PSA: That cheap corner bead tool I swore by is actually trash

Ngl, I was all about those $10 no-coat plastic corner beads for years. Then last Wednesday on a big job in Austin, the second one I taped up started bubbling behind the mud after 30 minutes. Had to tear it out and redo the whole corner. Anyone else ditched those for the metal ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.henry18d ago

Man those plastic ones are the worst. Had a similar thing happen on a bathroom remodel last month where the bead just warped and let go overnight. Woke up to a bubbled mess and had to scrape it all down with a 6 inch knife. Switched to metal ones with the paper flange and never looked back. The metal ones actually hold their shape when you lay mud on them, no drama.

sean_murray18d ago

Wait hold on, I still use those plastic no-coat beads on most of my jobs and they work fine for me. The trick is you gotta skim coat over them in two thin passes, not one thick glob like you're mudding drywall. I had bubbling issues too until I started using a 3/8 nap mini roller to wet the surface before taping, makes the paper flange stick way better and seals the plastic edge. Metal beads are fine but they're heavier and can dent easy if you bump them with a ladder.