Bora-Care

Protect your home and other wood structures from Termites,
Powderpost Beetles, Fungus and Decay

Bora Care FAQ    Bora-Care Pricing, Ordering  Powderpost Beetles   Carpenter Ants

Active Ingredients: disodium octaborate tetrahydrate....40%

Bora-Care is a wood preservative and pesticide.  It is particularly suited for seasoned or kiln dried wood.  Bora-Care is much more effective than those products which treat only the surface of the wood.  Bora Care contains an active borate ingredient along with a special carrier which allows the borate to completely penetrate wood.
Recent testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that Bora-Care results in nine times better penetration than pure borates dissolved in water.

A Bora-Care treatment is odorless, does not affect painting, staining or gluing and does not change the appearance of the wood.   Bora-Care treated wood is non-toxic to humans and animals.  Note: Bora-Care is not corrosive to most metals, but may tarnish unpainted aluminum.  Cannot be shipped to Alaska or Hawaii.
Borate ordering Information

Application Instructions  Bora-Care is a concentrate which must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being applied.   Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of Bora-Care concentrate and stir thoroughly until solution is completely uniform.  The use of warm water and an impeller type mixer, which can be used with an electric drill, substantially aids the mixing process.   Always use diluted Bora-Care within 24 hours after mixing.  If kept for longer periods of time, the active ingredient can drop out of the solution.  Note: Bora-Care 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 Bora-Care.  Wood surfaces should be free of dirt and other contaminates.  Apply diluted Bora-Care by spray or brush to all exposed wood surfaces.

It may occasionally be necessary to apply more than one coat of Bora-Care 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.

• Spray Application:  Mix the Bora-Care concentrate with water in a clean container, stir well, then add the diluted solution to the spray tank.  Mixing Bora-Care directly in a spray tank can block hoses and nozzles.  Spray all surfaces of the wood or logs, including the ends, with a low pressure sprayer.  Apply solution until it begins to run off.
• Brush Application:  Mix one gallon of Bora-Care concentrate with one gallon of water in a clean container.   Protect hands with solvent resistant gloves.  Brush the diluted Bora-Care solution onto all surfaces of the logs or lumber, including the ends.  Apply solution until it begins to run off.

Care and Maintenance of Treated Logs

For long term protection, exterior wood surfaces which have been treated with Bora-Care should be coated with a water resistant paint or stain within six weeks after treatment.  It is important to allow Bora-Care treated wood to completely dry (at least 48 hours) before applying any protective topcoat.  It is not necessary to protect interior wood surfaces except in situations involving repeated moisture contact such as prolonged construction process, shower stalls, bath houses, etc..

Bora-Care is a concentrate which must be diluted with an equal volume of water before being applied.   Add 1 gallon of water to every gallon of Bora-Care concentrate and stir thoroughly until solution is completely uniform.  The use of warm water and an impeller type mixer, which can be used with an electric drill, substantially aids the mixing process.

Always use diluted Bora-Care within 24 hours after mixing.
If kept for longer periods of time, the active ingredient can drop out of the solution.

Since the active ingredient in Bora-Care penetrates throughout the wood, the amount of product  required must be calculated on the volume of wood being treated, not the surface area.
One gallon of Bora-Care concentrate will treat up to 800 board feet of wood.
Only diluted Bora-Care 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.

In log homes which have been lived in for two or more years, interior log surfaces will sometimes accumulate oil, especially around kitchen and dining areas.  This oil residue must be removed with a strong detergent prior to treatment.  Occasionally, white crystalline deposits may form on a treated surface after drying.  This may be caused by the presence of an existing finish or by a high resin content in the wood.  These deposits can be removed with warm water and will not affect the efficacy of the treatment.

If only the exterior surfaces of a log structure are to be treated, because the interior walls are inaccessible or finished, multiple applications of Bora-Care to the exterior log surfaces will be necessary. 

Bora Care FAQ

How to Order Bora-Care

Refer to the Bora-Care label for complete information about application rates and dilution ratios.

What is Bora-Care?
Bora-Care is a patented liquid formulation to protect structural wood from attacking wood destroying organisms. It contains disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (also called DOT, a borate compound) as the active ingredient and also contains glycol penetrants to help the active ingredient diffuse into the wood.

What is a borate compound?
A borate compound contains the basic elements of boron and oxygen. Borate ores are mined from mineral deposits found in the earth. These mines can be found in western North America, South America and Asia. Borate compounds help create products such as ceramic tiles, fertilizers, glass, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, medicines and pest control products.

What are glycol penetrants?
Glycols are members of the class of compounds called alcohols. They are used in paints, dyes, inks, cosmetics and coolants. The glycols in Bora-Care allow more active ingredient to be dissolved into a true liquid solution. These glycols also aid in the diffusion of Bora-Care by drawing the borate active ingredient into the wood.

How do borates affect insect and fungus species?
Borates are toxic to both insects and fungus species. One mode of action is that borates disrupts the enzyme system of the insect and destroys the microflora (bacteria and protozoa) in the stomach of the insect, thus disallowing food digestion. Borates also affect the enzyme system of fungi and the active ingredient is a contact toxicant to fungus.

What wood destroying organisms will Bora-Care control?
Termites: Subterranean, Formosan, Drywood, Dampwood, Powder and Post
Beetles: Lyctidae and Bostrichidae species, Anobiid Beetles and Old House Borers
Carpenter Ants, Brown Rot, White Rot and Wood Decay Fungi

Is Bora-Care better than soil treatments when controlling termites?
Soil treatments try to block termites from coming up from the soil. Even under the best circumstances, termites can still enter through a break in the soil barrier and cause major damage to the wood in the structure. Bora-Care controls infestations in another manner. Wood is eliminated as a food source for termites with a Bora-Care application. If termites cannott eat the wood, the probability of damage in a structure is minimized.

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. Only high levels of water saturated in the wood will enable the active ingredient to be forced out. This saturated state is not normally found with interior structural wood. It is generally recommended to seal exposed exterior structural wood after application with Bora-Care to prevent the occurrence of excessive moisture.

How toxic is Bora-Care to humans or pets?
The active ingredient in Bora-Care, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, is a borate salt compound that is formed from a union of boric acid and borax. It has a very low toxic level to humans and pets, but is very effective against insects and fungus. Read and follow all label instructions before use.

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6920 Pine Forest Road
Pensacola, Florida   32526

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