A type of screw designed for outdoor use. The most important characteristic of deck screws is their resistance to corrosion. They are typically zinc plated (galvanized), stainless steel, high copper content, and ceramic-coated. They have very sharp, narrow points that reduce the necessity of drilling pilot holes. Deck screws, like other screws, come in a wide variety of lengths and widths, called shanks. They also use different shapes of driver, the part on the screw head that allows a screwdriver to dig in to the wood and rotate. A popular head shape is a square, because it holds the driver and doesn't strip as easily as Phillips heads.