Borates and epoxy repair question

Q: In another post on this website it says that borates should be applied to all surfaces previous to applying epoxy, or that is the way I understood.  I'm referring to Paul Marlowe's reply to the Church finial post. I thought that borates were for exposed rot protection and not where epoxy was bonded to wood.  If borates should be applied before epoxy, does it make a difference if the rotted wood has all been removed clean or not?  Or do you apply them no matter what?  I hope somebody can clear this up for me.
-Sean F

July 27, 2007

A: Sean,
Prior to the application of epoxy & after the wood has been prepared, I recommend applying borates to areas that are vulnerable to water & have evidence of decay fungi.  The borates will penetrate deeper than epoxy consolidant & kill any remaining fungus spores to the depth of penetration.  Once the wood is dried to below 20% moisture, the epoxy & or other finishes can be applied.  This will seal in the borates & keep them from migrating out towards moisture. 

It is usually best to remove all the rotted wood, but not always.  There are times when portions of soft wood are not accessible or soft sections may want to be left on to create a form for the epoxy.  This is especially helpful if a detailed profile can be saved.  In these cases multiple applications of consolidant should be used wet on wet to saturate & stabilize the wood.
-Paul Marlowe
Conserv Epoxy LLC Owner