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?

2 comments

2 Comments

blakefox10d ago

Man, that's rough. My buddy out in Rio Rancho had the exact same thing happen, his dad gave him the same desert logic. Laid a whole patio without a barrier. Two years later, half the tiles were popping and white crap was everywhere. The soil here might be dry on top, but that slab is sucking moisture from somewhere. Your dad's advice works for some things, but not this. Gonna be a real pain to fix.

anthony88310d ago

That's a fair point about moisture coming up from below. Seen that too. But a proper base of compacted road base and sand can drain well enough out here. The key is getting the slope right so water doesn't pool under the pavers at all.