Joe from Plano, Tx writes
In several answers, it is stated that Boracare "evaporates" from treated wood that is outside but not sealed. That doesn't make sense to me because Boracare is a borate salt that penetrates the wood. If the wood is stored outside, but under a roof that keeps it dry, a single treatment should last indefinitely, it would seem to me. If the wood is exposed to rain, I'd expect the salt would eventually leach out. Is my understanding correct? I have maple slabs, some of which still have bark that I'd like to preserve. The maple had powder post beetles. A first application of Boracare seems to have decimated all the beetles save for one site which I will hit again, but I wonder. Is the Boracare penetrating completely through the bark into the underlying layers of wood?
Boracare does penetrate through the wood. If the raw wood is not directly being rained on, it will last for the life of the wood. That is the reason why it is important to use a sealant on the wood if it will can potentially be rained on. It does not require that a sealant be used though.
Answer last updated on: 05/08/2015
