The Ultimate Guide to Off-Angle Inside Corners

Finishing a regular, 90-degree inside corner is simple enough: unless you need the extra protection of an inside corner bead or the rounded look of a Bullnose corner bead, paper tape ought to do the trick. It’s cheap, fast and gets the job done. But things get a bit trickier when it comes to off-angle inside corners, like the kinds you see running along cathedral or vaulted ceilings — here, paper tape just won’t cut it. Let’s dig into why, and what you should be using instead, in this ultimate guide to off-angle inside corners!

Why not paper tape?

So much of drywall finishing is about creating noticeable lines — crisp lines, sharp lines, even rounded lines — to create a space that looks perfectly executed. On a sharp, 90-degree inside corner, the line there is already defined; all paper tape has to do is conform to it. 

On an off-angle inside corner, you have to create the defined line for the space to look finished, and paper tape isn’t structured enough to accomplish that. Paper tape on a vaulted ceiling, say, will look wavy and formless. Check out this side-by-side comparison below between paper tape and Trim-Tex’s Fast Edge® Roll (more on that later) to see what we mean.

Some other reasons why paper tape isn’t enough for off-angles include:

• Tape can’t fix uneven or warped framing — crooked framing will still look crooked when everything’s finished and painted.
• Tape can’t fix drywall gaps or voids — it’s too thin to effectively cover these kinds of commonplace imperfections.
• Tape can’t withstand structural movement — if the structure shifts slightly (as all structures do) and the wall/ceiling partitions move away from each other, the paper will tear and the finish will crack.

The point is, you’ll need a bead to finish off-angle inside corners. Here are your three best options.

Off-angle inside corner solutions

Fast Edge® Roll

Fast Edge Roll is the newest of these three options, and is perfect for finishing long runs in short order. If you love paper-covered or composite beads, and mud-only installations, this is the choice for you.

Fast Edge Roll is a hybrid paper-vinyl solution designed to tackle all kinds of angles and problems, but is especially perfect for these off-angle inside corners. Sold in 200-foot lengths, pro drywall finishers love its smooth paper, unbeatable bond strength and the mud they save using it.