Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
1. Easy to spray or brush-on exposed wood areas (before either closing
up an are or before painting).
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)
3. Safe and available to consumers
4. Ideally, inexpensive and widely-available

Also, is there a big difference among brands?
I have heard people talk about Timbor whose active ingredient is
Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate. There are other brands (eg. Borasol)
that claim to be chemically identical. Does it matter which brand I
buy or in the case of Timbor are you mostly paying for the name...

Thanks

On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne

Some versions have ethelyene glycol which has its own pluses and minuses.

Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a 10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27% borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences, steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrate and stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying .
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.






"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message
...
On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne

On Jul 27, 12:51*pm, "John Keiser"
wrote:
Some versions have ethelyene glycol *which has its own pluses and minuses.

Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a 10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27% borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences, steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrate and stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying .
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.

"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message

...



On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whats the scoop on this stuff. I knew an old guy that built houses
that said that kept the bugs out and made the house fireproof. I
always wondered if it really worked.

Jimmie.

I don't know about fireproof, but applied properly it is a good
cost-effective methd to treat for termites and other pests.
Here [Hawaii] it is also used more and more in place of fumigation. That
requires skilled application as spraying it all around is not nearly as
effective as finding the active termite hole and injecting a drop or two of
the stuff.



"JIMMIE" wrote in message
...
On Jul 27, 12:51 pm, "John Keiser"
wrote:
Some versions have ethelyene glycol which has its own pluses and minuses.

Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a
10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27%
borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water
agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon
of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or
spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or
spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences,
steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric
acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrate and stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply
only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying
.
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours
between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.

"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message

...



On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whats the scoop on this stuff. I knew an old guy that built houses
that said that kept the bugs out and made the house fireproof. I
always wondered if it really worked.

Jimmie.

JIMMIE writes:

On Jul 27, 12:51*pm, "John Keiser"
wrote:
Some versions have ethelyene glycol *which has its own pluses and minuses.

What are the pluses/minuses of using ethylene glycol vs. water as the
solvent?
One thing I noticed is that the borate concentration is higher in the
ethylene glycol since it seems that 10% is a saturated solution and
15% is supersaturated when water is the solvent.


Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:
Cool

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a 10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27% borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences, steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Assuming there are advantages to ethylene glycol vs. water that
justify Boracares high price and given that:
- I can by Timbor relatively cheap ($10.86 for 1.5lbs) vs. $90/gal
for Bora-Care
- The recipe to make Bora-Care from scratch seems to be a bit of the
pain with the need for Borax, Boric acid, and boiling off the water

Is there a compromise "recipe" where I would mix Timbor with ethylene
glycol antifreeze rather than with water.

Since the concentrate is 26% and the reconstituted version is a 1:1
solution with water, that would imply that the solution has a borate
concentration of 13% which I believe is equivalent to 1.3 pounds of
Timbor per gallon. [based on common dilution of 1.5 lbs Timbor to 1
gallon of water to achieve a 15% borate solution]

If this works, it would be far simpler than boiling and would cost
about $15/gallon (Timbor plus antifreeze).

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrateand stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying .
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.

"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message

...



On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whats the scoop on this stuff. I knew an old guy that built houses
that said that kept the bugs out and made the house fireproof. I
always wondered if it really worked.

Jimmie.

blueman writes:

JIMMIE writes:

On Jul 27, 12:51*pm, "John Keiser"
wrote:
Some versions have ethelyene glycol *which has its own pluses and minuses.

What are the pluses/minuses of using ethylene glycol vs. water as the
solvent?
One thing I noticed is that the borate concentration is higher in the
ethylene glycol since it seems that 10% is a saturated solution and
15% is supersaturated when water is the solvent.


Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:
Cool

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a 10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27% borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences, steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Assuming there are advantages to ethylene glycol vs. water that
justify Boracares high price and given that:
- I can by Timbor relatively cheap ($10.86 for 1.5lbs) vs. $90/gal
for Bora-Care
- The recipe to make Bora-Care from scratch seems to be a bit of the
pain with the need for Borax, Boric acid, and boiling off the water

Note: it is also not clear to me why you need to boil off the water if
you are going to later reconstitute it with a 1:1 mix with
water. Couldn't you just mix Borax, Bori Acid, antifreeze, and a
lesser amount of antifreeze to make a full constituted solution to use
when you are ready without any need for boiling other than maybe a
little heating to help the borax dissolve at high saturation.

Is there a compromise "recipe" where I would mix Timbor with ethylene
glycol antifreeze rather than with water.

Since the concentrate is 26% and the reconstituted version is a 1:1
solution with water, that would imply that the solution has a borate
concentration of 13% which I believe is equivalent to 1.3 pounds of
Timbor per gallon. [based on common dilution of 1.5 lbs Timbor to 1
gallon of water to achieve a 15% borate solution]

If this works, it would be far simpler than boiling and would cost
about $15/gallon (Timbor plus antifreeze).

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrateand stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying .
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.

"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message

...



On 2009-07-27, blueman wrote:

Looking for recommendations for a borate wood-preservative product
meeting the following specs:
[. . .]
2. Long-lasting/non-leaching (as much as possible)

I believe that all field-applied borate treatments are water soluble
(even if not water-born when applied) and hence will leach.

Cheers, Wayne- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whats the scoop on this stuff. I knew an old guy that built houses
that said that kept the bugs out and made the house fireproof. I
always wondered if it really worked.

Jimmie.

John Keiser wrote:
Some versions have ethelyene glycol which has its own pluses and minuses.

Or brew your own for less [from the net, not my personal recipe. No
endorsement implied.]:

BORATE WOOD PRESERVATIVES:

COMMERCIAL AND HOME-BREWED

Commercial:

Tim-Bor®: Solid sodium octaborate; dissolves in water to make approx. a 10%
solution containing 6.6% borate (B2O3); about $13/lb. Covers about 200 sq
ft.

Bora-Care®: 40% solution of sodium octaborate in ethylene glycol; 27% borate
content; $90/gal. for the concentrate.

Home-Brew Water Solution of Borates:

Based on U.S. Navy spec. of 60% borax-40% boric acid (this ratio gives the
maximum solubility of borates in water);

#1. This is equiv. to Tim-Bor®... 6 parts of borax and 4 parts of boric
acid.

To prepare one gallon of a 10% solution, start with an oversize container
(larger than 1 gallon ) add 1 lb. of powder to appx 3 qts of water agitating
until the powder has dissolved, then add additional water to end up with 1
gallon of mix. To prepare a 15% solution, add 1.5 lbs. of powder, then add
the remainder of the water and mix as previously. Approximately 1 gallon of
solution will be needed to treat 200 square feet of wood surface area.
(Note: solutions should be used immediately and not stored.) .

EXAMPLE: Prepare 5 gallons of 10% solution:

Add four (4) gallons of clear, warm water to a six-gallon bucket.

Add five (5) lbs. of powder while gently stirring.

Add enough water to bring the final volume to 5 gallons, and continue to
stir until all of the powder has dissolved.

Agitate the solution briefly at the beginning of each spray job, or after
the solution has been standing for an extended period.

Do not spray or spill onto soil or foliage.

Apply two applications of a 10% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Apply one application of a 15% solution to wood surfaces by brush or spray.
Applications may be made to wood structures including decks, fences, steps,
sheds, barns and other out-buildings.

#2: This is equivalent to Bora-Care®

Prepare the concentrate:

Mix 1 Gallon glycol antifreeze, 4 1/2 pounds borax, 3 1/2 pounds boric acid.

Mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a
candy thermometer shows 260 F. This removes most of the water of
crystallization in the borax.

This solution is stable at 40 F and has a borate content of 26%. This is
equivalent to Bora-Care® at about $90/gal. for the concentrate. The
concentrate must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being
applied.

