Perma-Zyme differs from traditional soil stabilizers, so people want to know how it works, what it can do, and how to use it. We’re here to answer the top seven questions our customers have asked about Perma-Zyme, so you know what to expect for your project.
We’ll cover:
Most liquid soil stabilizers have a set dilution rate, and you must achieve it for the product to work. But, Perma-Zyme is different because it doesn’t have a set dilution rate. One gallon of Perma-Zyme always treats 160 cubic yards of soil. How much you dilute it depends on your soil’s moisture.
To apply Perma-Zyme, soil must reach its optimum moisture content—when it’s wet enough to compact easily, but not muddy. Generally, you’ll need more water to reach optimum moisture in hot, dry climates than humid, cool ones. And the more water you use, the higher your dilution rate will be. Less water equals a lower dilution rate.
We recommend starting with a dilution rate of 500:1. If you need more water, you can refill your water truck (without Perma-Zyme) and add that plain water to your road. If you overwater your soil, you can use your grader to dry it by raking it back and forth.
Jeff and Mark each want to stabilize one mile of unpaved road. They’ll each use 15 gallons of Perma-Zyme, but their dilution rates will vary because they’re working in different conditions.
Jeff’s road is in Michigan, where high humidity and cool fall weather keep soil moist. And with his water source just 10 minutes away, he doesn’t have to worry about soil drying out on construction day. Mark’s road is in arid Utah. Since his project can’t wait, he has to work in the summer heat. And with his water source 30 minutes away, he’s facing longer hauling times. So, Mark needs more water—and therefore more water trucks—to achieve optimum moisture.
Perma-Zyme reduces dust by binding soil into a hard surface that prevents erosion and keeps particles from escaping into the air. You’ll still see minimal dust after using Perma-Zyme, since some loose particles may still be on the surface. Dust can also come from gravel on a road or nearby fields and businesses. That’s why no product can eliminate 100% of dust (beware of any that say they can!)
Perma-Zyme controls dust longer than most traditional dust suppressants, with a single application often lasting over a year. A Michigan county reported that Perma-Zyme kept dust down on their dirt road for two years with no chlorides, saving them thousands of dollars on maintenance. Perma-Zyme is also 100% natural and non-toxic, so it’s an eco-friendly alternative to chlorides.
Work in extraction or renewable energy? Get more info about Perma-Zyme for mining dust control and solar farm dust control.
Many soil stabilizers wash away in the rain—including chlorides, topical polymers, and gravel. The cost of reapplying lost material adds up, so you have every right to ask how Perma-Zyme performs in the rain! Perma-Zyme won’t wash off for two reasons.
After a customer in Texas treated his dirt logging road with Perma-Zyme, two hurricanes hit within six months. The hard surface withstood the storms so well, he didn’t even have to grade it. Other customers found that treated soil softened slightly after rainstorms—which can be good. In some cases, the softer surface lets traffic compact and smooth the treated soil with no grading. You can even use Perma-Zyme to lock in a gravel topcoat, preventing material loss and saving you money.
Yes, you can apply Perma-Zyme topically for projects like dust control, chipseal applications, and disaster relief.
Perma-Zyme is good for topical dust control, since it forms a hard surface to keep soil from escaping. It’s also water-resistant, so it won’t wash off easily like other products. Before you commit to a topical application, compare it to a full-depth application to see which one you need.
Topical applications offer some protection against ruts and potholes, whereas working Perma-Zyme into the soil gives you more erosion control and dust control. So, if you're looking for dust control and stabilization, you’ll want to do a full-depth application. Mostly need dust control? You’re good to apply Perma-Zyme topically.
Topical applications may require more maintenance than full-depth ones. You may have to reapply Perma-Zyme topically every six to 12 months. A full-depth application offers up to two years of dust control and 10+ years of soil stabilization, which is a big bang for your buck. That said, topical applications are still very cost-effective. Perma-Zyme lasts longer than most traditional dust suppressants, and it often costs less upfront.
