How to Install Paper-Covered Corner Bead Like a Pro

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A few years ago, Trim-Tex entered the market of paper-covered corner bead with a bang, launching our Fast Edge Paper® solution to rave reviews from pro drywall finishers. Practically overnight, it became the fastest-selling corner bead in Trim-Tex history. Why? It’s all about time and money: you can install it faster than any other corner bead while using the least amount of mud, and in the end, you've got a highly durable corner that will hold up beautifully over the years. Here’s how to install paper-covered corner bead like a pro!

To install Fast Edge Paper, you’ve got a range of application options to choose from to suite your own style. Each of these methods has its benefits — just ask our friend PRC Taping. In this video, PRC uses a method that gives him total control over where and when he applies his mud, using little more than a joint knife and a drywall hawk.

Installing Paper-Covered Corner Bead Like a Pro (ft. PRC Taping)
Installing Paper-Covered Corner Bead Like a Pro (ft. PRC Taping)

When you’re first learning how to install paper-covered corner bead, it might help to start by using a hopper rather than this knife-and-hawk style. Using this speedy method, you simply slide the stick of Fast Edge Paper through the hopper, applying a consistent coat of mud along the length of the entire bead. That’s not to say that a hopper is only for newbies — it’s a speedy, helpful tool for finishers of all skill levels; PRC Taping himself makes frequent use of the hopper method as well.

How to Install Paper-Covered Corner Bead Like a Pro - joint knife

In the hawk-and-knife method you'll see PRC skillfully using here, you’ll start by blading your mud directly onto your corner. Make sure you’ve got a pretty even layer of mud on those walls before you start to reach for your corner bead. (Note: When it comes to the choice of using a hawk or a pan to hold your mud, finishers have been arguing about which is better for years, so we’re not going to touch that can of worms. But preference here often just comes down to where you’re from and what you were first trained to use.)

Apply your Fast Edge Paper to the corner by hand, and don’t worry about pressing it in too hard just yet — that’s what your roller’s for in the next step. The advanced mud locks lining the bead’s vinyl core have already begun to work their magic, gripping into the joint compound to lock the bead into place.

How to Install Paper-Covered Corner Bead Like a Pro - roller 2

To install Fast Edge Paper like a true pro, you’ll want to pick up one of our Pro Series Quad Rollers. Plenty of taping-tool vendors can sell you a roller, but we’ve got the only one manufactured specifically to install Fast Edge Paper perfectly every time. It helps apply pressure evenly along the entire bead, and eliminates any waviness on the edges that can occasionally occur with paper-covered corner bead.

Once you’ve finished rolling your Fast Edge Paper into place, you’ll notice that excess mud has been pushed out the sides of the bead. Pick back up your joint knife and wipe that mud down along the outer edges of the bead to finish bonding that paper layer to the drywall. One of the reasons Fast Edge Paper is so fast is that you can now immediately apply your fill coat of mud — no waiting around for that initial coat to dry. Grab your hawk and a taping knife and apply a layer of mud smoothly down the entire corner.

Thanks to PRC Taping for demonstrating how to install paper-covered corner bead like a pro. The guy’s a true expert at the craft of drywall finishing, so be sure to give his Instagram page a follow for tons of tips and tricks like this. Meanwhile, if you want to give Fast Edge Paper a shot for yourself and feel the speed of the industry’s fastest finish, sign up to receive a free nine-inch sample below.