Application: Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of concentrate and stir
thoroughly until solution is completely uniform. Always use diluted within
24 hours after mixing. If kept for longer periods of time, the active
ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Note: is toxic to plants and shrubbery; if necessary, cover plants, root
systems and surrounding soil with plastic to avoid contamination. Apply only
to bare wood. Remove any finish or water repellent coating before applying .
Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates. Apply diluted
by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces. It may occasionally be
necessary to apply more than one coat of to attain the recommended
application rate. This is especially true for larger, smooth surfaced wood
members. Wood surfaces should be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours between
applications. Do not apply in the rain or snow. If inclement weather is
expected, protect exposed treated surface with a plastic tarp for at least
24 hours after treatment. One gallon of concentrate will treat up to 800
board feet of wood. Only diluted should be applied to any wood surface.
Prior to application, check wood surfaces for an existing water repellent
finish by spraying a small amount of water onto the surface of the wood or
logs. If the water beads up or is not absorbed into the wood, a finish is
present which must be removed before applying the diluted solution.


Instructions to boil water off and then add water make me doubt the
wisdom of the advice.

I bought Borrada LP, a cheaper equivalent to Bora-Care. It's 40&
borates, 40% propylene glycol, and 20% unnamed ingredients. For timbers
where deep penetration is important, they recommend 1 part water to 1
part concentrate. For thinner wood, where there's less to penetrate,
they recommend 2 parts water to 1 part concentrate. So one function of
glycol is deeper penetration.

I've never tried to wash it off except when cleaning my equipment, but a
day or so after treatment, it doesn't seem water soluble, as if I'd
painted with clear latex paint. Perhaps some of the unnamed chemicals
help it resist leaching.

I bought a gallon. I wiped out a nest by spraying a busy gallery (they
apparently loved to drink it and take it to their nest), sprayed timbers
where they lay on vulnerable sections of underpinning and pillars, and
painted the wood frame of my cellar door, which could have served as a
path for termites or carpenter ants from the ground into my house. That
was years ago and I've had no trouble since. If I do, most of the
concentrate is still in the can.

replying to E Z Peaces, ProdigalGypsy wrote:
There are 2 sound chemical reasons for this process:
1) The increased temperature is required to increase the solubility of the
borax/boric acid so that it all dissolves into the ethylene glycol.
2) You have to boil off the water to stabilize the compound for preservation.
Once you dilute it again w/ water it only stays viable for about 24 hours (the
same w/ the store-bought solution). The bonds that allow the water, glycol,
and boron to penetrate the wood together break down, and you end up w/ the
layers in the bottle. You can't just shake it up again to mix it again.
Don't doubt the wisdom of "taking away water just to add it later;" Instant
coffee lasts indefinitely, but try storing "instant coffee" that hasn't had
the water taken away!

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replying to blueman, ProdigalGypsy wrote:
The reason is that there is plenty of hydrogen and oxygen ALL of the
ingredients. To achieve a heat necessary to ensure complete solubility whilst
simultaneously achieving a viable 1:1 H20 saturation would be incredibly hard
to isolate (and may even be impossible if too much water vapor has released
before 100% solubility is achieved).
Having a recipe that accurately recreates a solution such as this that allows
for identical preparation as the original is actually rather impressive.
Having the water boiled off allows for long-term, stable storage.
Even if you use the whole batch at once, I strongly recommend following the
recipe for maximum effectiveness.

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replying to ProdigalGypsy, Jonathan Cook wrote:
So following the instructions and boiling and then adding water is best, but
is it better to just mix timbor with water and use than it would be to take
used antifreeze 50/50 ( water and antifreeze) and heat enough to dissolve
timbor and spray on timbers while still hot? I have done this and I do not see
any white crystals on the timbers like I do when I just use water and timbor
so it would seem to me that it is staying dissolved and penetrating better
with used antifreeze.

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