If you are treating wood with Bora-Care that is exposed to rainfall and that cannot be sealed, then yes, you likely will want to reapply the Bora-Care every 3-5 years as needed.
The shelf life of Bora-Care is 3 years if stored in a cool dry area out of any sunlight or extreme temperatures. Keep in mind that once the product has been diluted, the solution should be used or discarded within 24 hours of mixing.
No, for Bora-Care to work properly, it would need to be applied to raw wood only with no paint, stain or finish on it. Please be sure to review the product label for more information and complete application instructions.
Instead of Bora Care, if you are unable to strip the paint, you may want to consider using a product like Jecta into inject into the wood. You may view the product label here.
Yes, it is recommended to seal all wood surfaces after applying Bora-Care to ensure the application is locked into the wood.
Bora-Care has to be applied to raw, untreated, and unpainted wood. If you have whitewashed wood you will need to remove the whitewash so that the Bora-Care can soak into the wood. You would need to allow it to fully dry and then apply. You can whitewash again once the Bora-Care has fully dried as well. If the power-washing drove the eggs deeper the Bora-Care could still get to it as it soaks into the wood but you would need to apply to all sides of the wood.
Please review the BoraCare product label and Dimensional Lumber Technical Bulletin for more information.
General most products will have a shelf life of 3-5 years if stored properly in a temperature stable environment (between 45 and 75 degrees) and out of direct sunlight. After that time if the product has separated or looks differently it is always recommended to replace and not use. We would recommend reaching out to Nisus directly to confirm if Bora-Care would still be effective as they would know their product stablity better, They can be reached at 800-264-0870
If you are using Bora-Care as a preventive you will treat any raw untreated wood that you believe may be vulnerable to termite damage. If you are treating an active infestation you will need to apply it to all raw untreated wood where you have termite activity. Typically a full sub floor treatment would not be necessary for a house on a crawl space but we also recommend having some other termite prevention in place like termite bait stations or a termite trench treatment.
The dry time for Boracare is entirely dependent on how heavy you sprayed, the mix rate you used, and how quickly the raw wood you treated can absorb the product. This can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Yes, Bora-Care can be applied to concrete blocks, block or brick on the interior of crawl spaces and basement foundations as well as sill plates, piers, girders, subfloors, floor joists and any wood exposed to vertical access above ground. This is done typically to prevent shelter tubing by subterranean termites.
For specifics on the absorbption into AAC (aerated autoclaved concrete), we would recommend contacting the manufacturer directly Nisus at 800-264-0870 for technical information.
If you have termite activity and mold, you will need to make an application of Bora-Care first and once it's dry, then make an application of Bora-Care with Mold-Care. If you no longer have termite activity but would like to make a preventative treatment, we would recommend the same treatment if it is a preventative treatment where subterranean termites are involved. If you are only concerned with a preventative treatment for drywood termites then you can treat with Bora-Care with Mold-Care.
When you apply Bora-Care, it is best to allow it to fully dry before being in the same room as the treated wood.
If wood treated with Bora-Care will be exposed to moisture such as watering or rainfall, then yes, you want to apply a water sealant after the Bora-Care application is dry.
Boracare would not bother plants if they are in containers on top of the treated wood; however, any Boracare that contact desirable plants directly may damage those plants.
No, vacating the home is not required when using Bora-Care in the home as this is considered a “green” product. Once the application has completely dried which usually takes about an hour or so depending on outside temperatures, humidity, etc, it would be fine to be in the home and sleep.
Boracare should not be applied undiluted at any time and requires to be diluted with water in order to work properly and have the ability to absorb throughout the wood being treated. Boracare and the glycols it contains are designed to replace the natural moisture content of the wood so it bonds and last long term in the piece of timber you are trying to protect.
If the crawlspace is well vented it should be able to dry out after a Boracare application. Boracare is designed to absorb into and bond with the wood itself, using the glycols of the Boracare to penetrate all the way into the wood and replacing its natural moisture content with the borate particles. You could run a box fan or small dehumidifier under there for a week if you wanted to try to help reduce moisture further, but you shouldn't have to worry about the higher humidity with the rain impacting it greatly. If you wanted to be absolutely certain you could wait until warmer/dryer weather, but it wouldn't be necessary.
It would be recommended to complete any sanding/planing before applying Boracare.
Both of the treatments mentioned in previous Q&A's for Boracare are correct as they are for 2 different application methods. If you are drilling directly into the stud you would follow the instructions of drilling every 6 inches and inject. If you want to foam into a wall void instead then you would follow the drill at the top and bottom on each side of the stud instructions.
