How to Save Time and Material Using Fast Caps

As a pro drywall finisher, how would you finish an entryway? Normally, you’d probably grab a couple thin sheets of drywall to cover each of the exposed surfaces of the door jamb, and start hanging those before installing two 90-degree corner beads for either side of each drywall surface. It’s no big deal for a seasoned finisher, but multiply that entryway by every door jamb on the job, plus doing the same process for every closet, wall end and knee wall you may have, and you’re starting to talk about a lot of time, a lot of drywall scrap and a lot of spare corner beads — that is, if you do things the traditional way. If you do things the Trim-Tex way, you can smash that entire process we described into one handy accessory, one bead to install and finish. We’re talking, of course, about Fast Caps. Here’s how to save time and material using Fast Caps, with some help from our friends over at Refresh Home Improvements.

The guys at RHI — Dan and Steve Tuer — took some time out from their latest renovation project to show off how they used Fast Caps to finish a trimless, open entryway. Check out the video below to learn, step by step, how to install a Fast Cap, and see how much of a time-saver these unique beads can be:

As Steve Tuer rightfully points out, besides saving time and material using Fast Caps, the more traditional method of finishing a door jamb with small sheets of drywall removes more than an inch of space from your entryway. Using a Fast Cap in that space instead covers the entire door-jamb surface with a protective single layer of paintable vinyl, eliminating the need for that drywall face and the additional corner beads, making your open entryway just a little bit wider in the process.

Steve demonstrates a few pro tips in the video that really impressed us, one of which being, after he measures out the length of the Fast Cap to fit his doorway, he cuts a small wooden block to fit snugly within the width of the Fast Cap. This functions as a backing material, making it easier and more reliable to score the Fast Cap and cut it down to the right size and angle, which Steve shows can be done with either a razor blade and snips or, more efficiently, a miter saw.

If you’ve installed a vinyl corner bead before, you probably know what to do next — use a can of 847 Spray Adhesive and a staple gun to attach the Fast Cap to the drywall around each side of the door jamb. Then apply joint compound to each mud leg of each Fast Cap. No need to mud the solid surface of the bead — those will be ready to paint as soon as you’re ready for that process, and the Fast Cap’s high-quality PVC will be more than enough to protect your door jamb from the daily wear-and-tear these areas tend to suffer.

As the guys from Refresh Home Improvements prove here, the ability to save time and material using Fast Caps make these beads a must-have for residential and commercial finishers stuck “in a jamb,” as Steve Tuer quips.

See what all the fuss is about for yourself by requesting a Fast Cap sample below!