I finally gave up on taping a tricky corner by hand and tried something else.

I had this vaulted ceiling corner in a Reno job that was a full 12 feet up and just would not get smooth with a knife. Out of frustration, I grabbed my corner trowel, loaded it heavy, and ran it in one long pull without stopping. It laid down a perfect bead on the first try, no ridges. When do you guys decide to switch tools instead of fighting with a knife?

3 comments

3 Comments

annaw732mo ago

Glad it worked out, but that's actually what a corner trowel is for. You don't use it like a finishing knife.

amy9742mo ago

So you're saying a corner trowel is only for the inside corner bead? What about finishing the mud on an outside corner, can you use it for that too or is it strictly for the inside? I've seen guys use them different ways and it gets confusing.

-1

burns.jenny2mo agoTop Commenter

Totally get why you're confused, @amy974. I've seen that too and it's wrong. A corner trowel is made for inside corners, period. The angle matches the bead. Trying to finish an outside corner with one just makes a mess and leaves ridges. For outside corners you use a regular trowel or knife and work from each side. Some guys use the wrong tool because it's in their hand, but it doesn't work right.