How to Tape the Corner of a Drywall

Here is the easy dirty on how to tape an inside corner of drywall with basic tools. It is a simple 3 step process that you CAN do.

Things You'll Need

• Roll of paper tape
• 6 inch knife(putty knife)
• Set mud
• plus three mud
• 120-150 grit sandpaper

Instructions

1. 

   So you have your room sheetrocked and the seams taped but are a little nervouse about the inside corners. You have three options. Number one is to but $2500 worth of tools, learn how to use them and go from there.
   I will describe the other two methods that you would actually use in the following paragraphs.

2. 

   The first and easiest way is to purchase the paperlined preformed metal inside corners shown above. Mix up enough set-mud to coat the inside corner out three inches. Mix to a heavy milkshake cosistancy. Coat the inside corners to be taped. Cut the bead to length. Press the bead into the corner using the butt end of your knife.
   Using the blade scrape off the excess mud. The key to keeping this easy is to keep the mud from getting into the corner. The corner is already made for you so there is no need to put mud in there and make it any harder than it needs to be.
   Feather the mud out from the edge of the paper out an inch or two. let dry. Sand lightly with 120-150 grit paper.
   Mix up some +3 mud and recoat the edge of the paper out a little past the set mud and in about 1/2 inch form the very corner. Let dry overnight. Sand very very lightly and wipe off dust with a damp sponge. Now prime and paint.

3. 

   Now the less expensive method is to coat the inside corner as before with set mud sparingly and now use a roll of paper tape. Cut the paper tape to length and press into the corner by hand folding to 90 degrees at the center crease. With the blade of the knife squeeze out the excess mud from the paper. Use the excess mud to coat over the paper into the corner on each side. Let dry. Sand.
   Now mix up some + three mud and coat only one side and let dry. Once one side is dry coat the other. This saves you having to make a corner from wet mud. Sand lightly and wet sponge off the dust.

4. To create the corners where the three walls meet do this:
   Coat to sides with set mud and let dry. Coat third side, let dry. Now coat 2 sides with plus three mud, let dry. Last the final side.
   To make a corner in one step takes many houses worth of practice. It took me 6 months to be able to do it smoothly.

Tips & Warnings

• watch out for bubbles under the tape. They will show through when you paint.