Hydrex Borate Treatments

Treating Wood with Borates

The two products we use for borate treatments are Tim-bor and BORA-CARE. The main ingredients are similar, although they do have some differences. Borates are unique chemicals, with many advantages. They are odorless, relatively safe to humans, don't break down, and control all types of pests. Although borates can be used for general pest control, we use them for termite, beetle, and fungus control. For termite control, borates act as a poison to the wood. Wood is eaten, shared, and spread to other members - causing toxins to build in the termite's body. Treated wood is also less desirable to eat for future infestations. For beetles, it causes a reduced amount of eggs to hatch. Larvae that do hatch out are poisoned by the wood, similarly to termites. Borates are contact killers to wood-destroying fungi, and keep fungi from growing in the future. Typically when treating for fungus, it will be scraped down before the wood is treated. In severe cases, multiple treatments may be necessary to increase the amount of borate saturation in the wood. Borate sprays are great for exposed wood framing like decks, attics, and subareas. Spraying with borates is also a great preventative measure to do during the construction of a house.

Borate Penetration into Wood