Concrete

Self levelling compound from any hardware store. Make a former round the slab a few mm higher than the slab. Mix the compound as per directions and pour.

When pouring concrete, you need to go over the surface with a flat metal trowel to bring the 'fat' to the surface and get a smooth finish.

>>1028683
Looks like it was really dry when you started to brush it around. You can rent a concrete grinder that will make it smooth now. You can use a large broom. Or if its small enough a 2x4.

>>1028685
I'm liking this idea. I did go over my slab with a trowel, but the big chunks in the Quickrete 5000 made a smooth finish problematic no matter how many times I went over it.

>>1028688

>big chunks

I don't know anything about quickcrete but are you talking about the aggregate or dry poorly mixed chunks in concrete?

Even with 3/4" aggregate you can get a smooth finish because the sand and concrete get "pulled" to the surface

>>1028704
I believe it is an aggregate, so if what you're saying is true, then I fucked up. So what's the secret? Troweling over and over again till smooth?

Topping mix bro. Trust me

>>1028707

Pretty much. Unless it was way too dry. Even a poorly mixed kind of dry mix, water will "pull" to the top when passed over with anything.

There is a bit of a technique and understanding you need to have to make it right so the best thing is to practice some small slabs, even 10"x10"x3" will give you an understanding, and refine your technique.

If you aren't using ANY steel and it is to be a walk way I would advise using some BRC or steel mesh. When you lay it down you can use stones to elevate it to the center of the pour because you want to encase the steel and isolate it from ground water.

When you are smoothing you also need to wait until it has partially hardened before you smooth it out 100%. During the pour you will get it level and wrinkle free but the post pulling smoothing will be the surface finish.

In your OP the best you can do to rectify that on a budget is to grab a block break it up into hand sized chunks and use those to grind/sand it down.

I smooth floors and walls like that and it gets it smooth enough where you wouldn't bother with a diamond polisher unless you are doing terraza or some mall floor. You will still have those large dips because those will require heavy material removal.

Seconded on the sand topping mix. I did a sample piece and it turned out nice. Concrete resurfacer might work okay too.Funny I just used 21 bags of that stuff for a patio. The da!n yellow bag crap was easier to finish. The 5000 was hard to finish due to the gravel.

>Mix it well.
>Put in a little extra water.
>Mix/place it as fast as you can. Hand mixing is fucking slow and your shit starts setting up if you take too long.
>Screed it with a full length screed.
>Trowel the everloving shit out of it.
>Wait for it it to set up a little bit (maybe an hour) and trowel it some more and use a little water as lubricant.
>self leveling mix
>sand and polish it smooth
>epoxy

You can stop whenever you are satisfied with the results.

>>1029713
>stop whenever you want

>Mix it well
Well great, now I have a mixer full of cement. The guy at the rental counter sounded pretty pissed so I told him i hadto go to the bathroom and left a hot steamy one on the lid of the toilet before jumping out the window.

>>1028683
Go onto youtube and look up how to make concrete countertops. What I've noticed is that using a melamine board will give you a fairly smooth top, but depending on the mix, additives, etc you may have to do some grinding/sanding

>>1029802
Disregard that. I should've asked… is this slab just sitting on the ground or is it just a slab of concrete?

>>1028683
Worst case ontario anon, there is such a thing called a concrete polisher. There is probably a place in your area to rent shit like that. I used one that cost 100 bucks for a day to rent and I did a decent job in about 4 hours. I was even able to set the perfect crossfall and I am not a finisher by any means.

>>1029732
pizazzle

>>1028683
don't use quickcrete get ballast and cement and mix it yourself quickcrete is shit.

>>1029971

Second on quickrete is shit, anytime i have to use it i buy a couple bags of portland cement and add a shovel full of it per bag of quickrete

>>1028707
you need one of those 'lawnmower fans', or use a long 2x4 and jiggle it on the framing. And make sure you mix the fuck outta it, and get it to soup consistancy.

Portland/selfleveling overlay may crack off later, and if its up north where it freezes, it will start to come off in plates. If she wants it smooth as glass, then look into getting it acid bathed or a concrete pro out there to go over it with a terrazzo diamond pad. Otherwise, if she lookin for barefoot walking without hurtin feet, get an anglegrinder, a very good dustmask, and a thickwirewheel attachment that faces the same direction as the shaft, and go to town.