DO THIS Before you Drywall Your Remodel or New Build
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
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For a $200 investment, this video will teach you how to get a lifetime of termite protection along with longterm solutions for killing cockroaches, and sealing out pests!
Huge thanks to our Show sponsors USG/Tremco, Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Marvin Windows, & Endura for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds.
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You can also mix in food coloring with this. Makes it way easier to see where you’ve already sprayed.
great idea
Wow super good idea, can’t believe I never thought of this for other framing treatments I’ve used
Use red 40 its made from bugs... the irony lol
Ooo, that's a great idea! Thank you!
pink
Nice tip. As a former licensed pesticide applicator, a couple notes: Don’t throw that bottle in the recycling. Put it in the trash after it’s triple rinsed. Also a good idea to poke a hole in it to prevent reuse as a water container. Second read the label. The label *is* the law. Also pesticide laws are state based so check on your state to see what the requirements are. But in general you got it right: doing it to your property is allowed even for restricted use pesticides most places. Be careful folks. And more PPE never hurt anyone.
Great comment. Thank you.
Great comment. Thank you.
A tip here from a former Pest Control person, mix up the Bora Care with hot water. It mixes a whole lot easier and thoroughly that way.
do you think that stuff would be good for ants or is there a better product?
Ashish Patel the boric acid powder will work for all insects. As a long lasting and organic pesticide, it's very good. There are other dusts that you could use but in the way he's using it I think it's a good way to go.
@D Boric acid has been used for roaches and other nasties for at least as long as I have been alive. I am 58. I think we would know by now if it wasn't safe to use.
@D day one on the internet is always the hardest but hang in there
D what kind of studies would you like to have done. I work at a facility that uses Boric Acid everyday for the last 40+, we have done plenty of studies, IH testing out the wazoo.
Any fine powder is a hazard if you do not take proper precautions, (ventilation, PPE etc). Even the flour you might cook with at home could be hazardous.
We’ve had no employees have ill effects from working with it, follow proper use as written on label and all will be fine.
OK, I'm a certified Pest Control Operator, definitely agree: Integrated Pest management: exclusion, mitigation, control. Tips:
- Yep, home owner can purchase for their use.
-Use Warm water to mix while slowly add to mixture.
-Spray on concrete prior to putting framing, then spray on all sides of the wood, or two coats if you can't get to both sides.(low pressure sprayer)
-Spray all the wood to prevent dry wood termites and wood bores.
-read all label
Good vid!
what about carpenter bees?
ne2i Carpenter Bees usually don't damage finished wood. It's not labeled for them because they don't ingest the wood, however depending on location it will prevent them from serious damage to the wood.
The bottom line is that you can't get a better treatment and the best investment for your house; I apply it to all my projects and homes. Super low toxicity compared to any other termite product..... other than Timbor (same active ingredient and easier to mix).
Carpenter ants cause more damage than termites here in the NW. (We mostly have subterranean termites) - but carpenter ants cause a ton of damages.
Any suggestions for pre-emptive treatments?
Would this be effective on roof decking, framing, and trusses during a roof replacement to inhibit flying termites in Central Florida?
Brandon Galbraith yes, for best results I would use 1-1 ratio for longer residual. Read the label it has a lot more benefits and it doesn't work if the wood is painted or stained. Also it can kill plants if over spray goes to them. So it's best to always read the label.
A few years ago I was having a house built. And when the brick masons had started laying bricks and while the walls were still only a couple feet tall I liberally sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth in the cavity. The subdivision was built on a previous cattle farm. All my neighbors had problems with spiders and bugs, but not ours. This sounds like a good idea too.
We did that when we remodeled our kitchen in North Houston years ago. In the next 5 years we lived there, we never saw a cockroach
Noted that item
Lord I'm dealing with spiders now on a new construction. We been here 2 months
It works
I also like the DE!
I like to take pictures of all walls before the drywall is installed. Makes installing or fixing hidden wires so easy.
Good idea.
Do that with the whole house. Before the concrete pour, so you know where all the rebar and radiant tubes are. Also floors and ceilings before flooring and drywall, so no issues locating floor joists and trusses/rafters. Create a photo album just for the house.
@@doubledarefan Uh if your layout is framed properly that would just be overkill. Most sheets of drywall already have 16 on center marks on the paper
@Bill Williams Why would you mud paint or wallpaper before doing fixtures? That makes no sense
@@nickcrane8329 For remodeling down the line or when your wife decides she wants to add another fixture to a room a few years down the road
Matt, I learned from pro- caulker’s in the Nashville Tn area some 25 years ago... cut your tip at 45*, and push FORWARD, in stead of “pulling your caulk out” backwards. It will eliminate the need for a (cold wet) finger to smooth the joint, you have WAY LESS waste, and the job goes much faster, looks cleaner and professional. I enjoy your very informative videos. Keep up the great work, I would like to see you using this method of caulking, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the way to go!
Now that is a great TIP!! Pun!!
And invest in a Milwaukee caulk gun, such a forearm saver if you do a lot of caulking, especially gun grade sealant
As a caulking noob I needed this tip, question tho, which way does the 45 go while "pushing"? Is the shorter side facing toward me or away from me? I assume toward me just like I do naturally when pulling but I know how that turns out most of the time lol.
@@Atrayus1984 correct, you want the "long point" on top and push forward. You won't get the round top bead.
@@Atrayus1984 what countertops did you use in the kitchen island? I like it!
