BioGuard Bandage
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Industrial

BioGuard Bandage

The groundline bandage for poles in service. Preservative discs in a polyethylene wrap, fitted just below the soil line, that stop external decay from the outside in.

Wrap at the groundline
External decay
Boron + fluoride
Replace every 3–5 years
Keep it below groundline

Where to get it

Find a stockist

Pack sizes: Rolls of 10 m, 2 rolls per carton, with 2 rolls of PVC tape
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 wrap

CHECK Internal decay too? Bioguard treats the outside. Centre rot calls for Polesaver rods as well — key or difficult-to-replace poles should get both.
MEASURE Measure below groundline The circumference at the widest point below groundline sets the cut length — allow a 25–50 mm overlap.
WIRE Find the services Earth wires and underground services stay outside the wrap. The bandage butts up to them so it always touches the pole.

Fitting the bandage

Always read the label before use.

DIG Excavate to 300 mm Excavate the soil around the pole to a depth of 300 mm and clean excess soil off the pole. Soft, rotted or decayed timber need not be cut off, though removing decay that makes the surface irregular helps.
CUT Measure, cut, staple the top Measure the circumference at the widest point below groundline. Cut the Bioguard to allow a 25–50 mm overlap. Staple the top edge of one end to the pole so the top of the bandage is immediately below true groundline.
WRAP Wrap tightly and staple Wrap the polyethylene bandage tightly around the pole (it will stretch) and staple the leading top and bottom edges in place. In wet areas or poorly drained soil, seal the bottom edge with PVC tape as well.
BUTT Butt up to obstructions Never go around earth wires or underground services — butt up to them so the bandage always contacts the pole. Where sapwood overhangs near the groundline, fit the bandage underneath the overhang; do not run it up and over an outward step or taper.
TAPE Seal the top edge Wrap the specified PVC tape tightly around the top edge to seal it and reduce water ingress into the bandage.
FILL Backfill and compact Backfill half the soil, compacting firmly without damaging the bandage, then fill the rest and compact it so the soil slopes away from the pole. The top of the black sealing tape should be just visible above groundline after the soil settles.

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. The material is non-flammable.

Restraint

For use 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 shell of poles in service

For the remedial treatment of external decay — brown rot, white rot and soft rot — in the exterior groundline region of standing wooden poles.

Power & telecommunications poles Fitted in service, without taking the pole out of the ground.

Poles with over 5 mm of external decay Preschem's pole-management rule of thumb for when a bandage is called for.

Soft-rot-susceptible species Blanket-treat by age and species rather than waiting for symptoms.

Wet or poorly drained sites Seal the bottom edge with PVC tape as well as the top.

Key or hard-to-replace poles Fully treat with Bioguard and Polesaver rods together — outside and centre.

Inspection cycles Replacement every 3–5 years lines up with a utility's routine inspection cycle.

Treats the pole from the outside in

Why it works

Soft rot and surface decay start in the wet outer shell of a pole just below the groundline — the zone Polesaver rods, working from the centre, reach last. Bioguard sits against that shell and releases into it.

Dissolves where it's wet

In the presence of moisture the solid preservative tablet in each blister slowly dissolves, releasing boron and fluoride that diffuse into the timber, kill decay fungi and protect against further attack.

A heavy loading

Capable of delivering up to 2 kg/m³ of both elemental fluorine and boron throughout the groundline region of the pole.

The critical shell, inside a year

Within 12 months of installation the critical outer 30 mm shell at the groundline has enough preservative to sterilise and protect it. Designed for replacement every 3–5 years.

Technical data

Specifications

Active constituents

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

Protects against

Brown rot, white rot and soft rot in the exterior groundline region of standing poles.

Rate, coverage & reapplication

Up to 2 kg/m³ of both elemental fluorine and boron throughout the groundline region. Critical outer 30 mm shell protected within 12 months of installation. Designed for replacement every 3–5 years.

Pack sizes

Rolls of 10 m, 2 rolls per carton, with 2 rolls of PVC tape. White discs 15 mm diameter × 6 mm deep, pre-formed in clear polyethylene sheet lined with screen-reinforced paper.

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 well-ventilated area, as cool as possible. Keep packages dry; do not store for prolonged periods in direct sunlight. Stable indefinitely if kept cool and dry. Dispose of packaging at an approved disposal site.

Common questions

Bioguard or Polesaver rods?

Both, on any pole worth keeping. Bioguard treats external decay in the outer shell at the groundline; Polesaver rods treat centre rot from the inside. Preschem's rule of thumb: a bandage for over 5 mm of external decay, rods for evidence of internal decay, and both on key or difficult-to-replace poles.

How long does a bandage last?

It is designed for replacement every 3–5 years, which lines up with a utility's routine inspection cycle. The critical outer 30 mm shell is protected within 12 months of fitting.

Do I have to cut away the rotten wood first?

No — it is not necessary to cut off soft, rotted or decayed timber. It does help to remove any decay that makes the pole surface irregular, so the bandage sits flat against it.

Why must the top sit below groundline?

For soil stabilisation, and so the public and livestock cannot get at the bandage. After backfilling, only the top of the black sealing tape should show above the soil.

You might also need

Polesaver Rods

The partner treatment for centre rot on the same pole — drilled at the groundline.

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In-Ground Paste

For posts and stumps at the groundline — the brush-on paste rather than a bandage.

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No-Rot Rods

The 8 mm diffusion rod for posts and joinery under 200 mm.

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