with proper upkeep and treatment.
How do you apply borate wood treatment?
0:042:04How to Use BORA-CARE Borate Wood Treatment - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCare can be applied as a spray using a hand pump sprayer as a foam using a foam ER and foamingMoreCare can be applied as a spray using a hand pump sprayer as a foam using a foam ER and foaming additive. Or it can be painted on with a roller when needed indoors.
What does borate wood treatment do?
Borate wood preservative defends wood against termite attack and other wood-decomposing organisms. The preservative is absorbed into wood and acts as a barrier that termites cannot cross, eliminating wood as a food source.
Do termites eat borate treated wood?
Borate is considered both an insect repellent and a bait; as soon as termites and other insects attempt to eat the treated wood, they die.
Will borax stop wood rot?
There are two inexpensive and commonly available materials which will kill rot in wood. and prevent its recurrence. First, there are the Borates (Borax, Boric acid mixtures,) which have demonstrated to prevent new wood from rotting and killing rot organisms and wood-destroying insects in infested wood.
How do you treat log cabin logs?
Brush solution on logs within 1 day of peeling, especially in warm weather. Preservative protection is especially de- sirable for the lowest two or three logs of a cabin. Logs can be treated when they are freshly peeled or after they have been air dried for some months.
How do you treat a log home?
Wood Treatment Options For Log HomesAir- and Kiln-Drying the Logs. ... Borate Wood Treatments. ... Cleaning the Logs. ... Applying a Wood Preservative. ... Biocides. ... Pigmented Stains to Combat Damage from UV Rays. ... Topcoats and Finish Coatings.
How long does it take for a solid borate rod to diffuse?
However, this migration is very slow, and may take many months or longer to slowly diffuse throughout the wood.
What is the best way to treat wood with borate?
The final mechanism that can be used to treat wood with borate is to use Zinc Borate. Zinc Borate is benign in timber, and will not migrate out as it is almost insoluble in water. The problem with it’s lack of solubility is that the Zinc Borate has to be created in the timber itself, requiring the use of a two part preparation. Whilst this is more expensive than the other Borate treatments, it’s use is readily justified for valuable, historic or otherwise exotic applications, and the wood may be stained, overpainted or otherwise treated after application.
What is clear penetrating epoxy?
Treatment of wood with Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer renders it resistant to the passage of liquid water whilst leaving the wood highly permeable to water vapour. The wood is said to be able to “breathe”, and breathable paints may still be applied to good effect. Since borate salts are water-soluble but cannot migrate through any resin system, treatment first with a borate salt and second with Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer renders the borate salts trapped inside the wood, unable to diffuse out by contact with other wood elements and unable to be washed-away by exposure of unpainted surfaces to rain or condensation.Since Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer is a highly effective porosity-sealing and adhesion-promoting primer, a subsequent application of any paint or coating system can give a long-lasting durable finish, protecting an effectively-treated wood element. Application of Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer to the wood surface after it has dried seals the borate salts away from the surface, and then latex paints or solvent-borne paints may be applied on top of the sealed surface without compatibility issues. In over forty years Smith & Co. has not found a primer or topcoat that is incompatible.
Does latex paint evaporate?
Water-em ulsion (latex) paints will not be able to evaporate fully their water and thus set, for the absorbed ethylene glycol will hold excess water in the (drying) paint. This prevents the resin-phase of the latex paint from properly forming a film as it is designed to.
Does glycol evaporate in epoxy paint?
This reduces the adhesion-effectiveness of any epoxy product to anything else in a wood-epoxy-paint-glue system. With time, months or years, the glycol will eventually evaporate, but the adhesion-loss is irreparable, and does not recover when the glycol leaves.
Can borate rods be used with epoxy?
Epoxy treatments and solid borate rod treated wood. There are no possible chemical incompatibilities between the borate rods and a post applied epoxy resin system. The borate rods must be inserted and sealed into the wood before any epoxy resin treatment is applied however, as the borate will be unable to diffuse through the epoxy resin system.
Is borate salt toxic to humans?
Why Do We Treat With Borate. Borate salts in general are not toxic to humans or mammals, and are natural micronutrients for plants. They are, however, toxic in varying degrees to most species of fungi, as well as to certain insects that have an exoskeleton (shell on the outside instead of bones-on-the-inside).
How are boron salts formed?
Borates are formed when the naturally occurring element boron combines with oxygen and other elements to form inorganic salts. Boron occurs naturally in trace amounts just about everywhere—soil, water, plants and animals. In its various forms it has many different industrial and commercial uses.
What is boron used for?
In agriculture it is used to enrich soil and improve crop yield. In fact boron is one of seven essential micronutrients needed to make plant life grow. Borates are also found in detergents, soaps and personal care products.
Can borate be applied to wood?
This means the borate needs to be applied only to bare wood that has not been stained or painted.
Can you sand wood before applying borate?
It is also advisable to sand the surface of the wood before applying the borate, as this will make the surface more porous and allow for deeper penetration. Keep in mind that borate treatments are only useful as a preventative measure against wood eating insects.
Is borate harmful to the environment?
The beauty of borate is that it is derived naturally and is not harmful to the environment , people or pets. It can also be used on many different types of wood and in a variety of settings. It is the most common form of wood treatment in use today.
Is borate wood safe?
Borate wood treatments are safe, effective, and affordable as well as widely available. You can find borate wood treatments from quality suppliers such as the Weatherall Company. So be sure to protect your investment in your wooden projects from termites and fungi by applying a borate wood treatment. Image via Flickr by Aleksey Gnilenkov.
How much Timbor to use for a gallon of water?
All you need to apply either product is a one or two gallon hand pump sprayer. Timbor is used at 1.5 lbs of Timbor to each gallon of water. Bora-Care is mixed 1:1, one gallon of Bora-Care to one gallon of water which will make two finished gallons. Both products should be mixed in a 5 gallon bucket and then poured in your sprayer to use.
How many square feet does a gallon of Bora Care treat?
Typically, each gallon of Bora-Care, after mixed 1:1 with water, will treat about 1000 square feet of space, but if you have larger sized wood (for example: 2 x 8 instead of 2 x 4), then one gallon of Bora-Care may only treat 800 square feet. The worksheet should be able to get you an exact estimate.
How long does Termidor SC last?
Termidor SC will not penetrate wood and the residual left behind will only last for about 6 weeks at most. You need to use Bora-Care for your application. Bora-Care will penetrate several inches in to the wood and it will last for the life of the wood.
How many gallons of Bora Care?
A. One gallon of Bora-Care mixed with one gallon of water will make two finished gallons. These two finished gallons of Bora-Care will treat 1200 lineal feet of 2x4 sized wood, treating all exposed sides. Remember you do not need to over apply the product, just enough to wet the surface of the wood.
What is bora care?
A. Bora-Care and Timbor are both borate products used to treat wood, but they could not be more different. Timbor is in a powder form that is mixed with water. It is much less expensive but it is intended more for protecting new wood only, or wood that you know does not have any issues. Timbor will only penetrate the outer layer ...
How long can you use undiluted Bora Care?
Undiluted Bora-Care should be used within three years of the date of purchase. Once diluted Bora-Care should be used immediately. Bora-Care that is left for more than a few hours after it has been diluted will start to separate from the water and will be impossible to get back into a proper diluted form.
How long does it take for powder post beetles to get into wood?
Powder Post Beetles can be very deep into the wood. Bora-Care can take up to 30 days or more to penetrate all the way through a piece of wood and this will vary depending on how thick the wood is and the moisture content.
