Showerthought: Heard a guy at the supply house in Tacoma say he never uses a moisture meter on slabs
He was picking up adhesive and told his buddy that after 20 years, he can just feel a damp slab with his hand. That's a fast track to a callback and a lawsuit. I had a job in Everett last year where the meter read 85% on a 'dry' basement pour, and the homeowner's insurance would have nailed us if we'd laid that LVP. Who still thinks skipping basic steps is a flex?
Honestly, the bigger risk is that his hand might feel a dry surface, but there's vapor drive coming up from below. A meter checks the whole picture, not just the top skin. That hidden moisture is what actually breaks down the adhesive over time.
So what happens when his hand feels fine but there's moisture wicking up from a crack he can't see? That's the whole point of the meter... it finds what you can't feel. That 85% reading you got proves it. His way is just guessing, and guessing with someone else's house.