Tools & Materials
Drywall knife
Drywall corner trowel
Corner clincher
Drywall hawk
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva creates perfectly smooth wall corners.
Steps:
1. To tape outside wall corners, start by attaching a metal or plastic corner bead to the drywall corner.
2. Scoop some pre-mixed joint compound onto a hawk, then apply the compound to the wall corner with a 6-inch drywall knife.
3. Smear the compound down the wall, completely covering the wall corner and corner bead. Scrape excess compound from the wall.
4. Once the joint compound hardens, sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper, then apply a second coat of compound using a 10-inch drywall knife.
5. Wait for the second coat to dry. Sand lightly and apply a third and final compound coat with a 12-inch knife.
6. For inside wall corners, fold paper drywall tape lengthwise down the middle to form a right angle.
7. Metal-reinforced drywall tape can be folded lengthwise for use along inside or outside wall corners.
8. Rigid, pre-formed drywall corners can also be used at inside wall corners.
9. Use a 4-inch-wide drywall knife to spread joint compound along each wall on either side of an inside corner.
10. Set the drywall tape into the wet compound by hand, then use the 4-inch knife to press the tape tight to the wall, squeezing out the excess compound.
11. Immediately spread more joint compound over the tape. Apply greater pressure on the outer edge of the knife to feather the compound.
12. Use an inside-corner trowel to smooth the compound from the corner joint.