To begin, I'm going to mention what you already know - water heaters spring leaks and sump pumps fail. A bursting pipe is not a situation you can guard against. Before you choose any flooring for a basement, consideration to minimizing future water intrusion is practical. Here are some thoughts. Have a "pan" placed below the water heater. Properly installed one will direct water from a leaking water tank to a floor drain. They really aren't expensive - $25 or so - but the water heater will need to be drained, disconnected and lifted into the pan. A back-up for your sump pump. Most are battery operated but there are also ones which can be powered via city water pressure. Now to flooring. I'm with you about something removable in the event of water so I personally stay away from wall-to-wall carpeting. I'm not familiar with the product you mentioned but without adhesive, any future moisture will seep under the tiles and spread. Removing and drying an entire floor does not appeal to me. In our basement, we installed vinyl tile but used mastak rather than the stick-down adhesive. And we have area rugs too. Surprisingly, the vinyl tiles insulate the concrete somewhat and many guests have been comfotable at the bar in stocking feet. You might want to purchase a small quantity and do a test without actually installing them. You're on the right course, considering alternatives first. Good luck with your basement. Here is a link that might be useful: Our Basement/Bar

It's fine for an RV toilet. It won't do anything for a home toilet on city sewer. If you have a septic, additives are counterproductive, at best - if they do anything at all, they serve to break up the necessary top layer, sending it out into your drainfield - terrible idea.

I am interested in Genesis Hardwood Rare Earth floors mainly for their eco-friendliness and price point. Has anyone ever used this brand? Any experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Jules, there are quite a few threads here on solid surface, just do a search in the box of the bathrooms forum for Solid Surface and choose "in bathrooms." Look for some of the threads with more entries, even if they are old. We have been posting on a couple of threads about solid surfaces and what they are and aren't for years. It is a lot easier to direct people there than to go through the discussion all over again. "Kohler Choreograph?" is the title of one, and another says something about Solid Surface versus Onyx Collection versus some other ones.