Finishing Corners in Drywall

Today, rather than talk to you about paper tape vs. mesh tape, I’m going to show you how Joey and I install inside corners to our drywall. Because it’s incredibly titillating. And because that’s what we did last night. So get ready, there’s lots o’ fun heading your way!

Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am illustrating how WE install corners, not the way professionals do it or the way that you might do it. Professionals typically use paper tape for their inside corners and we’re using pre-made inside corners that are made of paper and metal. We think they’re easier for novices to use because paper tape can be a little temperamental if you don’t really know what you’re doing (at least it was for us). If you have your own method of installing corners, please share them with me!

Now…lets get down to the business of creating lovely, smooth corners in a room because there is NOTHING more fun and exciting than a room with pretty corners.

STEP ONE:
This may look like a close up of me demonstrating my sponging skills, but it’s actually me moistening a corner piece in our ugly bathroom. You don’t want to get it too wet, just slightly moist. We’ve had better luck with corner pieces sticking to the mud when we moisten them.

STEP TWO:
Slather mud in the corner you’re working on, making sure it’s heaviest in the corner. You want the whole corner thoroughly coated in mud.


Sometimes when I see mud all thick and gloppy like that, I really just want to run my fingers through it or write my name in it. But that would be bad. And I’m a good girl, who would never, ever scoop up a handful of mud and fling it at her husband after hours and hours of mudding.

STEP THREE:
Set the corner piece into the mud and gently press it in place.

STEP FOUR:
Firmly press the corner piece in place with your mudding trowel. The mud will ooze out from behind it a little.

STEP FIVE:
Use your mudding trowel to press the edges of the corner piece flush against the drywall and to remove the excess mud from behind the corner piece (see the upper left side of the corner piece). You want to make sure the edges of the corner are laying flat against the drywall without any lumps of mud behind them.

Here’s what the corner will look like when it’s finished. Actually, it’s not finished at all. Once you have the corner stuck to the drywall, let it dry overnight. Now you have to add three coats of mud over this, just as you would if you were mudding a seam in your drywall.

Titillating, wasn’t it?

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