I know around 95% of the corkies here think it's great, but I'm having a little trouble deciding if its going to be regretted as a flooring in a kitchen. We have only a cat, so the worst issues would be water leaks from dishwashers, etc, or lots of detrius (small rocks or wet leaves) before we can get our shoes off from the outside. We also see very little date on Consumer Reports, but did note the Lisbon is rated as poor in most areas. Home Depot doesn't recommend cork, and they have only a few samples in their back area..definitely needing a floating floor, with all the potential problems with the subfloor being uneven-our whole house is. Instead of everyone bragging about how great it is, how bout a scale rating for different mills/brands/lines...there aren't that many out there, specifically for consumers rather than buyers wanting to sound 'smart'. It would be interesting to see links. My guess is all this blather will fall apart when using it in a kitchen, but we still like the look of Earth Concepts Natural-very swirly, like burled elm.

See previous reply. Unless you're in the desert or have taken measures to alleviate the moisture drive upwards through your concrete floor, I would avoid installing vinyl directly on the basement floor. Delta FL (or equivalent) followed by LVT or carefully chosen laminate could be an economical alternative.

Finished concrete (like epoxy) or porcelain. Nothing else is in the 'water proof' category. Rubber flooring will work (with a horrible smell and HORRENDOUS price tag) but it has been known to soak up mold if it gets wet. Sheet vinyl will work for the dumbbells. Your requirements will prevent you from looking at other products. You will need to pick a #1 requirement and then shop for that ONE requirement. You will choose the product that best fits all the other requirements. For instance, cork is great in basements but is not water proof. It is great for denting...but it will dimple. Etc. As you can see it fits many things but not all. Pick #1 concern and then find something that kinda/sorta/maybe fits your other issues.

The cost of a PROPERLY laid micro-topping that is then polished/ground to a high-level finish will depend on whether or not the current slab has an existing/functional moisture barrier. Some of the SUPER HIGH END microtoppings that are DESIGNED to be polished (no epoxy coating) to a super-dense finish, are very expensive. They can take close to 2 weeks to grind down the existing slab, then put down a moisture barrier (spray-in-place x 2 coats), then primed, then the micro-topping is put in and then all the grinding to get a closed-pore floor that is almost impervious to stains and etching (almost...but not quite). And a professional concrete flooring specialist isn't cheap. The level of "polish" will determine your costs. For a DIY level finish = $5/sf (which stains and etches and takes ++maintenance and ++ polish/wax). A medium grade finish (professional level) WITHOUT the microtopping = $7-$10/sf. A high-end (almost bullet proof finish) which includes the microtopping = $15 - $20/sf. And then the actual costs will depend on your location and the ease of access to all of the products/professionals you need. If you are rural without access to a large city, then the cost is going to go up. If you are in an urban location with LOW wages, then you are set for the lower range that I've listed. If you are in an EXPENSIVE urban location (think NYC) then you are in for the HIGHEST range I've listed. But until you decide which type of FINISH you are after, we can't help much more than that.