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Borate Wood Preservatives
Borate wood preservatives are composed of naturally occurring minerals that protect wood from fungus, termites, and other wood-decomposing organisms. Borate wood preservatives are comprised of disodium octoborate tetrahydrate. Borate wood preservatives are low-toxicity treatments used primarily on indoor wood that is protected from weather. Borate wood preservatives have been used to treat wood for interior construction including joists, sheathing, sill plates and other uses for over 70 years.
For help selecting the proper type of treated wood for any setting, consider consulting the primary standard-setting body for treated wood, the American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA).
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (7:30am-3:30pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.
Additional Resources on Borate Treated Wood:
- Borates - An Alternative to CCA - U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Boric Aid Technical Fact Sheet Fact Sheet - NPIC
- Pressure-Treated Wood - Hawaii State Health Department
- Evaluation of Borate Wood Preservative - Wisconsin Department of Commerce
- Alternatives to Arsenic-Treated Wood - Washington Department of Ecology
- Boric Acid Tolerance Reassessment Eligibility Decision (TRED) - U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Boric Acid RED Facts - U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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