Hi Matt, I just wanted to let you know: the Bora-Care treatment alone can be used around all materials including PVC, Pex, metals, etc.
However, the Bora-Care with Mold-Care cannot be sprayed on anything other than cellulose based materials(wood)- it is corrosive and over time will eat away at any wires, plumbing, iron pipe, ductwork etc. If you were to apply Bora-Care with the Mold-Care, it would need to be done before any systems entered the home, not as shown here.
I love your content, but almost made this critical error on my own home, and knowing you are all about quality- I hope you will revise this process to let others know, as I have seen other TH-camrs mention your video as inspiration for applying it in the same manner.
Dynamite pre-wall install detail. I'm a 35 yr 3rd Gen. tradesman and its hard to get my folks on board with preventative measures such as this because they all want speed speed speed! I'm trying to get people to understand the importance of forward thinking like you and your one of the best I have seen. Thanks Matt for your influence.
you are the hero we need
So true & I feel your pain!
Stay salty🤙🏽
Im a younger tradesman and unfortunately can relate to your frustration. Very well said! You seem to be thinking exactly what I am thinking during my craft.
Tips from a pest control professional. Mix in a dye. Helps to make sure you don't respray as well as to make sure you make a good covering of the areas being treated! Using warm water will make mixing the boracare easier as well. I used to apply this all the time when I lived in Florida. The only major downfall to its use is the bottom of the studs can't be treated this way so its not a 100% coverage. But it helps to prevent a lot of subterranean termite damage!
I worked in pest control for years and these are all very good steps to eliminate problems before it’s a problem, $200 is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars later.
Is 1:5 mixing ratio strong enough? The Bora Care Instructions recommend 1:1 ratio of mixing between Bora Care and Water to prevent from all insects infections. I'm wondering if it is necessary to use 1:1 ratio mixing for brand new framed lumber construction?
Just a tip. Put some food coloring in it and you can see where you sprayed a lot easier.
blue ferral there's actually supermarking dye specifically made for this purpose. It helps prevent waste so you know what you already covered.
Yes, when I worked for a national pest control company we used it.
A small amount of hydrated lime works too (basically whitewash) IIRC boric acid and calcium hydroxide are used in insect/mold/mildew/fire resistant sprays for paper products.
I used to make my own boric acid from 20 Mule Team and muriatic acid (it converts to boric acid and saltwater - if you cool it down to near freezing you can just pour most of the saltwater off or vacuum filter and rinse with cold distilled water if you want to eliminate the salt and don't mind a little loss of boric acid)
Great idea!
@@technosaurus3805 can you break down amounts and procedure on how you go about making boric acid?
boric acid powder, boric acid bait tablets, and diatomaceous earth are all great for keeping your house bug free. The Bora-Care is new to me and will go into my "if I build a house" file.
How about mites...all of them?
Boracare is even great even if a subfloor is insulated you can atleast tag the sill and rim and any exposed post and beam. Totally depends on location and style of home.
@@gregganthony3774 DE is great for mites. You can get food grade and use it for beds and such.
I worked in the pest control industry. I always loved how they were like these products are %100 kid and pet safe after spraying it .
But you had to wear a hazmat suit to mix and spray it. Something does add up about that.
A good point, however.. Take your thought process and apply it to every other trade in construction. Your supposed to wear ppe in every stage and yet the final product you live in for the rest of your life. You should wear all the same ppe to install almost every form of insulation, yet we all sleep comfortably because of it. I assume this product is hazardous similar to how paint is, lethal if ingested, skin contact can cause rashes, or temporary blindness if in your eyes, and yet once cured it is inert. Just think, or go read the safety labels for yourself, I mean we did use lead paint for while...
Here in Florida when a licensed pest contractor uses the Boracare they can issue a five year termite bond which the gets renewed annually. We use this product on all of our multi-family homes and our zero lot line ones as well.
The current development that we are finishing up took over 7 years and haven't heard of a single case of any termite damage. Good product
are you in South Florida area ? I need this
A better approach to sealing the sole plate to the floor when framing a house is to put the sealant under the sole plate before it is nailed down. If memory serves, in most Canadian jurisdictions this is a code requirement. Builders frequently use a compressible foam plastic gasket strip instead of a caulking compound, but it achieves the same result of preventing cold air and bug ingress. Applying the caulking to the sole plate as shown in this video is second-best when remodeling, but better than nothing.
Agree. Code here requires this also. Caulking as shown here is a secondary seal and not otherwise beneficial. The borax also won't last long enough to make a meaningful difference. In 15 years when the bugs really start getting in it won't make a dang bit of difference.
I have just finished a new build with foam sealant under the sill plate. There was still gaps between the sill plate and slab. It's a good idea to do the extra caulking
Years ago I worked with a cellulose insulation company which made the blown cellulose from newspapers. At the time we were mixing borax in as a fire retardant. Good to know bugs don't like it!
Great video, Matt. Thanks for posting.
Yeah, housewives have used a small mix of borax & sugar in a small dish or a line across insect trails/feeding/water sources to attract & kill ants & other insect pests for decades.
cellulose treated with higher levels of borate also helps to suppress the flammability of the insulation.
When my dad built the den onto the back of the family home I watched him mix a pound of borax into a five gallon bucket of cheap (watery) cedar oil. First he thinly painted the top and outer edge of the foundation. When the base was laid he painted it tool. We never saw bugs on the foundation, and despite a ladder knocking a hole in the corner.
