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Barrierboard acoustic wall panels: what Soundblock’s system can—and cannot—solve

Barrierboard is a 32 mm composite wall panel for improving separation between rooms and buildings. Its result depends on the complete wall assembly and noise path, so plumbing and structural transmission may need additional treatment.

By ThatPainter Team 18 October 2026
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Barrierboard is a 32 mm composite wall panel from Soundblock Solutions, made from two plasterboard layers with an acoustic isolation layer between them. It is intended to improve separation between rooms, apartments, commercial spaces or industrial areas, but the result depends on the complete wall assembly and the path the noise takes. It can be fixed to an existing wall, installed over furring channels or specified in new construction. A wall panel alone may not stop sound that bypasses the wall through plumbing, gaps or rigid structure.

What Barrierboard is

Soundblock Solutions describes Barrierboard as a composite panel comprising two layers of plasterboard with an acoustic isolation layer sandwiched between them. The panel is supplied as a wall-treatment component rather than as a promise of one universal noise-reduction result. Its performance is tied to the wall behind it, the way it is fixed, the surrounding construction and any paths that let sound travel around the treated surface.

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The system is aimed at situations where a separating wall needs more acoustic resistance without being completely rebuilt. Typical applications listed by the manufacturer include residential walls between apartments or rooms, commercial partitions and industrial separation walls. Those categories cover different noise sources and construction types, so the same panel specification should not be assumed to produce the same result in every building.

A concise description supplied by Soundblock Solutions is: “Barrierboard is a composite panel comprising two layers of plasterboard with an acoustic isolation layer sandwiched between them.”

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How it can be installed

There are three installation approaches identified in the current product information. The choice affects disruption, finished wall depth, access to services and the acoustic outcome.

Installation route Where it is used Key decision
Direct fixing Over an existing wall Useful when the existing surface can accept the system and the project seeks to avoid removing the original wall.
Furring channels Over a separated channel framework Creates a different wall assembly from direct fixing; the channel layout and connections become part of the acoustic design.
New construction Specified as part of a new partition or separating wall Allows the panel, framing, linings and service penetrations to be designed together from the outset.

“Direct” does not mean that every existing wall is suitable. The installer still has to check the substrate, locate studs or other fixing points, deal with skirtings and cornices, and decide how electrical, plumbing and ventilation penetrations will be treated. A channel installation can offer more control over the assembly but normally changes the amount of space taken from the room. In new work, the practical advantage is coordination: the wall can be designed around the required acoustic and building-code documentation instead of adapted after finishes are complete.

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Panel thickness and sizes

The manufacturer publishes a Barrierboard thickness of 32 mm. Listed panel sizes are:

  • 2700 × 1200 mm
  • 2400 × 1200 mm

Those are manufacturer-published product details, not an independent measurement of installed performance. They describe the board itself; trims, channels, additional linings, skirting changes and finishing materials can increase the finished build-up. Confirm the current specification, sheet availability and handling requirements before ordering, because product information can change and a quoted system may include more than the board.

What noise Barrierboard is intended to address

The strongest fit is a shared wall through which noise is travelling and where improving that wall assembly is practical. Examples include speech, television or other room-to-room disturbance in a dwelling, noise between apartments, and separation requirements in commercial or industrial partitions. The panel is not a standalone measurement of how quiet the receiving room will become; it is one part of a constructed barrier.

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Before choosing it, identify the transmission path. Sound can arrive through the wall face, but it can also use openings, junctions, floors, ceilings, ducts, pipework or other rigid connections. Treating only the visible wall can leave a bypass route untouched. This is why a site inspection and a description of the actual noise—when it occurs, where it is loudest and whether it changes when water or equipment is used—matter as much as the product name.

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How to interpret the published percentage claims

The 75% figure from 2008

An Architecture & Design article dated 1 January 2008 described Barrierboard as two sheets of different thickness separated by insulating material and reported that it could “reduce noise by 75%.” That number belongs to the article’s historical wording. It is not a current, universal guarantee for every wall, room or noise source, and it should not be used as a substitute for a tested rating of the assembly being proposed.

The manufacturer’s current “up to 90%” wording

Current Soundblock product information includes a separate “up to 90%” claim for some configurations while also stating that results depend on the existing wall construction and system configuration. The two percentages cannot be compared directly without the same test method, baseline, frequency range and wall assembly. A percentage reduction in sound pressure is also not interchangeable with a laboratory sound-transmission rating.

For a project that needs a defensible acoustic target, ask for the test or assessment that applies to the exact build-up: existing wall, framing or channels, board layers, junctions, penetrations and finish. A product brochure percentage may help describe potential, but it does not establish what a particular party wall will deliver.

Why the transmission path must be diagnosed first

A useful diagnosis starts with the location and character of the sound:

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  • If voices or television are strongest across the broad face of a shared wall, the wall assembly may be a significant path.
  • If noise is concentrated around a bathroom, riser or service cupboard, investigate pipework and penetrations before assuming the wall surface is the main problem.
  • If the sound is strongest at the floor, ceiling or side returns, flanking through connected construction may be involved.
  • If the noise changes when water flows, pumps run or equipment starts, record that pattern for the acoustic contractor; it points to a service or structure-related investigation.

These observations do not replace testing, but they prevent a common mistake: paying for a wall treatment when the dominant path is elsewhere. The proposed assembly should state which paths it addresses and which additional work is required at edges, outlets, pipes and adjoining construction.

