We did a wood look fiberglass- ours faces south and gets the sun, too, so I really didn't want to restain and deal with it every 3-4 years (seems to be the going time frame here). I can't tell it's not wood unless I try to scratch it. Ours is mahogany coloredd.

We are in texas with a `10ft deep porch, but nothing stops that evening sun!

Am in Chicago with snow, ice, rain, heat, humidity - and have wood doors. They are protected by a storm door. Prefer the sound & feel of real wood doors. No problems with them.

We also bought a fiberglass, stain grade, wood look front door. It has not been stained, yet, but we really like it. Our builder highly advised us against a wood door. Because of the weather where we live, hot and humid summers, and cold and snowy winters, he said that the wood door would give us problems.

Even with a south facing home, I'm planning on a modern solid wood double door as opposed to the solid wood door with lites in my current design; DWs wish of course. The huge porch will protect the door from the elements. Will post a rendering once I've created one.

According to the US Department of Energy, steel and fibreglass doors have more than five times the R Value of a solid wood door. Still, the overwhelming choice of high-end homes (C$2m++ in our cold climate) are custom-made wood doors, which start at US$5,840.

I've yet to see a fg door mimicking wood that I couldn't spot from a distance--let alone on the front porch. So I would prefer to paint them.

We're in NW Chicago. Going with stainable steel.

We have mahogany double doors...they are gorgeous, but we've been in the house 5 years & already had them refinished 2 years ago. They are protected, but the front of the house faces west & we are in the South. The sun is brutal. However, our painter only charged us about $250 to do them, so not terrible.

Most of our neighbors have the wood...but our neighbor across the street did the stainable steel (or iron, can't remember which it is!) OMG...her doors are gorgeous, and NO maintenance. I think they were wickedly expensive, though.

Love my solid wood stained front door and garage doors ... they are very easy to maintain in southern CA! Not sure I would make the same choice if I moved back to the northeast.

wood stained...garage doors

On a custom house I built, the owner wanted quality wood garage doors. So I ordered mahogany. Which they promptly painted.

I would have loved solid wood doors but alas they are out of budget and not friendly for our SW FL climate.