When you are laying the foundation for a home, business, or other permanent structure, you need to take steps to make sure the foundation is dry and will stay that way for as long as possible. There are lots of ways to make sure that happens, including choosing your site wisely and using proper grading and site preparation to make sure as little water reaches the base of your structure as possible.

However, keeping your wall and foundation perfectly dry by using those solutions is not possible. One reason is that you don’t always get to choose your building site. The lot is what it is, and only so much can be accomplished through grading and other water diversion efforts. Sometimes you just have to work to turn your foundation wall into a fortress that is prepared to stand up to hydrostatic pressure and surface water.

One solution in this situation is the use of dimple boards such as GeoMat Dimple Board for wall drainage.

What is dimple board?

Dimple board and other similar products are exactly what their name implies. When you look at the material, it is covered with dimples or spots that stick up like small mounds. When dimple board is properly installed against the concrete wall, these dimples help promote the flow of water away from your foundation and the building site, through drainage you have planned in advance.

The dimples and dimple board keep the ground outside awaye from your poured concrete wall, preventing the intrusion of water via hydrostatic pressure.

Where is dimple board installed?

Dimple board and similar construction materials are installed around the exterior of your poured concrete foundation. The board is mechanically affixed to the exterior wall so that it covers the entire wall from the base to the level where your finished foundation will be visible, also known as final grade height.

Permanently fastened by mechanical means including screws or bolts, or with liquid adhesives, there should be a tight bond between the back of the dimple board and the foundation, with no space for rain or below surface water to get in and stand next to the foundation.

This wrapping acts like a raincoat around your foundation. With careful planning and the use of additional waterproofing methods and tools, dimple board can be part of a flawless waterproofing plan for your next project.

Geo-Mat is one example of dimple board or drainage board.