What a pipe-noise dispute illustrates

The 2023 NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision Haramis v The Owners – Strata Plan No. 51923 [2023] NSWCATCD 15 records a dispute involving shower pipework embedded in a party wall. The quotation described in the decision included Barrierboard wall treatment and pipework treatment. It anticipated improvement in several locations, while noting that one remaining location might require opening the wall and isolating the pipe because the noise was travelling through rigid construction.

The Tribunal ordered remedial work to the common-property pipework and party wall in accordance with the quotation. This is a specific building dispute, not a product test and not a general legal rule for every strata scheme. Its practical lesson is broader: if the sound is carried by embedded services or rigid structure, a wall panel may need to be combined with work on the service or the structure. Ask the contractor to identify the suspected path rather than treating the case as proof of a fixed Barrierboard performance.

A practical planning sequence

  1. Describe the disturbance. Note the source, times, affected rooms and whether the sound is airborne, impact-like, water-related or equipment-related. Include recordings or a written log if other parties need to understand the problem.
  2. Inspect the construction. Establish what the existing wall is made from, its thickness where known, its framing, its junctions and the locations of outlets, pipes and ducts. Check adjoining floors and ceilings for possible bypasses.
  3. Choose the installation route. Compare direct fixing, furring channels and a new-construction specification in terms of disruption, finished depth, service access and coordination with other trades.
  4. Define the complete assembly. The quotation should identify the Barrierboard thickness and panel format, supporting wall, channels or framing, joints, perimeter details, penetrations and finishes. A board-only description is not enough to predict an installed result.
  5. Request applicable evidence. For a compliance-sensitive project, ask for the relevant system documents, installation instructions and acoustic or fire documentation for the proposed construction. Verify that any rating applies to the same assembly, not merely to a similar product name.
  6. Coordinate services and edges. Plan electrical boxes, plumbing, skirtings, cornices, doors, windows and junctions before the boards are closed in. Where a pipe or rigid connection is the suspected path, obtain a separate treatment proposal.
  7. Inspect before finishing. Check joints, perimeter seals, penetrations and fixings before plastering or decorating conceals them. Photograph the concealed work and retain the product and installation records.

Professional installation and building-code considerations

Soundblock publishes a technical-document hub containing Barrierboard system documents and installation instructions. The manufacturer advises professional installation for larger projects or where building-code compliance is critical. That recommendation is especially relevant when the wall is part of a fire-rated or regulated separation, when services pass through it, or when multiple trades must preserve the intended details.

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Do not infer a fire, acoustic or structural approval from the fact that the board is plasterboard-based. Ask for documentation covering the exact system and jurisdiction, and have the responsible designer or certifier confirm that the proposed wall meets the applicable requirements. Installation instructions should be followed for fixing, joints and detailing; changing the framing, adding untested layers or moving penetrations can change the result.

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How to compare Barrierboard with another acoustic treatment

The available product information does not establish a side-by-side independent ranking against other wall systems. A meaningful comparison should use the same criteria for every option:

  • Assembly and rating: compare the complete wall build-up and its tested or assessed rating, not a marketing percentage attached to a board.
  • Noise path: confirm whether the option addresses the wall face, plumbing, structure, flanking or several paths together.
  • Space and disruption: account for the finished wall depth, loss of floor area, removal of finishes, channel installation and service relocation.
  • Compliance evidence: check fire and building-code documents for the exact jurisdiction and construction.
  • Installation quality: examine perimeter, junction and penetration details, because workmanship can determine whether the intended assembly is actually achieved.
  • Evidence type: distinguish an independent system test from a manufacturer claim or a historical editorial description.

If one quotation promises a percentage and another supplies a laboratory rating, request clarification before comparing them. They may be measuring different things under different conditions.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Using the 75% figure as a guarantee

Attribute that number to the 1 January 2008 Architecture & Design article and treat it as historical context. Require current, assembly-specific evidence for a present project.

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Assuming the panel fixes plumbing noise

The tribunal example shows why embedded pipes and rigid paths may require opening the wall, isolating the pipe or carrying out additional remedial work. Have the noise path assessed first.

Quoting the board without the wall

A 32 mm panel has a published thickness, but the finished build-up also depends on fixing method, channels, existing linings, joints and finishes. Make those items explicit in the scope.

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Ignoring penetrations and perimeter details

Outlets, ducts, skirtings, ceilings and side returns can create bypasses. Include them in the design and inspect the work before it is covered.

Leaving compliance until the end

For regulated or strata work, obtain the system documents and approvals before installation. Retrofitting compliant details after a wall is closed is disruptive and may require removal of finished surfaces.

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Is Barrierboard right for a shared wall?

Barrierboard is a credible option to investigate when the dominant problem is sound passing through a shared wall and the project can accommodate a new lining or channel-based assembly. Its published formats and installation routes make it adaptable to existing and new construction. The correct outcome, however, depends on the whole wall and on closing the paths around it.

Use a qualified acoustic assessment or experienced installer when the source is uncertain, when pipework or structure may be involved, or when compliance is important. Ask for a written scope that names the existing construction, proposed Barrierboard assembly, service treatment, edge details, documentation and the way success will be evaluated. That approach is more reliable than selecting a panel from a percentage claim alone.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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