The dry time for Timbor honestly is dependent on the ability of the wood to absorb the product and how heavy you treat it. It could be a few hours before the surface of the wood is dry or even a day.
Per the product label, you can inject or dust Timbor at a rate of 0.5 oz per square foot when treating wall voids for insects such as carpenter ants. If you are mixing Timbor in water and creating a foam with a foaming solution and foamer, then you would use 1.5 oz of Timbor per gallon of water and use a high expansion foam. Keep in mind that drilling into and injecting a product like Timbor into all your wall voids is a tedious and labor-intensive application that is often best left to professionals. We have a great Carpenter Ant Treatment Guide here that may better assist you.
Tim-bor Professional cannot be applied to wood that is already finished with a stain, sealant, or paint. If the wood is pressure treated, there is no need to treat it with the product, however if you still would like to ,Boracare would be the product to use and expect it to absorb and dry slower than on raw untreated wood.
Tim-bor Professional needs to be applied only to raw wood surfaces in its bare state to be effective. If there is a stain, pain, or any type of sealant then the Timbor will not be able to penetrate thus making it ineffective. Any finish that has been applied to wood should be sanded off so that you can apply the Timbor for it to be effective.
Timbor does leave a white powdery film on wood surfaces so if you will be staining, painting or sealing the wood surface BoraCare would be a better option as this dries clear.
Tim-bor Professional can be used on raw, untreated wood to prevent wood destroying insect infestations and decay fungi if used as directed on the product label. As long as you wait until the application has completely dried to use the sauna, there should be no problem with treating the exterior. Do keep in mind however, that this product leaves a white powdery coating after applied.
If you are want the wood to look like its original state, you may consider using Bora-Care instead, as it dries clear. It is also advisable to apply a water sealant after applying a wood treatment for wood that is exposed to the elements, if the sauna is outdoors.
The only product that we carry that will treat both fungus and mold on wood is Bora-Care with Mold-Care. You can use this product on any raw wood or other cellulosic material (without paint, stain, finish, etc.).
View the BoraCare Mold & Fungi Bulletin for more information.
Tim-bor Professional can be used in a foaming application (with a foaming concentrate and foaming sprayer) but is best for prevention more than active infestation as it only penetrates up to 1/4 inch into the wood it is applied to when used wet. If you are foaming for active you should drill directly into the wood they are infesting and foam into the gallery where they actively are. Be sure to review the product label for complete instructions.
As long as you keep pets/children out of the area while you treat and until the Tim-bor Professional application has had time to completely dry or settle it is safe for pets and people to return and resume normal activity typically after about an hour.
The Boracare would be the more appropriate product of the two for both active infestations and prevention of beetles and other pests. Timbor will leave a white powdery film on the surface of the wood and will only penetrate a 1/4 inch into the surface. Boracare, if mixed thoroughly before applying and not over applied, will dry completely clear and penetrate all the way to the center of the wood. Once an application of either of the products is dry, it would be safe to handle the wood bare handed or use tools to work the lumber into furniture. If you wanted to check with Nisus the manufacturer regarding any safety inhalation precautions if you use the Timbor powder and cut it after treating, you can reach them directly at 800-264-0870.
While Timbor Professional can be used to spray under the home on raw wood for wood destroying pest prevention such as termites and beetles, it is not labeled to control any other pests than those designed to consume the wood the product is applied to. You would be better off using a more appropriate product for your needs such as Cyzmic CS to spray around the outside and under your home for millipedes and other pests.
Normally we would recommend using Boracare instead of Timbor on wood that is planning to be stained, since Timbor leaves a white powdery residue on the surface of the wood that often needs to be cleaned off or removed prior to applying the stain. When mixed thoroughly before spraying, Boracare would dry clear and not change the appearance of the wood. That being said, yes you can apply any type of stain, paint, or finish to wood after your initial application of Timbor or Boracare has been able to try completely on the wood surface. This could be a few hours to a few days depending on how heavy the product was applied and how quickly the wood absorbs the product.
For the best effect, please use Tim-bor Professional according to the label. Vinegar has not been tested and we do not know how it will react.
Tim-bor Professional should not be mixed with bleach or other products. It should be diluted with water as directed only.
While you could technically apply Boracare on the same wood after Timbor is applied, we recommend skipping the Timbor application if Boracare is going to be applied soon after. Applying Timbor before applying Boracare would not provide any additional benefit. Similarly, if there is not any existing insect infestation in the wood, then a Timbor application will prevent the same issues as Boracare.
If the new wood for your porch was pressure treated/pre treated wood, then you would not need to apply either product. Powder Post Beetles will emerge whenever it is time for them to progress from the egg stage in the wood, to larvae and then a beetle. The eggs can lay dormant in the wood for up to 30 years and there isn't a way to know how many there are or where they are in the wood. Even if you treated the porch with Boracare (the more appropriate product for your needs), you would still see some of the beetles emerge whenever that life cycle happens. The Boracare helps make sure that any that emerge die as they ingest the treated wood, and no new beetles are able to infest the wood going forward. Boracare would be the more appropriate product than Timbor, since Timbor can only penetrate 1/4 inch into the wood and will leave a white powdery substance on the surface of the wood, and Boracare will penetrate all the way through the wood and dry clear.
Any primer or paint can safely be applied to Tim-bor treated wood as long as Timbor is completely dry after the treatment and dry to the touch. Keep in mind that Timbor can leave a visible residue after it dries. If you need a clear and smooth result on the wood, then we recommend applying Boracare instead.
Timbor contains a non-corrusive borate mineral salt that will not break down over time and kills termites and other listed pests.
