Yes. It can.
When the assembly is properly selected, the concrete substrate is properly prepared, and the building’s acoustic requirements are understood, vinyl flooring with attached pad can be installed over RHINO Sound Control.
That is the short answer.
The confusion usually starts when someone points to a vinyl product and says, “It already has pad attached and it’s rated IIC 72 or 73, so no additional underlayment can be used.”
That statement is incomplete at best.
IIC Ratings Do Not Belong to a Flooring Product Alone
This is the point that matters most.
An IIC rating is not the rating of a vinyl floor by itself.
It is the rating of the entire tested floor-ceiling assembly.
That assembly may include:
- the finished floor
- the attached pad
- the underlayment
- the concrete slab
- the ceiling system below
- insulation
- resilient channels
- drywall layers
When a vinyl manufacturer advertises an IIC 72 or 73 result, that number is typically achieved under controlled laboratory conditions using a full test assembly. In many cases, that assembly includes a suspended ceiling system below.
Most high-rise condominiums do not have that condition.
They typically have an 8-inch concrete slab separating units, with no suspended ceiling assembly below.
That difference matters.
A lab-tested assembly with a suspended ceiling can produce a much higher IIC result than the same flooring installed in a real condominium without that ceiling. So when a sales rep or contractor treats the flooring product itself as though it carries an IIC rating on its own, they are not describing the acoustics correctly.
Why This Matters in Condominiums
Condominium acoustic requirements are based on real building conditions, not ideal lab setups.
An attached pad on vinyl flooring may help with minor comfort and surface sound, but it does not provide the mass and density typically required to control impact sound transmission through a concrete structure in a multi-family building.
That is why many condo boards, property managers, and consultants require a separate acoustic underlayment that has been tested for the actual building type.
This is also why a flooring product that looks acceptable on paper may still be unsuitable for a high-rise installation if the test assembly does not reflect the actual structure.
RHINO Sound Control Was Designed for This Type of Assembly
RHINO Sound Control is a dense recycled rubber acoustic underlayment developed specifically for multi-family construction.
It has been:
- lab tested
- field tested
- reviewed by acoustic engineers
- tested over an 8-inch concrete slab with no suspended ceiling
That distinction is important.
RHINO Sound Control is not relying on a ceiling assembly below to inflate performance. It is designed for the condition most condominium owners, contractors, and property managers are actually dealing with.
This is one of the reasons it continues to be specified and required in thousands of buildings.
“But the Manufacturer Says Do Not Install Additional Underlayment”
This is another area where context matters.
Many flooring manufacturers include broad language such as:
- “Do not install over additional underlayment”
- “Do not use underlayments over 1.5 mm”
- “Do not double underlay”
Those statements exist for a reason. Manufacturers are trying to prevent installations over soft, compressive, cushion-type underlays that may affect the locking system, create movement, or contribute to edge failure.
That concern is valid.
But it does not automatically mean that every dense acoustic underlayment is unsuitable for a condominium installation.
A dense recycled rubber underlayment is not the same as a soft, plush, highly deflective cushion. RHINO Sound Control is designed to remain stable under load and not behave like a spongy foam layer beneath the floor.
So the real question is not simply whether there is “another layer” under the vinyl.
The real question is: what kind of layer is it, and was it designed for this purpose?
Real-World Installation Conditions Matter More Than Brochure Language
In our field experience, the biggest threats to a vinyl floor installation are often not the acoustic underlayment at all.
They are usually:
- subfloor flatness
- site conditions
- improper installation practices
Over years of field inspections and testing, one issue has remained consistent:
condominium concrete slabs rarely meet the flatness requirements demanded by vinyl flooring manufacturers without preparation.
Most vinyl flooring manufacturers require subfloor flatness in the range of:
- 3/16 inch over 10 feet, or
- 1/8 inch over 6 feet
That level of flatness usually requires correction. In practice, this often means applying levelling materials before installation.
Humidity is another overlooked issue. During winter months in Toronto, interior relative humidity in many condominiums falls well below the range many flooring manufacturers recommend. That alone can place an installation outside ideal warranty conditions before a single plank is laid.
So when warranty language is discussed, the conversation should be honest.
The presence of a dense acoustic underlayment is rarely the only variable, and often not the main one.
