Borates, Bugs, and Fungi
It is a wise idea to treat new logs with a borate prior to application of stains. Borates must be applied to bare wood, so once you have applied stain, you cannot treat with a borate without removing the finish and getting back to bare wood, or drilling holes in the wood and injecting the solution. Drilling holes and injecting is okay for treating small areas, but not the way to go for treating your whole home.
Borates are not just for new construction. If you are doing a restoration and removing the finish down to bare wood, we highly recommend treating the wood with a borate like Shell Guard RTU. Not only does Shell Guard ward off many wood boring insects, it also fights brown and white rot fungi as well as over 45 other types of fungi. |
Another item useful in fighting fungi are impel rods or Cobra Rods. These are inserted in holes drilled in the logs, and then the hole is plugged and covered with Energy Seal. We use these on areas such as: log corners, sill logs, and where logs meet window and door sills. They are also a good idea to use on decks. Areas to consider on decks would be where posts meet the footing, and the top and bottom rails. The holes can be drilled and covered in a way that they are not very noticeable, and can save you money by prolonging the life of the wood.