Will a solid core door help reduce sound transfer...

[DGMusic]

My situation

Problem
Too much sound transfer between rooms

Restrictions:

Small Control/tracking room standard insulated walls in a town home
Renter - Cant damage/change structure of the walls
Low budget - trying to keep this under $200
Roommates - Sound transfer from outside in and vice versa

Plan

Due to my restrictions I've come to the decision that my first step is to minimize leakage through the door.

Option 1
Replace current hollow core door with solid core
install weather stripping and threshold

Option 2
in addition to option 1, install a second door by installing a pre hung solid core with stripping and threshold
I'm not sure how to do this other than attaching the 2nd door jam to the existing one by building an addition frame that can be screwed into the wall and seal that with some backer rod or something.

Option 3
Please feel give me suggestions, as I have only come up with these two ideas. I'm new to this and would really appreciate some insight.

I'm not sure which weather stripping and thresholds are best for this because there are a lot of choices out there. Also would the door need a sweep if it has a threshold?

- I've also read that if the integrity of the door is compromised at all ie bored for door handle, than sound isolation will be far less effective. My question is how can you have a door without a handle? Is there some kind of non penetrating door handle I could install?

Home Depot quoted me for a new solid core door pre hung with weather stripping and threshold for about $200, therefore I have a $200 budget plus time/effort. I've been calling around at material/home liquidators and on craigslist for doors but they never fit my situation.

[stevev]

Hey there I think the first thing you need to do is to get the existing door to seal so that it is air-tight. Think 'space-ship' kind of air-tight. If this doesn't get you where you need to be, then move to a solid core door. At the end of the day, the walls will only be giving you a certain amount of isolation and hanging a door with greater transmission loss than the walls won't get you anywhere.

hope that helps.

steve