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Short Summary
Main recommendation: To repair a damaged drywall corner, reattach the corner bead with screws, fill and reshape it with hot mud, then finish with a final coat of all-purpose compound. The video shows the repair as a quick, multi-coat process that uses pressure to bond mud into the bead's holes.
Key Points
- Start by knocking loose or poorly bonded drywall mud off with the back of a hammer until you reach solid, well-bonded material.
- Reattach the damaged corner bead with screws, using one screw in every hole if needed, so you have a solid outside surface to shape.
- Fill the gaps with hot mud applied under pressure, using angled "snow plow" strokes to press mud into the bead's holes and cracks.
- Let the first fill coat set for about an hour, then knife and shape the corner, and finish with all-purpose compound and light sanding.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Use the back of a hammer to break off loose mud and reach well-bonded drywall.
- Check that the bent metal bead does not stick out past flat. In this case it could not be reformed, so the presenter repaired it with hot mud instead of trying to bend the metal.
- Screw the corner bead back into the wood, using as many screws as needed, with one in every hole if necessary.
- Apply the first coat of hot mud with pressure, pulling it along the corner at an angle to fill cracks and holes. Do not aim for perfection on this coat.
- Let the mud set for about an hour, then use a knife to shape the corner.
- Apply one more coat, then sand lightly with a sanding sponge to soften the edge and make it flat.
- Finish with one coat of all-purpose compound instead of hot mud, then sand until smooth. Check for flatness by looking for no mud left on the wall.
- Standard corner beads have holes in the middle to hold compound as a bonding surface, and holes on the outside meant for screws.
- The video notes that most corners have only two coats (fill and finish) in new construction, while this repair ends up as a three-coat finish.
- The presenter stresses that less mud is better; excess mud is easier to sand than to fix.
Bottom Line
Damaged drywall corners can be restored by reattaching the bead, building up hot mud under pressure, and finishing with a smooth top coat, with the result looking new if each coat is kept thin and flat.
