Rant: my dad told me to skip the vapor barrier under my new tile floor
He's a contractor in Phoenix and swore up and down that with our dry climate, a vapor barrier under tile in a slab-on-grade house was a waste of money and time. He said, 'You're in the desert, not Seattle.' So I listened, saved the $200 on materials, and laid the tile directly on the slab in my kitchen. Fast forward eight months, and I'm seeing efflorescence and a few tiles starting to feel loose. A buddy who does tile here in ABQ came over, took one look, and said the moisture from the slab is wicking up. Now I'm looking at pulling up a section to fix it. Has anyone else in the Heights or similar areas had this happen, or was my dad's advice just flat wrong for our specific soil?