Premium 2" Stainless Steel Pontoon Deck Screws – Saltwater & Freshwater Rated (100 Pack)

🔹 1. Base Material Matters

• Xylan-coated screws are usually made from carbon steel or alloy steel. The Xylan is just a thin paint-like layer on top. Once that coating gets scratched, chipped, or worn, the bare steel underneath is exposed — and in saltwater, it will rust very quickly.

• Stainless steel is solid alloy all the way through. Even if it gets scratched, the material underneath still resists corrosion. It forms a self-healing chromium oxide layer that protects against rust.

🔹 2. Long-Term Durability in Saltwater

• Xylan: Good for reducing friction, chemical resistance, and short-term corrosion resistance. But saltwater (especially with oxygen and chlorides) is highly aggressive. Once the coating breaks down, failure is quick.

• Stainless steel : Specifically designed for marine and saltwater environments. Its high molybdenum content makes it highly resistant to chloride attack, so it holds up for years without corroding.

🔹 3. Reliability

• Xylan-coated fasteners are only as strong as their coating. The protection is temporary and can be compromised during installation (when the screw bites into wood or metal, the coating scrapes off).

• Stainless steel screws are inherently corrosion resistant. No coating to wear off, so the performance is consistent for the life of the fastener.

✅ Summary you can use:

Xylan screws rely on a thin coating for corrosion protection, which can fail in saltwater once scratched or worn. Stainless steel  is inherently corrosion-resistant throughout the entire fastener. Even if damaged, it won’t rust through like coated steel, making stainless the reliable choice for saltwater and marine use.