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Can You Use Mesh Tape for Drywall Corners? (Answered)

Who doesn’t love drywall installed in their house, right? It enhances the aesthetics of the house and is also very durable. However, installing the drywall is somewhat more complicated than other types of walls.

Doing the corners of the drywall is the most complicated. As a result, you might be wondering if you can use mesh tape on drywall corners.

You might also want to know when you should use mesh tape on drywall. Let’s find the answers to all your questions regarding meat tape for drywall corners.

Can you use mesh tape for drywall corners?

You can use mesh tape for drywall corners. In fact, you can use mesh tape for both the inside and outside corners of the drywall. However, if you use mesh tape on the inside corners of the drywall, make sure to apply the tape before installing the drywall.

You can most definitely use mesh tape to fill the gap between the drywall corners. By using mesh tape on the corners of the drywall, you can fill the gap between the corners of the drywall.

When you install drywall in a room, there will remain a gap between the edges of the wall. The edges and the gap between the drywall can be filled in multiple ways.

Among them, applying mesh tape is the most effective and easiest method to fill drywall corners.

For applying mesh tape on the interior part of the drywall corners, you should do it before applying the compound. This is due to the fact that the adhesion of the mesh tape will work the best on the normal drywall.

If a compound is applied to the drywall, the mesh tape won’t stick to the wall perfectly and will come off after a short period of time.

In the case of applying mesh tape on the outer corners of the drywall, you can do it both before or after applying the compounds. This is because the mesh tape will stick quite easily on the exterior edge of the drywall.

Let’s take a look at why you can use mesh tape for drywall corners in detail.

To fill the gap between the corners:

You can use mesh tape to fill up the gap between the corners in a drywall. You can close the gap of both the interior and exterior corners of a drywall.

However, while filling the gap of the interior corners, you should apply the mesh tape before applying the compound or paint.

To make the joint of drywall stronger:

The adhesion of mesh tape is quite strong. You can apply mesh tape on the drywall edges and corners to make the joint between the two drywalls stronger.

By applying the mesh tape on the drywall edges, the installation of drywall will be much stronger and more durable.

When to use mesh tape on drywall?

Understanding when to use mesh tape on drywall is very important. By knowing this, you can effectively and effortlessly apply mesh tape on drywall.

If you do not apply the mesh tape on the drywall at the right time, the drywall installation won’t be perfect. Let’s find out when you should use mesh tape on drywall.

Before applying drywall mud:

You should apply the mesh tape on the drywall before you apply the drywall mud on it. This is due to the fact that if you apply the mesh tape after the mid is applied, the adhesion of the mesh tape won’t work perfectly.

To fill the gap between the corners of the drywall, you should apply the mesh tape before applying the compound. By doing so you can make the joint of the drywall stronger and fill up the gap between the drywall corners.

Before painting the wall:

You should not apply the mesh tape on the drywall after the paint is applied on the drywall.

You must apply the mesh tape before painting the drywall and paint the applied mesh tape with the same paint as the drywall. By doing so, your room that has drywall will look complete and eye-catching.

How to tape inside and outside drywall corners with mesh tape?

Applying mesh tape inside and outside drywall corners is not as complicated as it may seem to you at the beginning. You can do it quite effortlessly if you do it in the right way and follow the proper steps.

In addition, you will need to do it in the right way to ensure that the tape fills up the gap properly in between the corners of the drywall.

The taping method of inside and outside corners of the drywall is somewhat different from each other. Let’s take how you can tape inside and outside drywall corners with mesh tape separately.

Outside drywall corners

Attach plastic or metal corner bead:

To apply the mesh tape on the exterior corner of the drywall, you will have to attach plastic or metal corner beads. This will ensure that the tape applies uniformly on the drywall corners.

Attach the mesh tape:

After attaching the corner bead, apply the mesh tape to the drywall corners. Make sure to apply the tape gently so that there remains no air gap.

Apply compound:

Apply some joint compound that is pre-mixed into the outer corner of the drywall. You can apply the compound using a 6-inch drywall knife.

After applying the compound on the whole corner, scrape off the excess compound from the corners. Once the compound hardens, sand it gently using a 120 grit sandpaper.

Apply the compound again:

Once the first compound hardens and sanded, you will have to apply the compound again using a drywall knife of 10 inches.

Once the second compound hardens, you will have to apply the third and final coat of the compound with a 12 inches drywall knife.

Inside drywall corners

Spread the compound:

You can use a 4 inches drywall knife to spread the compound on the interior corner of the drywall. You should apply the compound on both sides of the drywall corner.

Fold the mesh tape and apply it:

Before applying the mesh tape, fold it in the middle lengthwise through the middle. Put the center of the folded mesh tape on the center of the corner lengthwise and apply it across the whole corner.

Set the tape:

With the help of the drywall knife you should embed the tape uniformly on the applied compounds.

You should embed the tape in the inside corners one edge at a time. While setting the tape you should remove all the wrinkles in the edges underneath the tape.

What kind of tape to use for drywall corners?

There are numerous kinds of tape you can use for drywall corners. The tape for drywall corners include paper tape, fiberglass mesh tape, metal tape, and ultra thin fiberglass tape.

Among all the tapes available in the market for drywall corners, the mesh tape is the easiest to apply. You can quite effortlessly apply the mesh tape on top of the compounds used on the drywall using drywall knives.

However, the paper tape is preferred by most drywall professional workers. This is due to the fact that the paper tapes provide perfect joint when mixed with drywall compound.

Is it better to use paper or mesh drywall tape?

It is better to use paper tape on drywall corners due to numerous reasons. One of the most significant reasons is the adhesion. The adhesion quality of the paper tape becomes much greater when mixed with drywall compound.

Let’s take a look at why it is better to use paper tape rather than mesh tape on drywall corners.

Adhesion:

The adhesion of the paper tape is much stronger compared to the mesh tape. When it gets mixed with the drywall compounds, the adhesion level increases massively.

Finishing:

The finishing of the paper tape is much smoother and softer. When you apply paper tape on the corners of the drywall, you won’t be able to notice it after the compound is applied.

Then again, the mesh tape will look lumpy and will stick out even after the drywall compound is applied.

Final thoughts

You can fill the corners of the drywall using mesh tape without any issues. After applying the mesh tape you will have to apply the drywall compound three times to enhance the adhesion level of the tape. You can apply the mesh both before or after the first coat is applied on the drywall.