He knew about the benefits of borax! It kills mold, helps with arthritis, etc.
OR... You can invest $20 in 20 Mule Borax Soap. I covered my baseplates 15 years ago before I drywalled. Still no bugs and I live in Florida.
That is brilliant Rob. I'm a Blacksmith and use Borax for forge welding flux. Just mix it with water? I just raised our Timber Frame from lumber I milled myself. A couple of the Timbers were suspect for Termites. Heading back in the spring to put the roof on. The first thing I'll do is spray the frame down with liquid Borax. Thank you.
@@timcisneros1351 I use 20 mule team borax in my pool to raise the PH lol, its good stuff
I've gutted every room in my house except the master bed room and when the wall were open I poured borax in. Also it's behind the kitchen base cabinets. I've been told it inhibits or kills mold. I will say there is no mold present during water leaks where I put this.
Also can sprinkle on carpet before vacumming to kill fleas, etc.
True, but the problem is its very difficult to dissolve in water. You must use very hot water to get it to dissolve at all, and even then it requires ALOT of intense mixing such as using a blender. If 20 Mule Borax was easy to dissolve in water, it would be extremely cheap method of treating all kinds of things. The Bora-care product is expensive because they are basically using a chemical laboratory to dissolve the Borax for you using other chemical compounds, and even then it is STILL difficult to mix with water.
Borax and Boric Acid also are flame retardants and flame suppressors. You can mix the two together with some distilled water and then soak a piece of cardboard in it... and when it dries it takes a torch to light it and then it immediately puts itself out.
They sell a specific dye you can use with the boracare so you can make sure you don't miss any areas. I found that VERY handy, but then again, I was doing a much larger house, so I had to mix several batches, and the room structure was complex, so it made it much easier. The dye was cheap, so I'd do it even for a smaller house.
When I win the lottery, I am going to buy a Risinger custom built home. Matt, your homes are LIGHT YEARS ahead of what most other builders are producing.
OzoneEditions lol
You have a better chance of being struck by lightning while being mauled by a bear after a car accident then winning the lottery. Also winning the lottery isnt as good as you think, there is a %80 you will miss handle any amount of money you win and will file for bankruptcy within 10 years.
Dont be silly. Someone wins the lottery almost every day. One or two people get killed by bears every year
i love bears and lotteries so it could be a win win
Why they have that wood that is already treated for termites?
Ha, I first saw this video almost 2 years ago. We''re remodeling our bathroom. And this is what I'm doing before the drywall goes back up. Thanks for your wisdom.
I’ve been treating like this for 20 years. Hit the underfloor framing before insulating and subfloor, hit the studs and sheer inside and out and keep at it to under and over on the roof decking. Toward the end, the air begins to taste a little salty. Cheap ounce of prevention.
One better is to treat with an earth-contact insecticide after the rebar inspection.
This really reflects my laziness; don’t want to deal with repairs.
Great tips! Finally someone in your profession to provide some basic steps to all homeowners on how to help take preventive measures towards mold and bugs. Nice.
Is this guy great, or what? Always clear and concise. Factual and fun. Matt is an excellent teacher.
I have used these ideas, I also sweep ant and roach powder under the sill plate before sealing with caulk. Boracare with mold treatment will actually reverse the process in wood that has had some exposure but is not rotten yet. Two coats, and check it after two days When it's dry the musty smell should be totally gone, and the surface clean to touch. Like he says a respirator is important. Great topic and we'll done!
I like to put Boric Acid under cabinets, Fridges and Stoves. It also works great on Fleas. So much so that I have not used any flea medication on my 3 labs for over 10 years.
It's acidic, and corroded the entire stove frame,,my mother years ago, was a big dope, all behind stove, no bugs, and no stove frame left either!, science matters
cengeb While I won’t disagree that it is an acid I can say my stove frame still looks new. In fact the evaporator on the fridge which is more exposed to the acid looks new too. This might be a case of either method of application or environmental.
Joshua Russell yup..my mother went nuts...boric acid powder...way too much..corroded everything..had to replace stove when we sold house a little is good-more is better is not the way to do things
I have used a drywall texture hopper gun with air compressor to fog powder insecticides into attics. I used use diatomaceous earth, Timbor, and Boric acid. Use a respirator and tell the neighbors your house isnt on fire or do it at night as the fog will leak out your vents. Bought a rental house that was infested with roaches and fogged the attic and inside of the house after all the demo and it is bug free 5 years later with no regular pest control in Florida.
😂 lol, House on fire! I bet it could really be scary for the neighbors though. You probably speak from experience
The boric acid in bulk is usually larger granual. Use a blender , a good one to mash it into finer powder and its more effective.
Another simple/inexpensive tip to reduce bug spread in the walls IF you have wooden studs is to put a squirt of expanding foam in each hole where pipes or wire go through the studs. Keeps the bugs from using them as a "highway" to travel down the inside of the walls. Be careful when you foam the outside of electrical boxes to make SURE no foam enters the box.
Termites tunnel right through the foam.
Thanks for the upload. I wish I had known this three years ago when I gutted my house. For some reason termites infest this whole area, and bugs are really bad as well. These old brick houses weren't built correctly and they leak like a sieve
I have been using borates,, 20 Mule Team normally, for decades. I also have been a proponent of seal all the easy spots. Base of the wall is a classic place. I think your entire video is spot on. Everyone, every house should have a similar pre-treatment.
