I need to purchase paint grade exterior doors for two separate entrances, both of which will be underneath 8' wide porch roofs. I am leaning toward a rather common design, so I have a wide choice of manufacturers, materials, price points, etc. Given the wide price differential I have encountered for doors that look very similar on the surface, I suspect that there is more to door durability than meets the eye. One local source offers "solid" hemlock or fir exterior doors for around $300 (door only, not pre-hung). From there, the same size and style door in composite material or solid wood runs as high as three times that. Is there one or two "must have" or "must avoid" construction/material features that a reasonably good exterior door should or should not have? For example, if dimensional stability is the one of the most important durability/quality factors, does it take a particular type of construction for a solid wood door to match the stability of a composite door? In particular, what, if anything, would rule out the inexpensive solid wood option referenced above?

Hello, I am new here so please bare with me. The metal security door on the outside of my 2 Family house is missing a handle/knob. The hole for it is still there, but no pieces of handle to be found. What is the best way to go about fixing this? I don't think there are standard sizes for this, so I am not sure how to find a replacement. Who should I call? Would a locksmith have something that works with these types of doors? How much would a job like this cost? Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can offer.