Your home's entryway doors should be strong and durable and able to keep out potential intruders; however, a residential entryway door should also be attractive, as it's the first thing people see when they enter your home! Entryway doors come in a wide variety of materials and styles, so note a few pros and cons of each of these, and this will help you narrow down those choices when you're in the market for a new entryway door.

Wood

Wood is a very traditional choice for an entryway door, and it coordinates well with a brick home or Craftsman-style house. Wood can also be painted or stained, so you can change up the look of your home's entryway door on your own when you choose wood.

Solid wood doors are also more secure than many people think, as it's very difficult to splinter or break a wood door. Another advantage of wood is that it acts as a natural insulator for your space. However, wood does need regular maintenance, including a touch-up of its paint or stain and a check for any warping, cupping, bowing and other damage that might need repairs.

Steel

Steel doors are very strong and secure, and they are a good choice for when you want maximum security for your home. The downside of steel doors is that it's difficult to paint them on your own; if you want to change the colour of your home's steel door, you would probably need to have the door professionally powder coated.

It's also very difficult to drill steel doors on your own, so adding new locks, latches, or deadbolts might also need to be done by a professional contractor. The weight of steel doors also might mean that they must be installed with their own frame, rather than being bolted to the current door frame. This can often make steel replacement doors more expensive than other options.

Aluminium

Aluminium is a very strong but lightweight material, so a new aluminium door can often be bolted to your house without having to buy a new doorframe. The lighter weight of aluminium doors also makes them a good choice for the elderly or those with physical issues that make managing a heavy and cumbersome door difficult. An aluminium entryway door can also be stamped or engraved with any number of designs so that the door doesn't look overly industrial and is a bit more welcoming for a residential home.