When it comes to drywall corner bead, there’s an ongoing debate surrounding metal vs. paper. Is one really better than the other? It’s a hot topic that has been raised inside the truck cabs of drywall contractors for decades. There are a variety of factors and uses that come into play when determining which corner bead material is genuinely superior.
Which corner bead material is best for your home or project? Is there an alternative corner bead material that you should prefer over metal or paper? Having all of the facts is essential before starting your drywall project.
What is Corner Bead?
A corner bead is a product used to finish the outside corner of drywall. Corner bead protects the delicate, unfinished edges of your drywall and delivers a straight, clean, finished corner for your wall.
Additionally, your corner bead guides your taping knife while applying joint compound to your outside corner, and helps to ensure smooth and flat finish work.
Drywall Corner Bead: Metal vs. Paper vs. Vinyl
Corner bead comes in various materials, each providing its own unique advantages and disadvantages. In the battle of metal vs drywall corner bead, it’s important to examine and understand the differences between the two. However, it’s even more important to take a look outside of these two popular options to discover the material that’s ultimately the best for drywall corner bead — vinyl.
Let’s take a closer look at these three options to better understand what they all bring to the table and why vinyl is the top material contender for drywall corner bead.
Metal
Metal is the traditional material used for drywall corner bead, but does the fact that something has been used for a long time make it the best option?
The outside corners of your walls are prone to impact during the chaos of daily life, and metal corner bead is highly susceptible to denting during impact. Once dented, you cannot repair the metal corner bead, and you must replace it.
In places where moisture is prevalent, like bathrooms and basements, metal corner beads can be susceptible to rust and may compromise the structural integrity of your corner.
Metal corner bead can often cause nail popping and cracking in your finished wall.
During transport, whether from the manufacturer to the supply house or from the supply house to the job site, metal corner bead is often damaged, bent and dented. These unsightly imperfections can make a straight corner extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make.
Paper
Often referred to as “paper-faced,” paper corner bead was developed to combat the nail popping and cracking that plagues metal corner bead.
Paper-faced corner bead uses a similar metal profile as its traditional counterparts but replaces the metal nailing flange with paper.
Unfortunately, paper corner bead has its own flaws. Commonly seen peeling off of walls and causing unsightly cracks, paper-faced corner bead over metal materials can be even more susceptible to damage than traditional metal.
When struck, the paper-faced corner bead’s metal profile can still be dinged or dented and can cause irreversible damage to your outside corner. Even worse, this impact can often tear or detach the paper holding the corner bead to the wall, creating hideous cracks and splits.
Vinyl
Refuse to participate in the battle of metal vs. paper drywall corner bead? We don’t blame you, especially since there is currently a better alternative on the market. Make the smart choice and switch to Trim-Tex vinyl corner bead — never again will you have to deal with the headaches caused by metal and paper corner beads that break, bend and fail. Check out these three top reasons why Trim-Tex’s vinyl corner bead is the best option to get the job done right the first time.
Resiliency
