Termites and other wood boring insects are a problem here, so this is how I am pre-treating the 2″ x 6″ floor joists and the timbers they are resting on during construction of our workshop. In our hot and damp environment wood also tends to rot from fungi and algae, which this should also protect against. This is a DIY treatment that has only 3 ingredients and is supposed to be very similar to commercially prepared Tim-Bor, but at a significant savings to your wallet.
How To Make a 1 gallon DIY Version Of Tim-Bor:
Ingredients:
6.5 lbs water (3 Quarts)
2.0 lbs Borax (available at any grocery store/Walmart)
1.5 lbs Boric Acid
Mix the water, Borax and Boric Acid in a pot and heat, stirring constantly, until dissolved.
It should be stable and not crystallize if left overnight, but I use all of it as soon as I make it.
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| I purchase 5 lbs of Boric Acid on Amazon for $15 with free shipping, here |
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| You can spray the finished liquid on your lumber with a handheld pesticide sprayer, but I just brush it on….2 coats. |
It will leave a white powdery residue once it has dried, but this is not a toxic substance and is easily wiped off if you wish. There is a homemade version of Boracare that some people use for active infestations, but it uses glycol. It is supposed to penetrate the wood better, but I do not have active infestations and so don’t need the increased expense.
You can read more about both homemade Tim-Bor and Boracare, here.