Vinyl directly on concrete is a poor choice as in most basements there is a constant pressure of water vapour that will lift the tiles or create mildew/mould problems. Ditto linoleum with a natural jute backing.

Concrete grinders can be rented that will smooth the concrete or even polish the whole thing like a jewel. Or you can just smooth it and cover in a latex concrete floor paint.

To get an idea of the price to smooth your floor, contact a terrazzo contractor. They can wet grind concrete very smooth with no dust.

That never occurred to me - to see what a pro would charge to smooth out the edges (even the whole floor). Thanks! I thought vinyl was good for basements (or at least okay to use there) b/c of watching too many home improvement shows where they've put the vinyl "wood" strips on the floor, saying it was a better option than laminate flooring.

I think smoothing + epoxy paint will be a good solution.

Thanks!
-Pam

Make sure they use water when grinding, cement contains silica and is not meant to be breathed in ( it never leaves your lungs) Have them shop vac the water as they grind it will be messy till they are done

I thought vinyl was good for basements (or at least okay to use there) b/c of watching too many home improvement shows where they've put the vinyl "wood" strips on the floor, saying it was a better option than laminate flooring.

I want to scream every time I see this hunk from Canuckistan finish a basement using fiberglass insulation and a vapour barrier.

Vinyl in a basement over a proper underlayment such as Delta FL is unaffected by moisture and resistant to mould.

This post was edited by worthy on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 12:24