Finishing Basement floor by using a self-leveling overlay

Q. Hi. My basement floor is painted and has sections that are lower by an inch or so. I would like to level, polish and stain it. I also am thinking about adding radiant heat depending on how much more work that entails. I do not know where to begin... Do I need to break up the existing floor? Can I just remove the paint and put down leveler? Any guidance and detailed input would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank you very much.

A. You would have to remove the paint either by grinding it off or using a paint stripper.

Once you have the paint removed you can use a product by CTS Cement called RapidSet TRU PC. This is a self leveling concrete product that can be polished and stained.

If you're going to install radiant heat, you can also use the RapidSet Tru, it would just be thicker. You would want to go about 1/2" over the top of the radiant heat tubes. This could start getting pricey depending on your square footage.

If you have enough head room in your basement, another option would be to install 1" of styrofoam over the existing concrete floor. Attach the radiant heat tubes to the styrofoam and pour a new 3" concrete floor. This method does not require removing the paint on the floor.

After 30 days this new concrete floor can be polished and stained.