I've been part of a Residential Home's purchase of 8mm cork glue down cork tiles in their common area. The tiles were site finished with 2 coats of Loba 2K Supra AT. The cork is thick with natural energy absorbing abilities. The Loba 2K Supra AT is a HIGH GRIP product - even when damp. An elderly resident fell from a standing position. They landed heavily on their hip. They were taken to EMERG for X-Rays. There was no sign of a break. The resident was Dx with a 'deep bone bruise' and sent home to rest. The Home's director stated that previous falls of that nature usually have resulted in broken bones. This was the first time the home had seen a serious fall that did not result in broken bones. The cork was the difference maker. Cork is finicky but can be made super tough without compromising on aesthetics. It can be used INSTEAD OF carpet. In fact it is a 'carpet replacement' product. When done properly it can last 130+ years (Library of Congress received their cork floor in 1890's....it is STILL THERE...in it's original state).

OK...the 'wood look' cork options you chose = photograph of wood. If you want grippier, then go with the natural look of cork...not something that has a photograph on it. Whatever you choose, go with natural cork. Can you load photos of what samples you picked? I can tell which one's they are just by the photos...and I'll tell you more about them (I worked with iCork for years...so I've got their stuff down!). The rubber you are looking at in the link = rubberized work out mats...in a roll format. They MUST BE a MINIMUM of 15ft long x 4ft wide to purchase. That's going to be 200+ pounds per roll. Now to the issue of ODOUR....Did you click on the link for 'Clean Rubber' on the page you listed? Zoinks! Rubber Flooring Safety: 5 Questions - Flooring Inc Here's where your questions are answered....and here's what they say (direct from the link I gave = the manufacturer's OWN RECOMMENDATIONS...ahem....listen carefully to THEIR ADVICE): Close to the TOP of the Blog, they say THIS: Natural Rubber Natural rubber is created by using the sap of rubber trees, known as Hevea Brasiliensis. This sap is also known as latex. As you may be aware, latex allergies are fairly common, so a natural rubber product is actually not safe for everyone. If you’re using a rubber product in a location that might expose others to the material, it’s best to stick to synthetic rubber. in the last third of the document here is the answer YOU NEED TO KNOW: Is it Safe? If you’re installing rubber in an enclosed space with poor ventilation, then off-gassing can create an uncomfortable environment, especially for people with breathing sensitivities, such as asthma. If you don’t want to deal with off-gassing, then you can purchase our virgin rubber tiles, which don’t really off-gas. Ouch! And here are the PRICES for Virgin Rubber tiles: Search Results (rubberflooringinc.com) Boom! We START at $12/sf (ouch...can't...breathe....must...get...help....;-) OK...I took some comedic license with that last comment...but you get the idea. Your 300sf is considered 'enclosed space with poor ventilation'. The roll you are looking at is going to STINK to high-heaven. And I, or someone like me, would NEVER be able to spend time in a home with this type of flooring in it. Regardless of where it is, my LATEX ALLERGY would cause a VERY dangerous reaction = ambulance + ER visit + medication + off work for 14-30 days because of inflamed lungs (I won't get into the idea of pneumonia...I'm not that cruel). Latex is AIR BORNE. If you get contact dermatitis from it you can have LUNG tissue inflammation (the 'itis' on the end of words just means 'swelling of'). And that gets dangerous. I've worked out in situations with this cr@p and I had to leave inside of 10 minutes. Thankfully the MEDICAL DISCHARGE papers got me out of the gym membership. If you want this stuff, and you are afraid of the smell, go ahead and order samples...and then put the samples close to your nose (put it on a string and wear it around your neck....nope....not kidding) and see how you like the effects. Super easy and you can do it without leaving your home.

Sorry but Steve Grimes is incorrect. And Ms. Shively is suggesting a rubber product that is foul smelling and is not ranked for 'indoor' use. Cork floating floor can be used. It is relatively cheap ($4 - $12/sf...depending on what you buy and the quality you choose to work with). As a cork flooring expert, I've helped put in floating cork (click together) AND glue-down cork tiles in home gyms AND professional gyms. Cork can handle whatever you throw at it...it just depends on WHAT you want to throw at it. If you are doing power lifting with free weights (300+ pound clean and jerk???) then you want to work with 8mm glue down tiles = biggest baddest meanest most expensive cork floor on the market. Something like that will offer 150 YEARS of service...and counting. If you want an elliptical trainer and a tread mill and a weight training station then work with a decent quality cork floating floor. That's all you need. The durability of the finish rides with the MANUFACTURER. Like every thing, not all cork floors are created equal. The big names have some big finishes with MASSIVE price tags. Those could be over kill for you...or it could be EXACTLY what you need. Let us know a bit MORE about what you want in your gym, how big the floor space and if you want NOISE control as well. I'll keep an eye out for this thread to see if I can help narrow down your choices. First...what are some of the BRANDS you are looking at right now?

IMO if the concrete is in bad shape no new flooring until that is fixed . IMO LVP probably the cheapest and most forgiving on that old concrete itf you install that there are many low VOC ones now . Do not use the garage door at if the plan is for living space so should not affect the flooring . I would not do carpet tiles only area rugs in there . If this will be a sleepove space at some point do you have a bathroom planned ?