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My uncle insisted I needed a $200 moisture meter before tiling my bathroom floor
He's been a contractor for 30 years, so I listened and bought one. I was about to just slap the mortar down, but the meter showed the concrete slab was way too damp, like 85% relative humidity. I would have had a total failure in a few months. I ended up having to seal the floor with a specific primer and wait a whole extra week for it to dry properly. It was annoying at the time, but now the tile is perfect, no cracks or hollow spots. Honestly, I would have skipped it to save cash and time. Has anyone else had a tool they almost didn't buy save their project?
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lee5826h ago
Okay but 85% humidity on a slab, is that really a guaranteed failure? I've seen plenty of tile go down on damp concrete and it holds up fine for years. Sometimes these tools just make you overthink things and buy more products. Your uncle's advice is solid, but I wonder if the primer was the real fix, not the meter telling you to wait.
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blairm776h ago
Actually, that high humidity can corrode the metal lath under the tile.
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