Borate wood treatment for bare attic, crawlspace and new framing in Long Beach

Borate is effective on wood that insects or fungi try to eat, so it works against drywood termites boring into treated framing, subterranean termites feeding on treated sill plates, wood-boring beetle larvae, and decay fungi. It does not kill an established colony living deep inside untreated wood elsewhere in the house, and it does not act as a soil barrier against subterranean termites.

Think of borate as protection for the wood you can reach, not as a treatment for the whole structure.

• Protects: bare attic, crawlspace and new framing; repaired areas; exposed beams
• Does not reach: painted trim, finished floors, closed walls, furniture
• Does not replace: fumigation for widespread drywood colonies or soil treatment for subterranean termites
• Weakens with: constant rain, soil contact or standing water, which can leach borate out

Fumigation is the only treatment that reaches every board in the house at once, but it has no lasting effect. Once the tarps come off and the house is cleared, a new swarm of drywood termites can start a colony the following fall. Treating the attic framing with borate after fumigation adds a layer of protection in the area where drywood colonies most often start.

The attic is the logical target because rafters, ceiling joists and the underside of roof sheathing are usually bare wood and are where swarmers often enter through vents and gaps. Treating them does not make the house termite proof, since trim and exterior wood are painted, but it reduces the chance that a new colony takes hold in the framing. Pair it with sealing attic vent screens and repainting exposed exterior wood for the best result.

Borate products have low toxicity to people and pets compared with many termiticides, which is why they are widely used inside homes on exposed framing. They have little odor and do not off-gas once dry. Like any pesticide, they must be used according to the label, and the treated area should be left alone until it dries, which usually takes a few hours.

During application we keep people and pets out of the attic, crawlspace or room being treated, protect insulation and stored items from overspray, and avoid surfaces that will contact food. Once dry, treated framing can be covered with insulation and drywall right away. If you have specific health concerns, we share the product label before the visit so you can review it.

Long Beach has a lot of bare framing that is easy to treat. The raised-foundation bungalows of Belmont Heights, California Heights and Rose Park have open crawlspaces where joists and sills sit a couple of feet above bare soil, and the marine air keeps that wood damper than an inland home. Borate there protects against beetles, decay and subterranean termites working up from the soil.

In the 1950s ranch homes of Los Altos, Lakewood Village and El Dorado Park Estates, the target is the attic, where wide-open framing sits above slab floors and is a frequent drywood colony site. Cliff May homes in The Plaza are a special case: the exposed beams in living spaces are often stained, which blocks borate, but the attic sections and garage framing can still be treated. ADU builds across the city are the best opportunity of all, since every stud is bare until the drywall goes up.