Switched from metal corner bead to paper faced and I was WRONG about it for years

I always said paper faced bead was for the factory guys who didn't know real mud work. But three weeks ago on a job in Arlington, I had to use it because the supply house ran out of my usual metal. Took me about 10 minutes to get the hang of it and now I swear by the stuff. No more dents when you bump it with a ladder and no rust lines bleeding through paint later on. Cost me about the same per stick too. Has anyone else here made the switch and stuck with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubyk261mo ago

Yeah, the cracking thing is usually from not embedding it deep enough in the mud. I push it in a little firmer on the first pass and haven't had one crack since.

blair_taylor321mo ago

Jumped into the paper faced stuff about a year ago after a similar stubborn streak and honestly @charlescraig you're right to be suspicious about the cracking. I had a few corners crack on me early on and it drove me nuts until I realized I wasn't pushing the mud deep enough into the mesh like rubyk26 said. But here's the thing that really sold me is how it connects to this bigger pattern I've noticed in life where the tools we hate are usually the ones we just never learned to use right. Like when I used to swear by metal bead but now I see it was just because I had all these bad habits that paper faced wouldn't let me get away with. The rust thing is real too and once you see it on a white wall you can't unsee it. I'd say give it two or three jobs and if you still hate it you can always go back but I bet you won't.

charlescraig1mo ago

Oh man, that's a real take. I've been team metal for like fifteen years and never thought twice about it. But what you said about rust bleeding through the paint got me thinking. I've seen that happen on a few jobs and always blamed the paint, not the corner bead. When you switched, did you notice any issues with the paper faced stuff cracking at the corner after it dried? I've heard mixed things about that, but it sounds like you've had a solid run with it so far.