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[Tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>]

WF Smith wrote:

> My younger brother had a good friend whose parents lived in a kit log home.
> They were plagued by carpenter bees and other pests. After just a few years
> the house really looked bad. I'm curious as to what kind of sealer and
> preservative can be applied to repel pests and preserve the wood. My
> Grandad's house had a smokehouse built of logs in 1825 in the backyard which
> were sound until Granny tore it down in a landscaping project a few years
> ago. I can say with certainty that no preservative of any kind was ever put
> on that wood. I think old growth timber was denser and tougher
>
>  
>
> > tvoivozhd---I think the only preservative that is safe to apply to logs today 
> > is boric acid in some form.  It is better applied when the logs are still 
> > green.  It is water soluble, so you need a sealant after the boric acid is 
> > applied and surfaces dry.  No insect will touch wood with a boric acid 
> > barrier, but it is safe for the family.
> >