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Exterior Log Home Care
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Surface treatments should include borate
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Summary: Insects
and rot fungi will attack the exterior of log
homes if it is not protected. An application of
borate wood preservative, which controls both
insects and fungi, plus some type of exterior
sealer is all that is generally needed.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist
(ret.)
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Log homes need special exterior
treatments that conventionally-built homes do not.
Logs are prone to attack by rot
fungi and a variety of insects
that will damage the surface if steps are not
taken to prevent infestation. Fortunately
treatments to prevent this damage are relatively
inexpensive if done during construction and before
water sealant finishes are applied.
Borates stop wood damage
There are a number of manufacturers that
supply products to protect log homes from wood
destroying insects and fungi. Many of these
products are based on insecticidal borates.
Bora-Care (Nisus Corporation) and Shell-Guard
(Perma-Chink Systems) are popular glycol-based**
borate products used to treat unfinished log homes
(see Bora Care Wood
Preservative).
Timbor, also from Nisus
Corporation, is a pure borate powder without any
glycol additive and is mixed with water to apply.
Some studies indicate that the glycol in
Bora-Care/Shell-Guard helps to carry the borate
into the wood, but other studies found no
advantage from the addition of glycol (see Timbor
Wood Preservative).
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Logs being prepared for
building. Photo by William M. Ciesla,
Forest Health Management International,
Bugwood.org
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All borate products should be applied before
wood is stained and sealed for best results.
Bora-Care is a 40% solution whereas Shell-Guard is
a 25.3% solution. Keep this difference in mind
when comparing costs. Timbor is somewhat cheaper
than either of the glycol-based borates but does
not have the possible benefits of the glycol
penetrant. All borates are water soluble so
wood must be stained or painted to seal the
surface following treatment.
Bora-Care
and other borate-based wood preservatives are
available here, but are not generally
available in home and garden stores.
Fused borate
Another form of borate that is useful
against rot fungi and insect pests is called fused
borate. Fused borate is a solid rod of
borate or borate/copper mixture that is implanted
in a wooden timber or log. Fused borate is
commonly used in utility poles. Moisture in the
wood releases the preservatives which diffuse into
the wood fibers. Two popular fused borate products
are Impel Rods and Cobra Rods.
Fused borate can be used when treating
finished woods and log ends.
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** Ethylene glycol vs. Propylene
glycol
Borates are sometimes formulated in a
liquid called glycol.
Glycol is described as a "penetrant" in that the
liquid is supposed to carry the borate deeper into
wood fibers. Manufacturers of glycol-based borate
products, such as Shell-Guard and Bora Care, use two
different chemical forms of glycol called ethylene
and propylene glycol. While both forms
are effective at carrying borate into wood fibers
the compounds are radically different in terms of
their toxicity to animals and humans.
Ethylene glycol is an odorless,
colorless, syrupy liquid that is widely used as an
engine coolant, or antifreeze. Ethylene glycol has a
sweet taste but is highly
toxic and accidental ingestion is a medical
emergency. Bora-Care uses ethylene glycol as its
glycol base.
Propylene glycol also is an
odorless, colorless liquid but it is tasteless
and much less toxic
than ethylene glycol. Because it lacks the sweet
taste of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol is also
less likely to be accidentally ingested by children
or pets. There is at least one brand of antifreeze
(Sierra Brands) that uses this less toxic form of
glycol and Shell-Guard is also based on this less
toxic form of glycol.
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Mission: To provide accurate,
up-to-date and unbiased information for solving
common insect and mite problems around your home,
business and landscape using least-toxic methods.
Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.
Please see the Disclaimer statements as
well.
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