Wet screening and dry screening face completely different challenges. Wet screening's biggest enemies are blinding and pegging —polyurethane with tapered self-relieving apertures is the top choice, achieving 45 micron slot openings with anti-blinding designs. Dry screening's primary threats are impact damage and dust —rubber is preferred for high-impact, coarse feed (granite, recycled concrete), while woven wire offers the highest open area (50-70%) for clean, free-flowing materials (crushed stone, sand, gravel). The 5× Rule: if you're replacing woven wire more than 5 times per year, upgrade to polymer media. Don't buy on purchase price—buy on cost per screened ton.