Lamar from Athens Ga writes
I treated approximately 400-500 salvaged old growth pine 2x6 boards, some infested some not.Using 7 gallons mixed 1/1, sprayed all four sides. now it is all covered with white crystals. I have wiped some of the boards down with water but the crystals return after week or so. These boards were to be used as interior walls. How do I keep this crystallization from reoccurring?
There are a few things that could cause Boracare to leave residue once the application has dried. One possibility is that the solution was not mixed completely before it was applied. Boracare is best mixed in a separate container such as a 5 gallon bucket and using an impeller-type mixer such as one you would use to mix paint. If Boracare is applied very heavily (to the point of runoff), then there can be excess product which the wood cannot absorb, and that could dry in a whitish finish on the surface of the wood. Next, when you have very old wood there could be little to no moisture left in the wood, and that moisture is how the Boracare penetrates through the wood. So this really would go back to just using more Boracare than the wood can absorb. Finally, if there were any kind of finish on the wood such as paint, stain, etc., then this would have to be removed completely before you could apply Boracare or other borate products. You can use warm soapy water and a scrub brush to remove any excess product that may leave residue on the wood.
Answer last updated on: 01/08/2020