For termites I think it's better to use Termidor SC (or Taurus SC) and let the termites take the chemical (fipronil) back to the colony and destroy the colony because it doesn't kill them right away. One treatment lasts for 10-15 years and costs about $100 for a large bottle and anyone can do it by digging a trench around their house and pouring a diluted solution in.
toology55 What about with flying termites? Also, what if they are already in the house?
$27.50 on ebay will treat 120 linear feet
My entomologist family member said it lasts even longer, but they want to be able to reapply ($) He said it's the only thing to use on the perimeter.
This video is perfect timing, I'm just before the stage where I'll be ready to do this. I plan on doing all these steps in a 30x40 barn I'm building. Thanks!
I've used bora care on all my houses for the last ten yrs. it's awesome. I add a dye to my solution to see that I have uniform coverage. Yes it will trash your sprayer if not cleaned out. Nice video
My house had a problem with aspergilus fungus, bleach was only temporary. Then I used 20 Mule Team on the walls and no more fun guys. Where I had ants I drilled 3/8" holes in the drywall and wooshed boric acid powder into the voids, helped tremendously. Sealed up a lot of cracks. Our cat wondered what was swarming all over her food dish, ants, fixed that.
Never had to use a HAZ-Mat suit with the traditional Borax. ? That looks serious.
Hi Matt. I was recently asked to do some drone work in Thailand. The property I was supposed to film had a spring-fed moat flowing around the house. It was about 18" wide beside the base of the footers and it kept ants and crawling bugs out of the house. Analogue pest control.
Big time prevention, and a great video. Tim-bor is my favorite borate in Florida, but prevention without fumes is the name of the prevention game. Thanks.
You've earned a sub with this one. My wife is extremely sensitive to mold, and that treatment you sprayed in the first part of the video - never heard of it before. Thank you.
Great advice ! Just did this in remodeling a townhouse that was partially burned. The hint below about dying it so it can be seen is also great idea !!!
How long does it take to dry so that pets can be around it?
Speaking from experience, boric acid only works as long as it's powder dry to stick to bugs exoskeletons. Once damp even a bit they'll run right over it and go on about their bug day.
Please note! If you’re thinking of using this in a boat, just remember borate treated wood has very poor adhesion to epoxy, polyester, glue, paint and sealants. Constant water exposure will eventually wash the wood treatment out. But this treatment is excellent for what this video topic is about.
Look into “Copper Green”, aka copper naphthenate. Flood wood at risk with it, let the naphtha flash off, and it leaves the wood loaded with copper. Once it’s done flashing off (naphtha is fast), paint with anything you like.
I'm building a house right now and this info is very useful.
Me to you on the moon to?
Are you doing slab on grade and if so are you doing termite pretreat under your slab before they pour concrete?
@@ROTAX1 There is a slab in the basement but no, I have poured walls on a footing.
That is what I am doing poured walls on a footing to raise the house up, then backfill and pour a slab on top.
While you're correct that Boric acid is totally safe, keep in mind that arsenic and asbestos are also "naturally occurring minerals." "Natural" by no means conveys safety.
More so, the black maba snake was one the worst, most dangerous venom that easily kills a human, and it's "naturally occurring"
You tube cut off your comment before you said. “Punny Humans”
Every time someone makes the argument that Marijuana is good and healthy for you because it's a naturally occurring plant, I like to take that time to introduce them to the health benefits of smoking Hemlock. It's a plant so it must be a gift from the Earth Goddess herself and blessed by her magical rainbow. Right?
Table salt is toxic, if you have enough of it. Of course, everything is by the amount applied. Boron is less toxic to humans than table salt. I think after 3grams it can have some adverse effects, but 5 to 20mg can have a lot of benaficial reactions to bone related. But this is the net, and memory doesn't always serve us too well....
I would look at the research, and AVOID the claimed parts where "it has been said....", and just go straight to the testing facts. even 30mg is not harmful, and around the amount it starts making a difference (of course, again the person's size also makes a difference in how much you take. I'm sure big pharma is not a fan of boron.
@@GTGallop Actually they should be eating it and not smoking it.
Matt, Death Valley is in California.
@@Couchlover47 broke valley is California.
Boric acid (sodium borate) is also used to make wood fire resistant.
Every time I install new cabinets I pour Boric acid ant and roach powder under them. Great place for the critters to try to hide. 🐜 🐜 🐛
Matt; Thanks for the info about Bora-Care. I had not heard of it previously.
But..... I am ahead of you on the dusting.
Over 35 years ago I used Boric Acid (Roach Proof) and Seven dust, 50/50 mix. Sprinkled behind the base molding (walls were already up, I was doing new floor) and 35 years later only found a few, very few, bugs, all dead.
Spreading your word,... again.
Good tips Mark. It's been my experience with leaky homes in the hill country that we don't have a cockroach or cricket problem. The scorpions get them. I'd rather have cockroaches...
...otherwise we'll see you next time on THE BUILD SHOW!!! So much heart in that outro, Matt. Great video as always!
These is really great ideas! Hard to believe he didn’t recommend paperless drywall though?!
I’ve been using plain 20-mule team borax for many decades, to prevent bugs of all kinds. There’s a bunch of ways to use it. It’s very low-toxicity, but it can be toxic, if used wrong.