Some customers use Perma-Zyme to construct asphalt or chipseal roads. To do this, you’ll do a full-depth application on the subbase and let it cure for three days. Then, just before paving, mix about 12 ounces of Perma-Zyme into a full water truck and spray it evenly on the surface. This helps the pavement adhere to the subbase.
In the unlikely event that severe weather or flooding damages a treated road, you can touch up these areas by mixing one gallon of Perma-Zyme with 500 gallons of water, spraying the road surface, and compacting it. It should become smooth and even again. This type of topical application is rare. It’s usually only necessary if a road has been submerged or sustained heavy vehicle traffic after bad weather compromised the surface.
When we say, “Perma-Zyme creates a concrete-like surface,“ you might expect your road to become perfectly hard and smooth. In reality, an unpaved road will still look and feel like an unpaved road because that’s what it is. It will still have some small surface flaws and loose material on top. But, it will be hard, strong, and low-maintenance.
Genesee County Road Commissioner Shirley Kautman Jones put it best:
“It’s amazing. I mean, it’s still a gravel road. It still gets some potholes in some places, but there are no frost boils. The road does not fall apart. The other thing that I noticed that Perma-Zyme helped with is … losing road material… That does not happen on the treated road. I would definitely recommend the product.”
Perma-Zyme gets these results because it strengthens soil. On r-value tests, treated soil scored in the mid-90s, which is stronger than Type II aggregate (80s) and almost as strong as steel (100). Treated soil also measured over 10 times stronger than untreated soil in compressive strength tests.
Perma-Zyme’s hard surface prevents erosion and material loss. So, you can expect it to last longer with less rework. Genesee County Engineering Director Eric Johnston shared his honest opinion of Perma-Zyme and noted,
“Perma-Zyme has worked really well for us as a solution to save labor on our roadways, allowing our guys to go out and concentrate on other areas of road maintenance.”
Perma-Zyme’s use rate is one gallon per 160 cubic yards of soil, or 15 gallons per mile of road. Lots of people have wondered if using extra Perma-Zyme would make soil extra strong—including us! So, we treated some soil with the normal amount of Perma-Zyme and some with extra Perma-Zyme.
The over-treated soil didn’t get extra strong, but it did cure quicker. That’s because Perma-Zyme contains enzymes that chemically react with soil to harden it. Extra Perma-Zyme puts more enzymes into the soil. More enzymes cause more chemical reactions, so the soil binds together faster.
Perma-Zyme’s strength comes from the soil and from compaction. Those factors stay the same, even if you add extra Perma-Zyme. So, the way to strengthen your road is to have the right soil and compact it fully.
Soil needs a negative electrical charge to chemically react with Perma-Zyme. That can come naturally from clay or limestone, or you can mix in amendments to help your soil perform its best. Ideal soil should also contain at least 20% coarse material—aka sand or gravel—to achieve maximum strength and support traffic. (Here’s how different soils react to Perma-Zyme and how to get the best results from yours.)
The more you compact soil once you apply Perma-Zyme, the closer together its particles will be and the stronger the bond between them will become. That’s why achieving optimum moisture is necessary; it helps you get good compaction to strengthen the treated area.
When it comes to deciding how much Perma-Zyme to use, save your money! Stick with one gallon per 160 cubic yards of soil and follow the application instructions for best results. You can even use this handy calculator to find out how many gallons of Perma-Zyme you need for your project:
Like we mentioned, the perfect soil for Perma-Zyme has a strong negative charge and at least 20% coarse material. Some soils are naturally perfect (like that cousin who always brags at Thanksgiving dinner), but most can benefit from a helping hand. That’s why many Perma-Zyme customers boost their soil’s performance with amendments.
Take Barry County, Michigan, for example. They were struggling with dust and erosion thanks to silty soil on Solomon Road. So, they added limestone to make the soil chemically react with Perma-Zyme and gravel to strengthen it. Four years later, their Perma-Zyme treated road was still in mint condition, and they had at least six more years of durability and minimal maintenance ahead. (You can take a video tour of Solomon Road here.)
We love helping our customers find out how their soil will naturally react to Perma-Zyme and how they can make it even stronger. Just ask for a free soil evaluation, and we’ll show you how it’s done.
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