Wood Treatment With Bora Care or TimBor
Boric acid, or borate salt, is an excellent wood preservative , fungicide (kills rot fungi) and insecticide . It is very low toxicity, has low environmental impact and is relatively cheap. It is an ideal material for treating both hardwood and softwood against attack by fungi ( dry rot fungi ), and insects. The only real downside is that borate compounds are generally water soluble so must be used in dry environments or protected with a finish of some kind that seals them in the wood. Borates are available as dry powders ( TimBor and others) or as glycol-based liquid concentrates ( Bora Care and others). Glycol is intended to improve the penetration of borate into wood fibers but studies have not definitively demonstrated an advantage over simple water solutions. Glycol-based products are also somewhat more expensive than powder forms. Both TimBor and Bora Care should be applied to dry, unfinished wood surfaces with a pump sprayer or paint roller. Two coats are sometimes needed...