Perma-Zyme is a unique soil stabilizer that uses enzymes to permanently bond clay particles together. This strengthens the soil and creates a hard, concrete-like surface that’s impermeable to water—preventing surface issues like potholes, ruts, washboarding, frost heaving, and more. Best of all, a single application lasts 10 years or more with minimal maintenance.
Of course, this raises a few more questions, like what's a soil stabilizer, what are enzymes, and how does all of this work exactly? We'll answer those questions and more, so you know what to expect when you work with Perma-Zyme.
A soil stabilizer is a material or substance that keeps soil from shifting. In addition to Perma-Zyme, there are many types of soil stabilizers, such as:
Some soil stabilizers work by blocking soil’s movement. Others harden soil or glue it together. Perma-Zyme both hardens and bonds soil particles together.
Enzyme soil stabilizers like Perma-Zyme were historically less common than traditional soil stabilizers, but they are gaining traction as an eco-friendly and effective alternative. Perma-Zyme is biochemical. It’s 100% organic, natural, and non-hazardous, so it doesn't have the harmful side effects of traditional chemical soil stabilizers like cement, chlorides, or synthetic polymers.
For a comprehensive overview of 11 popular soil stabilizers, check out our blog on The Pros and Cons of Different Soil Stabilizers.
Enzymes are proteins. Their job is to catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms, meaning enzymes cause and speed up these reactions.
For example, digestion is a chemical reaction that happens in our bodies, and we have enzymes in our stomachs and intestines that help us start digesting food after we swallow it and help our digestive systems work faster so our bodies can turn our food into energy quicker.
Something else cool about enzymes is that they can also work in previously living organisms—aka dead stuff. That's partly how Perma-Zyme works. The three main enzymes in Perma-Zyme are protease, lipase, and chitinase. They cause chemical reactions in soil that contains organic matter, including currently living organisms and decomposing bits of plants and animals that have died and become part of the soil.
Learn more about what enzymes are and how they work.
The enzymes in Perma-Zyme permanently bond soil. The chemical reaction between the enzymes and the soil’s organic matter isn't like a child's science fair volcano that fizzes up quickly and then stops. It's a long-term process.
The enzymes continue strengthening the soil for six weeks or more after application. Once the soil reaches full strength, the enzymes enter a dormant state. However, the soil does not soften or separate; it stays hard and compacted.
Should you need to make a minor repair to the treated road due to heavy traffic, flooding, or any other reason, you can reactivate the enzymes by ripping up the top couple inches of soil, applying a mixture of water and a little Perma-Zyme, and reworking the soil. But you’ll find that you rarely—if ever—need to make repairs.
See how real roads have held up 10, 20, or even 30 years after a Perma-Zyme treatment.
Perma-Zyme works best with clay. That's because clay has a high organic content, which means the enzymes can react with plenty of material and create a strong bond in the soil. So, Perma-Zyme requires soil that contains 15% to 80% clay particles, also called cohesive fines.
It's ideal if your soil has a mixture of these fine particles and larger particles like silt, sand, and gravel. The enzymes will bond the clay around these larger particles, creating structure and increasing the overall shear strength of the soil up to 13 times.
However, some soils contain too much sand, silt, or gravel to work with Perma-Zyme on their own. That's okay. If soil does not contain enough clay, you can make it compatible by adding limestone or decomposed granite.
Ironically, some soil contains too much clay to work well with Perma-Zyme. The clay particles bond with the enzymes, but without larger particles in the soil to increase its shear strength, the treated soil will have more difficulty supporting the weight of traffic. In that case, simply mix gravel into the soil.
Making these soil adjustments is reasonably affordable, and many customers say they save enough time and money on maintenance that Perma-Zyme pays for itself within a year.
To set each customer up for success, we conduct a #200 Finder Soil Evaluation free of charge to ensure that their soil will work with Perma-Zyme.
Ready to check your soil’s compatibility with Perma-Zyme? Request your free #200 Finder Soil Evaluation today.
A common misconception about Perma-Zyme is that it’s just like paving, because Perma-Zyme creates a hard, concrete-like surface. However, it is not the same as paving. An unpaved dirt or gravel road will still look and feel like an unpaved road—because that's what it is.
Learn more about this and other truths as we bust the top seven Perma-Zyme myths.
Perma-Zyme is made from a proprietary blend of ingredients. Those and our whole manufacturing process are a trade secret, so we can't tell you everything. But we can tell you some of the basics.
We manufacture Perma-Zyme in our facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. We mix the enzymes and other ingredients, allowing the mixture to blend for about three days before the enzymes are ready to perform on the jobsite.
Get more information on how Perma-Zyme is made and our quality control process.
The most popular use for Perma-Zyme is to stabilize unpaved roads, preventing potholes, ruts, washboarding, erosion, and other issues. The second most popular use is to create a subbase for paved roads. After treating native soil to strengthen it, customers can add a layer of asphalt or chipseal, creating paved roads at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
But, why stop there? You can use Perma-Zyme for other types of projects, too!
Customers in heavy industries use Perma-Zyme for projects like oil and gas pads, parking areas, storage pads, utility facilities, solar pads, and more. Perma-Zyme is effective for heavy equipment and truck traffic in areas like mines, quarries, and logging sites. Plus, its dust suppressant qualities help improve visibility and safety.
Finally, small businesses, local governments, and private landowners can use Perma-Zyme for projects including walkways, slopes, landscaping, ponds, playgrounds, and more.
Check out more than a dozen practical ways you can make Perma-Zyme work for you.
Perma-Zyme is a soil stabilizer that both hardens and binds soil particles. When its enzyme proteins chemically react with organic matter in clay-based soil, they permanently bond clay particles together.
For soils with too little or too much clay, it’s very affordable to adjust your soil with limestone, decomposed granite, or aggregate. (And the time and money you save on maintenance will more than make up for it!)
Perma-Zyme creates a hard, concrete-like surface. It won’t be just like driving on asphalt, but it will increase the lifespan of your project. Perma-Zyme lasts 10 years or more with little to no maintenance.
Ready to start your Perma-Zyme journey? Request your personalized quote today.
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