It’s commonly used in lumber industry, to kill some weeds. It definitely killed creeping thyme, where it was contacted with borax solution used to wash patio chair pads. It failed to kill off grasses, and chamomile kept living...so it gets rid of some, but not others.
Borax does nothing to repel rodents though...but Pennyroyal sure does...can plant that all around house footings, and it grows in same seasons rodents try to access the house. Or can use the essential oil of it, in water, as a spray inside the house--smells minty.
Borax is strongly alkaline. So is washing soda, and, so is baking soda....bugs hate all of those.
For sugar ants or any bugs trying to get in around doors or windows, simply spread the powder in their path...they leave and usually stay gone a long time. I used that under and around the kitchen door, to get rid of ants and carpenter ants, and it worked for a few years, than needed reapplied...was out of borax, so tried washing soda...same result...a few years later, was out of both of those, so tried baking soda...and stunningly, that worked, too!!
I’ve used each of those to get rid of mold in rescued cloth items, too...fails to remove all of the staining, but got the mold out, coupled with drying them in sunlight.
MOLDZYME liquid also does a terrific job, and, seems to stay as a mold deterrent, for some time...it’s only enzymes, completely non-toxic, even safe for many with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity [MCS]
Mold hates Borax, too...that’s part of the good it can do.
Borax does something the sodas can’t--when spritzed using a fine-mist water sprayer, just enough to dampen it, it hardens and makes a “crust”. OR, you can make it into a watery solution just dissolving it into water...dissolve as much into the water as much as possible. Then spray as he’s doing. Let dry.
CRAWLSPACE: “semi-permanent” termite control:
1st make sure ALL crawlspace vents are capable of keeping rodents, cats, dogs, etc. critters, from accessing under the house.
THEN...commence to spread 1/2” thick layer of borax powder, solidly all over the crawlspace floor, over top of the vapor barrier. Make sure it kisses-up top all foundation blocks and perimeter foundations.
As you lay that layer, spritz fine-mist water over it, so it hardens into a crust. Work from the farthest corner, backwards to the exit. Once out of the access door, make sure it’s up to that edge too, and close that access.
Then, you’re done.
But I like his thing about spraying a thick solution and letting it dry.
IDK about the mildecide in it, though...that’s more toxicity....since Borax is already a pretty strong mold inhibitor.
There is “paperless drywall”--always use that, if you can, because what molds on drywall, is almost always the paper covering.
I’ve put borax powder into the bottoms of wall bays, and no bugs, no carpenter ants, no termites, no spiders, no ants, no roaches....maybe I’m lucky?
All that said....IF you are getting chronic skin and breathing contact with borax, hours-per-day, for years, it CAN cause health problems, and, there’s one child I know of, who may have been born with his organs reversed [situs inversus], related to his father being heavily exposed, as described, while working for 9 years in a glass factory that uses borax as a glass release-agent; borax powder residue was all over the offices, so he was pretty heavily exposed for all that time. The baby was born just after the father had to quit working there because he had become ill from it.
IDK what it might do, to people living in a house treated in this manner...but, borax is far less toxicity than the usual bug control chemicals!!!...and, it’s all sealed into the walls, so there’s no skin contact at all.
Just words of warning.
How would you spray the floor joists/beams for an open pier and beam foundation? I'm going to spray closed cell foam to insulate and make air-tight, so I'm wondering if I can use this stuff for termite prevention
@@MrGwizyadig No…spray foam & foam panels become nesting material for rodents, birds. Bugs will chew into foams.
But very alkaline substances repel insects, & rodents aren’t keen on those either…these include borax, washing soda, & even baking soda.
These are powders that can be liberally sprinkled into wall-bays before closing-in the wall, as well as laying about a 1/2” thick layer of borax onto the ground of a crawlspace, being sure to make the powder kiss-up to all foundation blocks, & mist it with water just enough to cause the borax particles to stick together to stay in place.
Most termites crawl up from the dirt..then climb foundations to eat wood. If borax is there, they are repelled or poisoned.
It is also do-able, to make a heavy dilution of borax in hot water, to spray the wood near foundations, underside of house with…it dries, leaving a thin coating residue of borax on the wood, which then stays put unless water washes it off (like, a flood might).
Double duty, because mold hates borax, too.
We have seasons of flying termites in WA, that were repelled from around our door, simply by laying a line of borax along the foundation under the door, & packing some powder into crevices around the door…that worked a few years til it wore away…then tried washing soda…same success. Then tried baking soda…same success.
Conclusion: it’s due to them being very alkaline. But borax can stick to itself when lightly misted, but the other 2 cannot. Hence, borax wins!
@@Chimonger1 so would you recommend spray foam under the house, then spray borax on top (technically the bottom)?
@@MrGwizyadig I would not use spray foam under a house, because it is susceptible to pests chewing thru it.
But, I’d make a heavy dilution of water & borax…that is, as much borax as I could get to dissolve into a quantity of hot water, that could still be put thru a sprayer, & drench the wood under there with that, let it dry.
Then, the borax powder on the ground (or on top of vapor barrier), kissing-up to the pier blocks & foundations very well, then lightly mist that to make it form a contiguous crust.
Must make sure no critters can crawl under there to break that…as long as it stays intact, it’s a terrific bug repellent, & most building inspectors would call that, “semi-permanent termite prevention”
@@Chimonger1 how would one insulate the floor?
i just have to say that i love your channel! the way you lay out all the ideas and details of everything you do, especially for free, is absolutely awesome! you do an excellent job of explaining things for those of us who arent in the business, and i for 1 really do appreciate it!
