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A painter in Nashville said my corner beads looked like a kid did them with their eyes closed. He was right.
I was finishing up a basement job and the painter came in early. He pointed at a long corner in the main room and just said, 'You're better than that, man. That bead's wavy and the mud's too proud.' I got defensive at first, but I looked at it again after he left. He was totally right. I was rushing and not checking my work with a light. Now I always run a bright work light down every corner before I call it done, and I feather out the mud way more. It adds maybe 10 minutes to my cleanup, but the painters don't complain anymore. Anyone have a specific light they like for spotting those tiny high spots?
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michael6692mo agoMost Upvoted
Man, that light trick is a lifesaver. But you know what ELSE catches those wavy beads? Your hand. After the mud sets up a bit but before it's fully hard, run your fingers down the corner with your eyes closed. Your fingertips feel every single bump and dip that your eyes might miss. It sounds stupid, but it works. I found a high spot on a ceiling corner last week that the light didn't even show, just by feeling it. Now I do both.
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caleb_fisher442mo ago
Yeah, the hand trick is legit. I do that on every inside corner now. Light shows you the shadows, but your fingers find the actual shape. Caught a nasty dip on a long hallway bead that way. Sanded it out before it was a real problem. Both methods together are the only way to fly.
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joel_jones2mo ago
Seems like a lot of extra work for a wall most people won't even look at twice.
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ruby_henderson3628d ago
That hand trick saves me every single time.
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