We used those rubber mat squares in our weightroom, this might be an option for a kids' play area. You could also get them in multi-colors in bulk packs from the discount warehouse stores. But, doing a whole basement in this wouldn't be very attractive.

The rest of our basement is an industrial berber, very low pile & easy to clean, takes a lot of foot traffic well. Our upstairs is all hardwood, so we didn't think it would be too much problem to have it downstairs. My favorite is always hardwood or tile, but that doesn't quite fit in the economical category.

Hi there

I am in a similar situation, kids and all, and I am going with floating cork panel.

I will seal my basement first so that compounds will not leach out from the concrete and degrade my flooring or the plastic I am laying down first. Then, as suggested by a dealer, I will lay down two layers of heavy gage plastic with seams overlapping and taped. The plastic will go up the wall a couple of inches for insurance. On top of this I will place the floating cork. It is a tongue and groove installation that is not glued or nailed to the floor. I am looking at Ceres, Wiccanders, and Natural Cork as they all carry floating cork and are environmentally sound.

I am choosing this as a way of softening and warming up the floor. I am also installing a ventilation fan that can bring in fresh air year round (It preheats the air in the winter) to ensure my investment is further protected. I live in a very wet area so I am taking this extra step.

I don't know anyone else who has done this, but I am committed since I need to improve the floor and have such low ceilings that I want a very low profile solution. This is the best solution I could come up with after a lot of reasearch. Also, this is an underground house, so we can't escape to a nicer upstairs. Thus my willingness to invest in a higher end flooring product.

Sorry for the long-windedness, but I thought someone might find it useful!

Good luck,
Grace

When we bought our place, we pulled up the revolting old basement carpet and put down higher-end vinyl tiles. We bought the thicker tiles that came in varying patterns to mimic natural terra cotta stone, and it really does look nice. Because of the variation in pattern, it doesn't have the usual "every square looks the same" issue.

I believe we paid about $300 for approx. 400 sq. ft. worth of tile. I'm not sure how that would compare to rubber or cork.

For the children's play areas, you could use berber carpet pieces or even the newer indoor/outdoor rugs that you can just hose off.

"I will lay down two layers of heavy gage plastic with seams overlapping and taped. "

I would rethink this. Concrete is semi-permeable to water vapour. The average home basement floor brings in 12-18 gallons of water daily. The plastic will only trap the moisture that naturally comes up through the slab and eventually you'll have mould problems.