Tim-Bor® Professional - Insecticide & Fungicide - Wood & Log Borate Preservative - Timbor
Treat Your Logs First to Make Them Last
Tim-bor® is the inexpensive insurance every log homeowner needs.
Rot and beetles and termites – oh my! Tim-bor® is the inexpensive insurance every log and wood homeowner needs. When sprayed or brushed on bare wood, this borate-based log home preservative forms a protective shell to defend against rot and wood-ingesting insects. It’s easy to use and EPA-registered. Tim-bor® will not affect the color of the wood and is chemically compatible with all of Sashco’s stain, caulking and chinking products. It costs five times less than its glycol-based counterparts, yet does not sacrifice protection.
Tim-Bor is a Borate Powder Concentrate
When mixed with water, Tim-Bor is a spray-on water-based borate log home and wood preservative.
Tim-bor® Professional benefits include:
– Borate-based log home preservative protects against wood-ingesting insects and rot
– Powder concentrate – easy to mix and environmentally friendly
– Costs 5 times less than glycol-based borate products
– Effective against all types of decay fungi
Where to Use:
Tim-bor® is the inexpensive rot and insect infestation insurance for use on:
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Exterior log and wood surfaces
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Interior log and wood surfaces (optional)
Do not use on:
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Wood coated with any stain, paint or finish. Tim-bor® will work only when applied to bare wood.
Learn how to use Tim-bor® on your log home:
Download Informational PDFs:
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Tim-bor® Info Sheet
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Powder vs. Glycol Borate Preservatives
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Keeping the Dream Alive -Sashco’s Complete Guide to Log and Wood Home Finishing and Maintenance
Coverage Rate:
150 sq. ft. per 1 gallon of mixed solution
2 coats recommended
Coverage Rate:
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6-gallon / 25 lb. size: 27 gallons of a 10% solution will cover 4,050 ft² of log surface.
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1.5 lb packet: approx 1.5 gallons of a 10% solution will cover. 240 ft.² of a log surface.
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An 8' long round post with a 7.25" diameter has 16 ft.² of surface area.
Tim-bor FAQ:
Can I apply Tim-bor on my dried out logs or wood?
Tim-bor can be applied to wood surfaces, whether green or dry, that are bare. Tim-bor will form a protective “shell” on the outer layer of the wood to a depth of about 1/2″. Keep in mind that, in order for Tim-bor to maintain its potency, it must be covered with a good quality stain.
Does Tim-bor kill mold?
No. Mold is a type of fungi that exists on the surface of the wood and does not actually attack or eat wood (although it can cause some discoloration of the wood surface). Tim-bor’s great strength is its ability to control wood-destroying fungi that actually cause rot. Of course, Tim-bor also helps to control many insects, which are killed when they ingest the treated wood. If you want to control mold, you should use an additional mildewcide in your stain and clear coat. Sashco recommends Stay Clean I/E, available through Sashco distributors.
Will Tim-bor work if there is already stain on the logs?
As with all borate products, the answer is no. In order for Tim-bor to perform its intended function, it has to penetrate into bare, clean wood. If a coating exists on the wood surface, it acts as a barrier to the Tim-bor/water solution, prohibiting penetration and retention.
Can I mix Tim-bor in with my stain?
No. Tim-bor is designed to be used only on bare wood and underneath a stain of some kind.
Read the Tim-Bor® Safety Data Sheet here.
Tim-bor Professional's active ingredient, 98% Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate has no known insect resistance. It may used as as a liquid, foam or dust, and provides long term protection against insects(drywood and subterranean termites, wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants and decaying fungi.
How Does Timbor Work ?
Tim-bor is a wood preservative that stops and prevents rot and insect attacks. It can be sprayed or brushed onto the surface of lumber, timbers, OSB or plywood. The preservative becomes a part of the wood as it penetrates deep into the wood through a process called diffusion. By diffusing deep into wood fibers, Tim-bor lasts for as long as wood is kept away from flowing water. That means that Timbor has controlling powers that last for a very long time.
Used For Wood Destroying Insects & Decay Fungi
Timbor is not only an insecticide that provides protection and treatment of lumber from wood-destroying insects, but also works against fungal decay. This fungal decay includes brown rot, white rot, and wet rots. Timbor is a water-soluble, inorganic borate salt with insecticidal properties effective against wood-destroying organisms, including, Subterranean termites, Dry wood termites, Damp wood termites, Carpenter ants, PowderPost Beetles (False PowderPost Beetles, Furniture and Deathwatch Beetles, Old House Borers, Longhorn Beetles, and Ambrosia Beetles.). Timbor does not treat mold or prevent mold from growing.
Types of Applications
Tim-bor can be applied as a solution, foam or dust for wood treatment against wood destroying organisms and as a solution or dust for general insect control. Tim-bor, applied as a solution or foam to wood, will penetrate into the wood to various depths dependent upon the moisture in the wood and the wood species. The active ingredient in Tim-bor does not break down. As normal moisture changes occur in the wood, Tim-bor is always available to be drawn deeper into the wood over time, providing long-lasting protection. The mode of action for Timbor is that of a slow-acting stomach poison to insects, and a contact poison to decay fungi. As Wood-destroying insects or their larvae feed on, tunnel in and/or digest wood, they accumulate the active ingredient of Timbor into their systems.
