Polesaver Rods
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Industrial

Polesaver Rods

The utility-grade diffusion rod. Drilled into a standing pole at the groundline, Polesaver rods dissolve slowly into the wet heartwood and stop decay from the inside — for years, on an inspection cycle.

Drill, insert, plug
Groundline heart rot
Standing poles
Boron + fluoride
Top up on the inspection cycle
Not a termite treatment

Where to get it

Find a stockist

Pack sizes: 14 mm × 125 mm rods (PS14), boxes of 100 · 10 mm × 100 mm rods (PS10), boxes of 200
Poison schedule: Schedule 6 — POISON

Australian made in Cheltenham, Victoria — since 1988

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Directions for use

Preparing the timber, then applying — as per the approved label

Before you start: if the timber is structural or load-bearing — veranda posts, bearers, joists, rafters — get a qualified professional to decide whether it can be treated or needs replacing. Preservative stops decay spreading; it can't restore lost strength.

Before you drill

DIG Expose the groundline Excavate around the pole to below the groundline so the wet zone is visible and the holes can be angled down into it.
CHECK Check for internal decay Sound, drill or bore to establish the extent of centre rot. Polesaver rods are best used on poles showing evidence of internal decay.
BAND External decay too? Over 5 mm of external decay calls for a Bioguard bandage as well. Key or difficult-to-replace poles should get both.

Which rod?Two sizes: the PS10 for poles and posts 200–300 mm, the PS14 for over 300 mm. Anything under 200 mm is a job for No-Rot Rods, the 8 mm rod.

Incremental treatmentAn approved alternative — one hole treated per inspection cycle, with full coverage only once every hole is in.Tap for more

An approved alternative to a full treatment is progressive treatment — one abaxial hole bored and treated per cycle until the full pattern is in place after 3–4 cycles. Full coverage of actives is not achieved until every treatment hole is installed.

Installing the rods

Always read the label before use.

DRILL Drill three abaxial holes at the groundline 14 mm rods: 16 mm holes. In poles up to 950 mm circumference, drill three equally spaced abaxial holes at about 20° to the vertical, each starting about 150 mm above groundline and extending to approximately 300 mm below it (total length 420–450 mm). Drill four holes in poles over 950 mm circumference.
DROP Insert the rods Insert three Polesaver rods into each hole. (10 mm rods: 10 mm holes to 230 mm below groundline in poles up to 200 mm diameter, two rods per hole.)
PLUG Plug flush Screw a tapered plastic plug into each hole, flush to the pole surface.
RING Alternative — four holes in the annulus To treat the annulus rather than the centre: with a 16 mm bit, drill four holes 100 mm above groundline, 90° apart, at 20° to the vertical and 45° to the tangent of the pole. Insert two rods into each hole and plug.

How many rods

By rod size and pole size.

Rod	Pole	Holes	Rods per hole
14 mm × 125 mm (PS14)	Up to 950 mm circumference	3	3
14 mm × 125 mm (PS14)	Over 950 mm circumference	4	3
14 mm × 125 mm (PS14)	Annulus method, any pole	4	2
10 mm × 100 mm (PS10)	Up to 200 mm diameter	3	2

To sterilise a 16 mm inspection hole, insert 14 mm rods and plug; a 12 mm inspection hole takes a single 10 mm rod.

Termites can bypass itNot a treatment for an existing infestation — a termiticide only in the treated zone.Tap for more

The actives are an effective termiticide in the localised treatment area — the wet zone around each rod. Termites may bypass the treatment, and it is not a barrier or colony treatment. For an active infestation, call a licensed pest controller.

POISON · As per the approved label

Safety & hazards

Signal word, restraints and first aid — from the approved label

As per the approved label. Always read the label before use.

Schedule 6 — POISON

Harmful if swallowed; causes skin and serious eye irritation. Wear protective gloves and clothing; wash hands thoroughly after handling.

Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Use impervious (synthetic rubber / PVC) gloves when handling. Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. Under normal use the rods do not generate dust; if crushed, wear a P2 dust mask and work in a ventilated area.

Restraint

To be used as a wood preservative only.

First aid

If poisoning occurs, contact a doctor or Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26). If swallowed, do NOT induce vomiting — rinse mouth, give a glass of water to drink and seek immediate medical advice. If in eyes, hold eyelids apart and flush with running water for at least 15 minutes and transport to a doctor or hospital. If on skin, remove contaminated clothing and flush with running water.

Full safety directions and first aid are on the product label and the Safety Data Sheet.

Handling & environment

Preschem handling guidance — general advice, not label text. The approved label and the Safety Data Sheet take precedence.

