Saw a wild setup at a new build in Bend that made me rethink corner bead

I was out in Bend, Oregon last week checking on a friend's project and walked into this custom home. The guy doing the drywall had these metal corner beads on every single outside corner, but he wasn't using nails or screws. He was using this special adhesive gun, the kind you'd use for subfloor glue, and just laying a thick bead of construction adhesive on the back. He said he switched to it after three jobs where the nail pops were driving him nuts, especially with the big temperature swings out there. He claimed it saved him about 2 hours on the whole house because he wasn't stopping to set each nail. The corners looked rock solid, no flex at all. I'm curious if the mud will hold up the same over time without the mechanical fastener. Has anyone else tried gluing their corner bead instead of nailing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinhunt3mo ago

I've glued bead for years and the mud holds fine if you use the right adhesive.

susan_ward1mo ago

Wait, does the glue actually hold the bead or is it the mud that's doing the work? I mean, I've always heard the glue is just there to hold it in place until the mud dries.

roseb623mo ago

Remember my buddy who used the wrong glue? His whole ceiling bead fell off in one piece (looked like a sad metal snake).