The original site and still being mined in Mohave off of the 58 between Barstow CA and Mohave off of 20 mule team road.
Boric acid is also my go-to treatment for ants in California. Works great for pretty much any insect, really.
Drackar Not just in Death Valley? 😋
I had a huge invasion of Argentine ants in my kitchen several years ago, so I set up bait dishes with a solution of boric acid and sugar along their trail in the garage. That diverted them from coming into the living space of the house, and after nearly a week of feeding the ants disappeared. It must have wiped out every nest on my end of the block, as I didn't see a single Argentine ant in or around my house for nearly four years. Yes, the stuff works very well.
Best time to add boric acid powder as well as mix it 50% with diatomaceous earth put in a plant duster and apply it right after spraying boricare and the power will stick to the slightly wet wood.
Tried to convince my in laws to seal the bottom plates when I helped them remodel a house, they waved me off saying it was complete overkill... they’ve had their tenants complain about bugs monthly and had to tent it 3 times in 1 year due to insects, eating the cost and losing out on rent including having to pay to put their tenants up in hotel during the process. I asked if that was cheaper than the tubes of caulk we already had on hand 11 months ago. I’m excited for them to see the house we are about to build in GA
Having a new home built this year. Good advise here! Asking the builder if they put down a sealant under the mud plate and when the time comes - I’ll put down these products myself. Already have permission to install wall blocking for the brackets I will be installing when we move in.
@@harryl7946 putting boric acid inside the stud bays is such a great step if you live anywhere with cockroaches, earwigs or ants... aka everywhere. It cost us 30$ in product to do the entire house
BTW, I've found diatomaceous earth works great as a substitute for boric acid. It's usually available in big box stores.
rjtumble - my understanding is diatomaceous earth is a deterrent, but doesn’t kill the litter buggers.
My understanding is based on this kind of thing: www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/pest-control/how-to-use-diatomaceous-earth-zw0z1304zkin
Also, I had a bad flea infestation with a couple of cats 20-ish years ago. I put this stuff down and within 6 or so weeks, they were gone. Short version, at a small enough scale, this stuff is sharp enough to cut the bugs, killing them (through dehydration).
WeeStrom CO Guy just like he did in the video, anywhere there's voids within the walls, or underneath cabinets, tub units, or any other built-ins.
Have used this for sand fleas around apartment buildings with lots of animals. Works great
rjtumble Dish soap in a baking sheet works MUCH faster! And, the entire setup only costs a few dollars if you buy it from a dollar store, such as Dollar Tree.
List: Baking sheet, BIG bottle of extremely cheap dish soap (sucks for dishes, GREAT for fleas!), soda/pop bottle cap, battery operated tea light candle.
Place baking sheet in a corner of a room. Fill with dish soap. Place cap flat side up in the center of the sheet. Place battery operated candle on cap. At night, turn candle on and leave all other lights off! Every morning, checking to see the gratifyingly murderous outcome! 😍 Leave sheet in place for as long as needed.
If the soap dries out, squirt a little more onto the sheet.
When satisfied, rinse off the pan and use for baking.
Save your fingers and use a Metal Ball Fondant tool to push the caulk into the crevice.
right? You'd be swapping out gloves by the box
or you can just do a good bid of caulk without ever touching it.
Borax/borate is alkaline mineral. Boric acid is acidic form of borate.
The acid form works a little different from the alkaline form. Pretty much all borate products are low toxicity, ant-mold, & repel nearly all bugs known. It’s hard to get the dry powder forms to dissolve in water.
Putting it into wall-bays creates a permanent bug control for the building.
In a crawlspace, one of the best uses I saw was an owner spread about 1/2” thick layer of dry powder borax on the ground, making sure the layer of borax kisses up to all perimeter & footing blocks. Then, as you go, spritz a fine mist of water over it, which makes it form a light crust. As long as all that remains intact & uninterrupted, it is classed as “semi-permanent” termite control, per the building inspector in Orange County, CA, USA.
As for efficacy? And safety?
This kind of treatment is the lowest toxicity & most effective I’ve ever seen. It’s worked in buildings we’ve done similar to this guy’s, in CA, MI, WA, KS, where we’ve tried it...even when only 1 room in a house got this treatment, it was still effective in the 1 treated room, even when other parts of same building got bugs & mold. We’ve been using borax in wall bays & baseboard cavities, & under buildings, for over 40 years, with good results.
It worked, even if all we could do was pack the dry powdered borax under the baseboards around each room (though, that retro-fix didn’t stop mold in walls, only stopped bugs).
It worked, safely, for many people with multiple chemical sensitivities. It’s worked nicely & safely in homes with crawling babies & small pets.
I would absolutely borax any home’s wall bays, foundations, & baseboard cavities. If the climate is humid, I’d spray it all over the framing material before framing was assembled, & again spray the assembled framing as he describes if damp is a problem.
We’ve only ever used plain, 20 mule team borax. The mixed fancy product he shows, might have some better features in an all-in-one product. But, plain borax is less costly, & is plenty anti-mold by itself. The tricky bit is finding it in larger drums for large applications. We only ever did smaller jobs, so just got the boxes available on store shelves.