Proven Use Under Vinyl Flooring with Attached Pad
RHINO Sound Control has been used beneath vinyl flooring with attached pad across more than 1,000,000 square feet of installations.
That includes vinyl products in the approximate 5 mm to 8 mm range installed over 4 mm RHINO Sound Control.
The reason this has worked in practice is straightforward:
- RHINO is dense
- it does not behave like a soft foam cushion
- it is intended for concrete multi-family assemblies
- it is used where acoustic control is actually required
Just as importantly, RHINO has been used in these conditions with zero claims pertaining to the underlayment.
That track record matters.
What Condo Owners Have Said
"When we decided to replace our carpeting with vinyl flooring in our high-rise condo, we started by reviewing our building’s flooring rules with property management.
After speaking with several big box stores and flooring dealers, we were told Rhino Sound Control should not be installed under vinyl flooring because the product already had pad attached.
At the same time, some of those same stores were willing to install underlayment if it was their own product, which we found confusing.
We were then referred to The Floor Studio, and the difference was clear right away. Their team explained how acoustic flooring systems work in condominium buildings and helped us understand what our building required.
This was never properly explained by the other flooring companies we spoke with.
The Floor Studio connected us with a local Rhino Sound Control dealer who installed an 8mm vinyl floor in full compliance with our condo rules.
The floor looks amazing, and we were especially impressed that a representative from The Floor Studio attended during installation to make sure everything was working together as intended.
That level of service was unexpected and very reassuring.
In the end, we realized the original stores simply did not have the right knowledge when it came to acoustic underlayments for condo flooring.
We are extremely pleased with the final result and very grateful for the guidance we received." Elysa, 219 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, Canada
What Contractors Have Said
"As a professional flooring installer and refinisher of 15 years I have had the opportunity to work with our industries top brands.
RHINO Sound Control FIIC 70 stands above all acoustic underlayment’s in their field. Installing RHINO ensures I meet my clients condo acoustic requirement. This includes installing 5mm-8mm vinyl floors with a 1.5mm foam or rubber backing, engineered and laminate flooring on several projects.
There has been much deliberation about installing vinyl flooring over RHINO. Ensure the subfloor is flat and the products click system is decent quality and there will be no issue. I know this because I have been successful on every project when I’ve installed 5 or 6mm vinyl flooring over RHINO Sound Control.
Great product, well priced, easy to get a hold of and will easily recommend it to my next customer."
Levi's Flooring
The Clarification
For anyone who has been told, “You cannot install vinyl flooring with pad attached over RHINO Sound Control,” that statement is too broad to be reliable.
The more accurate answer is this:
Yes, vinyl flooring with attached pad can be installed over RHINO Sound Control, provided the floor assembly, substrate preparation, and acoustic requirements are properly understood.
What should not happen is this:
- treating an IIC number as though it belongs to the flooring product alone
- assuming a laboratory ceiling assembly exists in a high-rise condo when it does not
- giving condominium advice without understanding how the tested assembly was built
That is where confusion starts.
What We Recommend Before Installation
Before any condominium vinyl flooring installation proceeds, the following should be confirmed:
- the building’s acoustic requirement
- the exact flooring product being proposed
- the concrete substrate flatness
- the suitability of the floor for multi-family use
- the difference between a soft cushion underlay and a dense acoustic underlayment
- the test assembly behind any advertised IIC number
These are the items that protect the installation, not marketing language alone.
Final Word
Vinyl flooring with attached pad is not automatically unsuitable for use over RHINO Sound Control.
In fact, it is installed over RHINO regularly in condominium applications where acoustic performance actually matters.
The key is understanding the assembly, not repeating a brochure line.
If the project is in a high-rise condominium, the right question is not,
“Does the floor have a pad attached?”
The right question is,
“Was this entire assembly designed and tested for the building it is going into?”
Note: RHINO Sound Control recommends that all flooring products be installed in accordance with the flooring manufacturer’s published installation guidelines. This article simply reflects the fact that more than 1 million square feet of vinyl flooring has been successfully installed over RHINO Sound Control. The Floor Studio and RHINO Sound Control warrant only their own products. They do not warrant flooring products manufactured by others, nor do they warrant installations carried out by third-party or independent installers.