Environment

Avoid contaminating waterways. The product is water-soluble and leachable through normal soil; boric acid and fluoride do not biomagnify through the food chain.

Disposal

Dispose of packaging at an approved disposal site. Refer to the State or Territory land-waste management authority.

Where it goes

The groundline zone of poles in service

For the remedial treatment of heart rot in standing poles, and for other structural timber subject to the ingress of water. Holes start above the groundline and run down into the zone that fails first.

Power & telecommunications poles The core use — treated in service, without taking the pole out of the ground.

Poles showing internal decay Best used on poles with evidence of centre rot; blanket-treat susceptible ages and species.

Inspection holes A 16 mm inspection hole is sterilised by inserting 14 mm rods and plugging it.

Heavy-duty posts, 200 mm and over PS10 to 300 mm, PS14 above. Under 200 mm is No-Rot Rods territory.

Pole homes & jetties Any large timber in the ground and subject to constant damp.

Key or hard-to-replace poles Fully treat with Polesaver rods in combination with a Bioguard bandage for external decay.

Treats the pole from the centre out

Why it works

Heart rot starts in the wet core of a pole just below the groundline — the one place no surface treatment reaches. The rods sit in that zone and release into the moisture that drives the decay.

Dissolves where it's wet

In the presence of moisture inside the timber the rods slowly dissolve, releasing boron and fluoride that diffuse into the wood, kill active decay and protect the sound wood from further attack.

A heavy loading

The rods can deliver up to 1.3 kg/m³ of elemental boron and 1.2 kg/m³ of fluorine in the treated zone — more than adequate to inhibit most decay fungi and insects.

Built for the inspection cycle

Actives deplete over time, so rods are topped up into the existing holes on a cyclic basis. The inspection cycles Australian utilities already run typically meet this.

Technical data

Specifications

Active constituents

124 g/kg boron (B) present as disodium octaborate tetrahydrate · 110 g/kg fluorine (F) present as sodium fluoride.

Protects against

Fungal decay (heart rot) in the treated zone of poles and other structural timber; a termiticide in the localised treatment area only.

Rate, coverage & reapplication

Up to 1.3 kg/m³ elemental boron and 1.2 kg/m³ elemental fluorine in the treated zone. Actives deplete over time — top up rods into the existing holes on the inspection cycle.

Pack sizes

14 mm × 125 mm rods (PS14), boxes of 100 · 10 mm × 100 mm rods (PS10), boxes of 200. Six boxes to an outer carton.

Poison schedule

Schedule 6 — POISON. Harmful if swallowed; causes skin and serious eye irritation. Wear protective gloves and clothing; wash hands thoroughly after handling.

Storage & shelf life

Store in the closed original container in a cool, well-ventilated position. Keep packages dry — do not expose boxes to moisture or humidity, or store for prolonged periods in direct sunlight. Stable indefinitely if kept cool and dry.

Common questions

How long does a treatment last?

The rods protect the critical zone just below groundline for at least 4–6 years, which usually lines up with a utility's routine inspection cycle. Actives deplete over time, so rods are topped up into the existing holes at inspection rather than the pole being re-drilled.

Will they stop termites?

The actives are a termiticide in the localised treatment area — the wet zone around each rod — and Preschem's pole treatments have been used to treat termite attack in standing poles. But it is not a barrier or colony treatment, and termites may bypass it. For an active infestation, call a licensed pest controller.

Polesaver rods or a Bioguard bandage?

Rods for internal decay — centre rot in the heartwood. A Bioguard bandage for external decay of more than about 5 mm on the outside of the pole. Key or difficult-to-replace poles should get both.

I have a pole home — can I use these on my posts?

Yes. Anything large enough to drill at the groundline and subject to constant damp — pole homes, jetty piles, big fence and gate posts — can be treated the same way. For ordinary-sized posts and joinery, No-Rot Rods are the right size.

What's the difference from No-Rot Rods?

Same boron-and-fluoride chemistry, bigger rods — and the choice is by the size of the timber. Polesaver comes in two sizes: the PS10 for poles and posts 200–300 mm and the PS14 for over 300 mm. Anything under 200 mm is a job for No-Rot Rods, the 8 mm rod for window joints, post ends and rails.

You might also need

BioGuard Bandage

The partner treatment for external decay on the same pole — wrapped at the groundline.

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No-Rot Rods

The same diffusion chemistry in an 8 mm rod — for anything under 200 mm: window joints, post ends, rails and pergolas.

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No-Rot Inject

Injectable No-Rot for structural timber you can't reach — bearers, studs, joinery.

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Australian made in Cheltenham, Victoria since 1988 — founded by two CSIRO timber scientists. The whole story →