DO THIS Before you Drywall Your Remodel or New Build

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.

[pennbass]

You can also mix in food coloring with this. Makes it way easier to see where you’ve already sprayed.

[ihatethetv]

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.

[truemanley]

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 YouTubers mention your video as inspiration for applying it in the same manner.

[spclagenth]

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.

[Lawman-]

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!

[richardclark]

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.

[celtbe]

I like to take pictures of all walls before the drywall is installed. Makes installing or fixing hidden wires so easy.

[rauldemoura]

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!

[wrzl]

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.

[sandyandlisaedwards]

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.

[rbianchi]

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!

[blueferral]

Just a tip. Put some food coloring in it and you can see where you sprayed a lot easier.

[VesselofMercy]

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.

[rodsmith]

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.

[Milosz_Ostrow]

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.

[jfruser]

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.

[frankunger]

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

[davidwastaken]

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.

[wyqid]

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.

[part]

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.