Borate Treated wood protects against...
Termites... Experts on this subject all agree, "In the South, you either had, have or will have termites." The southern
United States is an ideal habitat for subterranean termites. Now there is the added threat of the Formosan termite. This voracious
species poses an even greater problem because of its huge colonies and destructive appetite. Many homeowners have found that,
against some termites, standard soil treatment alone is an inadequate defense.
Rot & Decay... The fungi that cause wood rot exist throughout the United States. Borate treated wood provides a shield
with warranted protection for the home.
Cockroaches and other pests... A laboratory study reported in the Forest Products Journal found only one of 60 cockroaches
alive after 28 weeks exposure to borate-treated wood. Meantime, in control enclosures with untreated wood, the cockroach population
increased from 60 to 201. The particular species of cockroach tested is considered an indicative organism for other non-wood-destroying
pests. The authors conclude the results suggested that borate pressure-treated lumber may provide control of cockroaches in
the immediate vicinity.
How it works
The borate-based preservative is forced into wood under pressure, but also diffuses naturally into areas of the wood unreached
by the treatment procedure. This double process - pressure and diffusion - enables the preservative to penetrate more completely
into desirable species, such as Douglas fir, which are difficult to protect by pressure alone.