Bamboo ash, or rice husk ash finely ground and added to paint makes it completely mold and mildew resistant. It's the silicone carbide particles that continue the anti-fungal operation, you could also buy SiC whiskers and add about a half cup per gallon of paint. It's low cost, and I have over 20 years of painting it into problematic older bathrooms with 100% success.
take some of that powder and hit the wall receptacles boxes....roaches love warm places and will go to the warm wiring...they love being around fridge compressors also..
If you spray with the anti-mold stuff before you build, you will need breathing protection when you cut that wood. The wood dust will carry that stuff into your lungs. To me this means that pretreatment is not such a good idea with the possible exception of coating the ends and maybe the footers. That stuff would have helped my house. It has melamine siding that ended right at the bottom of the footer. The bottom was never painted. As water splashed up the bottom flaked away from the back first. This let water splash on the footer which now need to be replaced in a few spots. Of course the rest of the envelope was poorly done too.
I plan to do fiber-cement cladding. I will be doing a "bomber" seal on things first though. And I will never buy another house made by KB.
Borax itself is a natural mold inhibitor as well.
Glad you covered safety. One overlooked safety hazed (for the DIY’r) is Dermal absorption.
..i'd just keep Spraying tho, until it was all used up.. higher up the Walls, do the Ceiling, whatever..
That's what I was thinking, First, do what you need than any extra you have, go to other areas or go higher on the walls. No need to dump any.
Hey this was really helpful. But I would put caulk down before laying the sill plate of the walls which would be even better.
The Robotics Code Depot - I’m sure Matt has used a closed cell sill seal that isn’t affected buy weather conditions. so the interior caulk is a secondary barrier thats installed when the structure is mostly dried in.
Insulation is commercially made that is supposed to go between the sill plates and concrete, some places it's required by code, to keep out drafts and creepy crawlers.
i used this on my house when i found a lot of termite damage. i mixed 1:1 because of the extent of damage. i used a 1 gallon garden sprayer, filled half with boracare, and half with hot water. then shook the heck out of it for about 2 minutes. and re shook it for a few seconds every time i put it down and restarted. there was almost no syrup left when i emptied the bottle, so that was good enough for mixing. i just had to run water through the hose after because it gums up and its hard to use again later.
We purchased a new construction home in 2011. My son’s room was always cold in the winter and an energy audit revealed air leaking in under the base plate in his room. I pulled up the carpet and sealed the base of the exterior walls and it made a big difference!
All too common. Great analysis tracking down the leak!
Love boric acid. Completely ridded my shed that was full of roaches.
Same American roaches but I'm in southern Ms. They normally don't get thick on their own. My problem was feeding cats nearby they had plenty of leftover food to eat.
Been following you for a couple weeks now, great work. Stay away from Branch 2 and 3 work your not qualified to give advise. You put 500 times more dust on bottom plate as needed. Roaches avoid it when that thick.
@@davidburnett5434 As long as it gets on their sticky feet they will eat it and die.
Arizona builders take note: all of this will help prevent scorpions from getting into your home.
Building stick homes in the desert is not good practice, I don't understand why they do it at all. Literally every other building method is superior in desert climate. Hempcrete and CEB will save hundreds on A/C bills, never have pest problems and is vastly superior sound control.
When my parents bought our house in TX, it needed new carpets and some drywall work. we used a shop vacuum to blow borax into the walls before the carpet went in. We had no roaches for the time we lived there.
Thanks for these tips. I'm building a geodesic dome this year and thought I had everything covered until I saw this video.
"It was mined in death valley, but it's also mined in California"
Death Valley is in California :p
Correction...
Death Valley is beneath California
;)
Death Valley is also in NV
@Archie Bunker the great thing about written english is that it does not matter if structure is wrong or spelling. Clearly you you understood the authors intent as did everyone dif, proving me correct and you wrong again. You only point this out to stroke your ego, a very democrat thing.
TJ Hardesty, Death Valley is entirely in California.
A small portion of the National Park is in Nevada. 👍
@@tjhardesty1720 Its mined from the city of Boron, In california.
Why don’t they use borax treated lumber when framing, as they do in Hawaii?
When explaining borax compounds, you might mention that boric acid solution is used as an eye wash - dry boric acid powder works well on fleas when sprinkled on carpet and then vacuumed up. Borax is fine fine for people but deadly for many bugs.
Every week I look forward towards your videos as a electrician and weekend builder your ideas have saved me tons of money and most of all time, not as young as I used to be. I am currently in planning stages for a off grid timber home up north and this product will certainly save my investment once my walls are up thank you
Why doesn’t every home builder do this on all new construction? No roaches? That would be wonderful!
Most builders don't care.
There is no guarantee of no roaches. Making that claim just leaves you open to unhappy customers
If your concern is just bugs, save yourself all that money and just buy a couple boxes of Borax. Mix with warm water and spray. easy. If you want/need to prevent mold, you can buy mold inhibitors for about $30 bucks and under to add to it. People really need to read labels before buying this expensive stuff. More often than not, you will find the active ingredients are in some other product you can buy for pennies, like.....Borax.
I would highly recommend buying pure powdered boric acid vs borax. There is a different concentration and form found in it.
The glycol in the boracare allows the boric acid to penetrate through the wood over time. Boric acid and water results in crystals on the surface.
Termite proof for the life of the house is a huge promise, maybe approaching a fairy tale. This is a surface treatment and termites bore through wood. This is even a problem with pressure treated lumber. Always coat the holes and end cuts of pressure treated to re-establish that barrier.
