Universal Forest Products

ProWood^® Borate-Treated Lumber:
Build with Borates

Wood is the world’s most sustainable building material. Valued for its strength, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency, wood also has the best environmental attributes among all building materials, because trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen.

But now homeowners face the formidable threat of the Formosan termite, a “super termite” whose colonies can eat 1,000 pounds of wood a year.

That’s why we offer ProWood Borate, the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to build lasting protection into your home. Distinguished by its bluish hue, this lumber is specially treated to resist the Formosan termite. The only sure protection against this termite is to “build with borates.”

 ProWood Borate is rot-resistant wood. It also protects against:

• Standard termites
• Carpenter ants
• Roaches
• Dry rot
• Fungal decay
• Wood-boring beetles

What Is ProWood Borate?
ProWood Borate has been treated with natural mineral salts called borates to protect against termites and other damage. Borates, which are made from the element boron, are toxic to insects, but safe for humans, pets, and the environment. Borate products have been in use for more than 100 years. In fact, you can find borates throughout your home, in many common materials and products.

Can Be Used for Sill Plates
ProWood Borate products are designed for interior use, but it can be used for sill plates, too. ProWood Borate will give added termite protection to your sill plates at a cost that’s less than other treated wood products. ProWood Borate treated wood should not be used in unprotected exterior areas.

Costs a Bit More, But Worth It
ProWood Borate looks, smells, and handles like conventional wood. Building with borates does cost a bit more, but it’s worth it. The one-time added cost—typically 2% of the total construction cost—of building with borate-treated lumber is far less than the cost of repairing the damage termites typically cause. It’s also less than the cost of ongoing, short-term treatments for termites and wood rot. Plus, ProWood Borate is not corrosive to fasteners, so expensive fasteners aren’t required.

Most important, ProWood Borate is guaranteed as a termite barrier with a lifetime limited warranty longer than traditional termite-control methods.