What can I do with a brushed finish?

[Jevehn]

Hey All,

I've got a brushed finish in my garage, and I'm not a big fan of it. Since my garage needs to house 2 vehicles as well as my shop, I've got everything on casters. Casters + Brushed finish = crappy movement. It's also impossible to keep clean, as i can't effectively sweep it.

What can I do to smooth out my floor (preferrably on the cheap)? It's a 6" floating pad (rebar enforced), sitting on ~ 8-12" of compacted road crush (no vapor barrier). It looks like a big sidewalk, 4 control joints, and standard brush. It's ~ 18 months old, located in Alberta, Canada.

Can I grind it? Can I tile it? Can I use some kind of levelling compound? What's the best way to go?

J

 

[rsanter]

I would think that you can grind it or float it
I would prefer the grinding because it cannot delaminate
also once ground you will have a clean floor that will be ideal for stain or clear on it. the grinding may expose some of the agrigate which will give it a nice look

bob

 

[rannalf]

Yep, you can grind it, or put tiles down, like racedeck, etc.

 

[boiler7904]

Grinding is going to be your best option for all of the reasons Bob mentioned. The other reason is that the leveling compounds don't usually do to well with impact loads from things like dropped tools.