Installed on the outside corners where two pieces of drywall meet, corner beads create a smooth, even seam and an attractive finish. Luckily for homeowners, installing and mudding drywall corner beads is one of the easier parts of the drywall process. When installing corner beads, apply light pressure on the bead toward the corner. This ensures that the strip registers evenly along both walls and runs in a straight line. Misalignment can make the bead twist up the corner, and your only remedy is to rip it off and try again.
To account for mistakes, always buy spare Drywall Corner Bead (, The Home Depot). That will give you some backup material if a strip gets bent or a miter is miscut. Mudding beads is also relatively easy because you have the corner to guide one edge of your knife as you spread the compound. Avoid excessive pressure because that will curve the blade of your knife, resulting in an underfilled concave corner.
You can use two techniques to create corner beads: a metal corner bead for crisp corners or a bullnose bead for rounded corners. Choose what works best for your space, and follow our steps below to learn how to install drywall corner beads on walls.
BHG / Julie Bang