Hey, that was great! I subscribed, Mr. Risinger. I recognized you from an interview you did with RR Buildings.
would you add diatomaceous earth to the list of things you can lace your walls with before sealing them up.
Do it, I'm always getting dead roaches in my house and some of them are covered in it so I know the stuff is working.
Diatomaceous earth is very effective!!! Probabaly the most effective stuff to spread on subfloor before sealing it up
@@MintStiles One can also grab a handful of it and fling it at the inner walls before closing it up with drywall and insulation. It will stick to a wall in nice big clumps. Just wear a mask for safety.
Edit: the key is to place it anywhere a roach, ant or termite might pass through.
Ste B yup. I just do it as an insurance. As all old houses have something. This is a very effective way of keeping them all our
Do you really suggest wetting down the back of drywall? Never seen wet drywall that holds itself together even after it dries.
Pretty good video. Great job! Building in October God willing and soaking up all your videos. Do you still stand behind the advanced framing? What would walls look like with that? Not very straight?
Great video, I'll have to do this in the entire old house I'm remodeling to make it my home. The roofers did a lousy job at tapping and I got so much water and mold before they got the new roof is ridiculous. ....thanks for posting Matt !!
I'm glad you tooled the caulk, it frustrates me when I see other builders in my area who use caulk to meet code but don't bother to tool it. If you don't tool it, you can't ensure you actually filled the whole void
Nice tips , but the bora care instructions tells you for termites you have to mix it at a 1 to 1 ratio , you were using it at a 1 to 5 ratio which only works for mold it won't help with termites .
There are two dilution tables. For prevention, 5:1 is acceptable (although I'd go stronger anyway). For targeting existing pests, it recommends 2:1 or 1:1. They are not the clearest instructions, that's for certain.
Hey aren't you supposed to use pressure treated wood for the bottom plate when it's in contact with concrete. Seems like the ones in the video are not PT.
They are. Its hard to tell but they have a slight bit browner color from being pressure treated.
@@MrJbow50 They are pressure treated and any builder could see that in 2 seconds.
My house build was Florida stucco on block, and code here required chemicals under the slab for termites. I have Boric acid under the fridge, stove and dishwasher as well as under the cabinets. Been living in this house for 6 years now and the only roach we ever see are the big males that squeeze past the weatherstripping under the outside door, and they don't live long after they get the Boric acid on them.
Borax was once used as a fire retardant. Matchsticks used to be treated with it so when shook out the match ember would go out and not later relight the match. College speech class did teach me something.
Brotha Risinger
If we want to use the best practices, should we not use the products before applying exterior sheeting/shear paneling?
Brian Curwick it was a remodel so exterior sharing already in place
Boric acid is great! But it is toxic to humans, if ingested. So if you use this, make sure pets have no access, and that you wash thoroughly after applying it! I learned the hard way. I used boric acid powder to rid ants from a car once (a migrating colony was seeking new digs, and decided to try out the cabin of my car), and I did not vacuum it up well enough or something. It gave me digestive upset for about a week, just from passive exposure. So again, be sure to clean up thoroughly. It should be perfectly fine inside a wall! Applying a wet spray also reduces ingestion risk more than using a dry powder.
I did some laminate flooring and before I added the 1/4 round I add boric acid ... never had those spring time ants ever again.
you have got good materiel and are a genius, your videos are educational and constant commercials, I hope the advertisement you do for these products you are getting paid well, which i suspect is the case.
$100 for some watered down boric acid!
If you want to see the borax wagons and the 20 mule team.
EngelsCoachShop on youtube.
That's an excellent channel! I was going to mention it,but you beat me to it.
I like Pt plywood for starters.
I also use that starter Pt to overlap the concrete and lock in the stud wall.
If you choose a pump sprayer I had really good luck with the Husquavarna sprayer at your big box store. Key features pretty wide pump diameter to get up to pressure quickly. 2 gallon sprayer with several tips. Always wash it out. Then spray the pump.with wd40 at the end of the day will last you years for $25. Highly recommend I spray pool shock 12,5 % Sodium hypochlorite or purple degreasers allot with this model for other applications for cleaning. Good luck. Had expensive Chaplin's ect before but this one is pretty impressive. Cheers.
I think this guy has something against funnels !
funnels are for those with bad aim.
@@lisao3041 lol
Naturally occurring mineral doesn't imply safe. Asbestos, naturally occurring mineral. I get what you're saying, but all natural is a common healthy misnomer.
Hemlock is 100% natural
You for got to indicate risen. It's naturally occurring and a Nerv Agent.... you know that white powder that has made it in the mail over the past fed decades that has everyone scared....
water is naturally occurring and very dangerous if used improperly
You probably meant to say ricin, which is a natural poison found in castor beans. The stuff that gets made into white powder and sent through the mail is anthrax, a naturally occuring bacteria.
AAAhhh. Yes, that's what I was attempting to indicate. got my info mixed. Still deadly, natural and relevant.... Thanks for the correction.
My kids have a cabin shell that’s on blocks I think doing inside and under home should help them keep those Texas termites at bay and hopefully they will have no issues the life of their home 😁 thanks for this tip
The fact is, we need to treat the wood with chemicals to ensure no insect infestation on the wood. This video just makes me feel sick about conventional building. Leaning toward adobe or rammed earth building for my home.
Nice show Matt!