How to Finish Drywall with Corner Beads
- 1). Cut a piece of corner bead to fit the corner of the drywall. Fit two pieces by overlapping them, if necessary. Use a hacksaw to cut the bead.
- 2). Set the corner bead in place and attach it by screwing in drywall screws, making sure the screws sink into the studs behind the drywall. Sink the screws so that their heads are slightly lower than the surface of the wall.
- 3). Use a hammer to drive in drywall nails if you prefer. Again, make sure the heads sink in past the surface of the drywall.
- 4). Fill the depression that the bead makes between the corner and the wall with mud. Use a four-inch drywall blade to spread it on so the gap is entirely filled. Let the mud dry. This may take from one to two days, depending on the temperature and humidity of the room.
- 5). Spread another coat of mud with a four-inch blade and begin to feather the edges of the corners into the wall. Allow the second coat to dry, then sand it with 120-grit sandpaper.
- 6). Apply a third coat of mud, this time using a 6-inch blade to feather the edges and completely flatten the wall. Sand and repeat, if necessary, when this coat has dried.
