Just spent 4 hours fixing a corner I could have done in 20 minutes

Everybody says to use paper tape for inside corners, but I had a bead of mud pop loose on a job in Phoenix last month. I spent almost half a day scraping, sanding, and retaping the same 8-foot corner. If I had just used a wide knife and packed the joint tighter the first time, I would have saved myself the headache. Why do we insist on the fastest method when the careful way is actually faster in the end? Has anyone else had a simple corner turn into a full afternoon project?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel5114h ago

Did you use a setting-type compound or just all-purpose? That can make a big difference in how well paper tape sticks. I learned the hard way that packing the corner tight with a wide knife is the real secret, not just slapping tape on and hoping it holds. The problem with the fast method is it leaves air behind the tape and that air will pop loose every time. On my last corner I spent an extra 30 seconds pushing hard with a 6-inch knife and the whole thing dried flat and tight. It's annoying to learn that lesson after scraping mud off your floor for half a day though.

ivan821h ago

Laughing my ass off at "30 seconds pushing hard with a 6-inch knife" like that's some kind of magical solution. Man I've packed corners so tight you could bounce a quarter off them and still had tape bubble up on me two weeks later. The real trick is just accepting that drywall work is basically a punishment for wanting flat walls. Personally I've given up on speed entirely. I just assume every corner will take twice as long as I think and if it doesn't I treat it like a small miracle.