I've done a few pieces (a buffet turned bookcase, banquette, dresser and nightstand) and I'm about to do a new table (yeah .. new but purchased at an outlet store ... don't like the color) all with high quality paint (either Fine Paints of Europe Eco Satin or Ben Moore Aura) and an awesome brush (Omega, available from FPE) and I've been thrilled with the results. Nary a brushstroke in sight. It may be a different story when I attempt the table which will require very LONG brushstrokes, but I really think it's all in the paint. As long as you use a good paint with great self-leveling characteristics you'll have a nice finish. As an alternative to spending a lot of money on tools you may not use again, have you looked into having it professional sprayed? I have no idea how much that costs, but it might be better than investing a lot into very specific tools. That table is going to be gorgeous, by the way.

No such machine was used... They poured the entire garage at once which lasted from 8:15am-8:45am.. From that point until 1pm they were working the concrete by hand.. This is a quick shot of what they were doing: I just really can't believe that this company would allow this.. They are a higher end company and they do most of their work in high end neighborhoods.. I am actually getting a little concerned that its not even.. I went over while at work to take a quick pic but got their late and it was already dark.. I left the headlights of my car on and took a pic.. I can't tell if its the lighting combined with the trowel marks, but it almost looks like ripples.. This is what it looks like: At this point I don't know what to even do.. I feel like every time they get to the next stage I have to question what my options are because it wasn't done right.. I know I am not building a mansion or some multi million dollar home, but I just feel like I probably could have done a better job myself and I have absolutely no experience.. I know it's easy to second guess people, but I feel like this is not an acceptable finish.. I talked with a few people and they said there is no real way to "repair" this.. They would have to hammer it all out and pour again.. I had contemplated doing an epoxy finish but I don't even know if that would solve this.. Im sure it would help the finish look, but if this floor is in fact not level I am not sure an epoxy coating will level it out.. I am nervous to even go down to the basement.. I only saw a small portion from the upper level (no stairs installed yet) and everything was covered.. I can only assume the basement slab looks the same..

Yes I know how to do it. It involves 2 coats. For example, I did a built-in pantry cabinet so it looks like the top coat of color has faded. I ONLY use Old Village Paints - my family has been using it for 150 years inside and outside. (That Annie Sloan stuff is over-priced for what it is and does NOT hold up to hard use like a table or cabinetry in a kitchen.) If you can find a color you like, I would recommend the Old Village Buttermilk line of paints to get that "been around for 100 years" look. Their paints last for decades and take all kinds of wear both interior and exterior. OVP makes what they call "goopy paint" which gives a good base color. You can use a regular paint but make sure it is well applied. (1) Step 1 - undercoat. I used black. (2) Step 2 - top color. I used an OVP color called Rittenhouse Red and reduced it to a glaze of 2 parts paint to 1 part distilled water. You use a sponge brush to apply the over-color. You have to slide and glide the color on thinly and unevenly so the undercoat comes through by changing the over-coat or bleeding through. (Or you can put on the 2nd coat straight and spend a lot of time with sand paper.....uh no thank you. I prefer my sponge brush but will admit that I am a trained studio artist and work in oils.) (3) Step 3 and 4 -- finishing coat. You want something durable on a table. Wax is not gonna hold up that well - at least not without having to redo it periodically. Please NO poly garbage -- it will deteriorate over time and get greyish and nasty - also looks like a plastic finish which would not be the way an old piece looks. Go with a gel varnish -- either OVP's clear glaze or Bartley's Clear Glaze. Neither are high gloss unless you put on 3 coats or more. Both hold up and are bullet proof. Do at least 2 coats.

I don't think you would use standard joint compound and tape. This is from the wikipedia entry for cement board -- the section on installation. You should apparently use silicone sealant and fiberglass tape for seams, etc. "... These joints are then filled with silicone sealant or the manufacturer's taping compounds before applying a finish. The filled joints are taped like conventional gypsum board, but with fiberglass tapes that provide additional water resistance. Combined with a water impermeable finish, cement board is a stable, durable backing board."