Meet the Fast Edge® Family: A Faster Finish for Every Corner

As many Trim-Tex customers will remember, a few years ago, we introduced the first member of the Fast Edge® family, which delivered on our promise to make a corner bead that finishes faster than anything else on the market while using less mud. But we’re not a one-and-done manufacturer — we partner up with our drywall finishers, listening to their needs and creating new solutions to meet them.

So, soon enough, we launched Fast Edge Paper, and then this year, we rolled out Fast Edge Rolls. With the Fast Edge family of products growing, we wanted to take this time to go through each member of that family and explain which bead is right for which situation. This way, next time you’re visiting your local drywall supply dealer, you’ll be better informed for what beads to buy for your next project.

Let’s dig into the Fast Edge family and show how we've evolved this solution, and how you can achieve a faster finish for every corner! 

WATCH: Meet the Fast Edge® Family! #shorts
WATCH: Meet the Fast Edge® Family! #shorts

Fast Edge Family Fast Edge Paper

Fast Edge Paper

For years, our customers asked us to make a paper-covered corner bead. And we listened! After first launching Fast Edge, we saw an opportunity to utilize the speedy design of that bead and encase it in a layer of laminated paper for the best of both worlds: the strength of our vinyl Mud Locks and the conveniency and crack-conquering power of paper. The result, Fast Edge Paper, was the fastest-selling product in Trim-Tex history, and drywall finishers have raved about its speed, mud savings and high levels of durability.

Your paper-covered options are also growing: in addition to the larger size we launched in 2019, Trim-Tex also offers a version with a 13% smaller surface area, allowing you to spend less to get the same mud-saving speed that made this bead beloved by drywall finishers worldwide. 

Fast Edge Paper is installed with no glue or staples — just run it through a hopper or apply mud to your corner before pushing the bead into place. We’d recommend picking up a Pro Series Quad Roller to help you install this bead evenly across your entire corner.

Full Speed Ahead: Installing Fast Edge Paper (ft. Drywall Nation)
Full Speed Ahead: Installing Fast Edge Paper (ft. Drywall Nation)

When is Fast Edge Paper right for me?

If you’re like many drywallers, you’re used to the look and feel of paper-covered corner beads, so Fast Edge Paper is going to be an easy transition into using higher-quality, more durable Trim-Tex solutions. It’s also more adaptable than regular Fast Edge, as you can easily flex it to adapt to off-angle corners. If you want all the speed and mud savings (see graphic below) of Fast Edge with the user-friendly ease of paper, you have got to try Fast Edge Paper.

Fast Edge Family Fast Edge Mud Usage

Fast Edge Family Fast Edge Roll

Fast Edge Roll

Many drywall workers we heard from didn’t just want a paper-covered version of Fast Edge, they wanted a version they could carry around in a conveniently sized box and roll out for all kinds of angles — inside corners, outside corners, off angles, sharp angles, you name it. And we agreed! After a few years of testing and perfecting the formula, we were proud to roll out the next evolution of the Fast Edge family: Fast Edge Roll. With 100 feet of bead in a single box, Fast Edge Roll takes everything you love about these Fast Edge beads and puts it into a highly handy rolled form, available in four widths.

To install Fast Edge Roll, just blade mud onto the drywall and push the bead into place before wiping down the excess mud along its edges.

Fast Edge® Roll Contractor Review | 'It Saves Me a Whole Trip'
Fast Edge® Roll Contractor Review | 'It Saves Me a Whole Trip'

When is Fast Edge Roll right for me?

There aren’t a lot of corners Fast Edge Roll isn’t awesome at finishing. If you’re craving the convenience of a rolled drywall corner bead, you can’t do better than this solution. That’s especially true when it comes to inside corners and off angles — our friend Phil from PRC Taping calls Fast Edge Roll his “new go-to,” saying he likes to use the Roll on his inside corners and Fast Edge Paper on his outsides for his flawless finishes.


Fast Edge Family Fast Edge

Fast Edge

The standard Fast Edge is an all-vinyl, time-saving innovation for 90-degree corners. The bead’s powerful Mud Locks — small hooks that you’ll find running along its inner surface — dig into mud give Fast Edge an unbeatable bond to the corner. Between its sharp nose, tapered legs and solid mud legs with no holes, this thing is sleekly engineered to save you time and material.

Fast Edge is installed by running the bead through a hopper or by applying mud directly onto the drywall. No glue, no staples — just mud and done!

Fast Edge Installation
Fast Edge Installation

When is Fast Edge right for me?

If speed’s your main concern, the standard Fast Edge is going to be your go-to corner bead. With Fast Edge, you can apply the first coat of mud immediately after installation by only coating the outside edge; then, the next day, you can apply the final coat. Like Fast Edge also uses significantly less mud to achieve a great finish.


Now that you’ve met the whole Fast Edge family of drywall finishing accessories, which will you use on your next project? Maybe one, maybe all three! Use the tool below to find your nearest supplier, and start saving time and material for a gorgeous, long-lasting finish!

And stay tuned: the Fast Edge family is still growing! More news to come on that as soon as we’re ready to introduce some new solutions that meet the high standards of the Trim-Tex (and Fast Edge!) name.

Find Your Local Dealer

Trim-Tex beads are flying off the shelves at a dealer near you. Snag a box or a truckload of your favorite corner profiles today.