Tim-Bor - Solution For Long-Term Protection
Timbor is a small investment for your home and key in preventing fungus and termite infestations with one or several applications. Treat your home to Timbor, and you'll be treating yourself to a longer-lasting cure for insect and decay problems.
Timbor- Features
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Timbor is a wood preservative that works as an insecticide and fungicide.
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Timbor is a borate compound(Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate ). Borate compounds are derived from mineral deposits that contain the element Boron.
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Timbor is both an insecticide and a fungicide. Insects are exposed to the active ingredient by eating treated wood or by ingestion while grooming. Borates are a contact toxicant to fungi. The borates prevent the metabolism of food by insects and fungi causing death.
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Tim-bor can be applied to the surface of bare wood. Tim-bor can be foamed using equipment designed for foaming applications It can also be applied as a dust into void attic and wall void areas for labeled insect control.
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Timbor mixes with water to make a 10% solution or a 15% solution; use 1lb or 1.5 lb per gallon of water.
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Won't stain or discolor wood surfaces.
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Virtually odorless
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Will not corrode screws, nails and other components used in construction.
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Boracare ( Another borate ) allows a deeper absorption and penetration in wood. If you have powderpost beetles, particularly in furniture, Boracare may be a preferred product. Timbor only absorbs to a 1/4 of an inch.
Tim-Bor Label & MSDS
Introduction
Architects can specify a Tim-bor Professional application to wooden structures for the control of carpenter ants, drywood termites, wood decay fungi and wood-boring beetles. Applied by Pest Management Professionals (PMPs), Tim-bor Professional is a water-soluble borate powder that can be applied as a dust, spray, foam or mist onto wood and cellulosic materials or inside wall voids, cracks and crevices. Depending on the moisture content of the materials, the liquid solution will penetrate to create a protective envelope, acting as a preservative, insecticide and fungicide. The dust provides an additional layer of protection by killing carpenter ants, dry wood alates and adult wood boring beetles that enter the structure and pass through it.
At a Glance
- Water-soluble borate powder for use as a dust, liquid or foam.
- The active ingredient is a borate: Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate
- Prevents and controls drywood termites, wood decay fungi, carpenter ants, old house borers and powderpost beetles.
- Won’t discolor or stain wood surfaces.
- Won’t corrode screws, nails and other components used in construction.
- Spec Tim-bor Professional for wood treatment in conjunction with other subterranean termite treatments, such as a termite bait application or a soil treatment (not labeled as a primary new construction termite treatment).
- Spec Tim-bor Professional for whole-house dry wood termite control.
- It can be specified for use as a replacement for fumigation or as an add-on to fumigation to provide residual protection.
- Highly effective & economical.
- Virtually odorless.
- For interior and exterior use.
- Manufactured with a concern for the environment.
A Closer Look
Tim-bor Professional has a long history of effectiveness and is an efficient, fast and economical way to treat a structure for target pests. Put Tim-bor Professional in your building specs to add protection from wood destroying organisms, moisture and mildew. Builders also appreciate Tim-bor Professional because it can be applied quickly with little or no interference with the building process or crews.
Tim-bor Professional can be used as a wood preservative, fungicide and insecticide on its own or in conjunction with other treatments as a supplement. Because of its application flexibility as a dust or liquid, PMPs can address many treatment niches with this single product – Tim-bor Professional can be applied as a dust, spray, foam or mist onto wood and cellulose materials or inside wall voids, cracks and crevices.
How it Works
Tim-bor Professional’s active ingredient is Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (DOT), a natural borate mineral salt and micronutrient. It is manufactured for use in the form of a water-soluble borate powder. Once it’s applied in a liquid form by foaming, misting or spraying onto wood or other cellulosic materials, the borate active ingredient creates a protective envelope and remains for years of protection. Often Tim-bor Professional is dusted into places like wall voids where pests like to hide as additional protection. When the dust gets on the insects, they clean themselves and consume the boron during the cleaning process.
The Science Behind Tim-Bor Professional
DOT is a natural form of elemental boron, which is essential for the healthy growth of plants and believed important in human calcium metabolism. Because animals and humans simply take what they need from their diet and rapidly excrete any excess via the kidneys, DOT has a low acute toxicity. As a result, Tim-bor Professional is about half as toxic as sodium chloride or table salt (in a laboratory setting), but very effective against insects and fungi that do not have the same excretion mechanisms.
DOT maximizes the solubility, the rate of dissolution and the boric oxide content to give a borate active ingredient far superior to traditional boric acid or borax. At the levels used in Tim-bor Professional applications, it prevents pest infestation by inhibiting pest metabolism on a cellular basis. The tetrahydroxyborate anion forms a chelate complex with the cis-adjacent hydroxyl groups in the ribose sugar of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), with the cationic nitrogen of the nicotinamide moiety providing electrostatic stabilization of the chelate. In this configuration, NAD and NADP cannot be used by the dehydrogenase enzymes of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway or the tricarboxylic acid pathway, and so the cellular energy generating mechanisms, including adenosine triphosphate production, are shut down.
Downloads
- Timbor Specimen Label / SDS (Acrobat PDF)