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.
Bora-Care can be used on untreated beams prior to staining, sealing or painting for both active and preventative treatments for wood destroying insects. For curative treatments, apply at a 1:1 ratio, for preventative treatments apply at a 5:1 ratio. Wait for the application to completely dry before painting, staining or sealing which is usually 48 hours.
Please viewe the product label for more information.
No, it is not recommended that Boracare be mixed with any insecticide. We would recommend using Boracare first. Once the product has dried and a sealant has been used, then an insecticide can be used.
Please view our Powderpost Beetle Treatment Guide for more information.
It is recommended to apply Bora-Care before the electrical has been roughed in. The manufacturer has told us that Boracare is not corrosive but of course should not be sprayed onto exposed electrical wiring of any sort. It does state on the product label that it can be used on PVC plumbing pipes.
Bora-Care comes in a concentrated gallon (128 oz) container (case of 4 gallons).
Each one gallon of Bora-Care will treat 800 square feet of a 2 x 4 stud wall therefore to treat 2500 sq ft (50 ft x 50 ft) you would need a little over 3 gallons of BoraCare.
View the full product label and New Construction Bulletin for more information.
You can also view our How to Apply BoraCare for New Construction Video for a quick demonstration.
Yes, Boracare MUST be diluted with warm/hot water and should be mixed prior in a large bucket prior to adding to your sprayer (Do NOT mix BoraCare directly in your sprayer) Cool water makes the mixing process difficult and can result in a clogged sprayer. View our How to Mix BoraCare Video here for a demonstration.
BoraCare is mixed at a 1:1 ratio (Water to BoraCare) for an active infestation and a 5:1 ratio (Water to BoraCare) for preventative. For example, 1 gallon of BoraCare + 1 gallon of water or 5 gallons of water + 1 gallon of BoraCare.
View the full product label for more information.
How much indicator dye you need per gallon, depends on the product label of the product you are planning to use with Bora-Care.
For example, Turf Mark Blue is used at a rate of 2 to 4 oz (59 mL to 118 mL per 100 gallons of water, 0.02 oz to 0.04 oz (0.59 mL to 1.18 mL) per gallon of water, for termiticide treatments on wood.
View the product label for Turf Mark Blue HERE.
When applied outside it is very important to seal the treatment by using a sealant material, like a Thompsons water seal to lock in the protection, otherwise it can fade due to excess moisture being absorbed into the wood. Bora-Care can only be applied to raw wood and after it is applied to wood outdoors it must be sealed. However, you could apply it each year if you wanted to, but it is not necessary if you seal it.
Boracare can be applied to any raw wood surface and finished in any way a end user needs. There is no issue with using wood glues on wood that has been treated with Boracare, however you may not have let the wood dry enough before trying to attach them together to allow the glue to form a proper adhesive to the surface. The Boracare replaces the natural moisture content of the wood with its glycols to protect it through and through. If the wood is too damp still after an application, you may not have the wood accept the glue and stick/dry as quickly as you may expect.
No, Bora-Care should not need to be reapplied if the original application is applied to all accessible wood surfaces (raw wood in bare state), allowed to dry and then sealed with a paint, stain or sealant to lock the Bora-Care application in.
Please view our Powderpost Beetle Treatment Guide for more information.
The manufacturer of Bora-Care, Nisus, has stated that there is no problem with aluminum or any other metals with a Bora-Care application. There have been over 1.5 million houses treated over the past 15 years with no reported adverse effects and Nisus, the manufacturer has done direct corrosion studies with Bora-Care and aluminum that show no corrosion. We encourage our customers to make direct applications to the wood that needs to be treated to get the best use out of Bora-Care.
No, Bora-Care can only be mixed with water and should not be mixed with any type of paint, stain or sealant. Boracare should be directly applied only to raw wood in its bare state. This will not penetrate through paint, stain or sealants therfore applications should be made prior to painting or applying any type of finish. Boracare is designed to move through raw wood and stay for the life of the wood.
Please view the full product label for more information.
Bora-Care is a one-time treatment unless the wood is removed or water conditions like exposure to rainfall or flooding weaken the treatment. If you are applying 2 coats of Bora-Care because you can only access 1 or 2 sides of the wood to be treated, then you need to wait at least 20 minutes between coats, allowing the Bora-Care to absorb before applying the second coat.
Please view the full product label for more information.
Bora-Care can be used on an raw unpainted/unstained wood that is used for building furniture including tables. Please view the full product label for more information.
You should be able to seal the wood with anything labeled for this purpose without affecting the efficacy of Bora-Care.
