Remove Corner Bead Or Not?

Mike Finley

I have to frame in a finished opening and get rid of it, do you recommend tearing out the corner bead or but the new drywall right up to it and tape and mud over it? Is there are default method of you never butt up to old corner bead or do you see what each situation looks like?

mdshunk

Just me thinking out loud here...

Wouldn't the corner bead be necessarily higher than the finished wall plane? After all, it was applied to a butt end in the field. Then it had mud applied and tapered back a foot or more. My mind's eye tells me that you'd have a big wave in the wall where it met each existing corner bead. That said, even if you tore off the corner bead, you still have tapered ramp of mud to contend with.

Okay, I'm done trying to act like I know something....

bergenbldr

Removing the corner bead while not required will ensure the patch will have the least showthru of the old opening.

Mike Finley

Thanks guys, I needed my daily affirmation!

Greg Di

Mike,

I did the same job recently and I can tell you that you gotta rip it out. Whack it right on the corner in a couple of spots to make it crack along the bead and then you can find the edges. If you're lucky, you'll get a nice lip of dry mud that you can sort of get under with a wide knife to chip it away. You want a nice clean area for your butt joint. Also, make sure you cut the tapered edge off the new rock so you are building a true butt joint. Believe it or not, it's tougher to make a tapered edge/butt joint dissappear than a butt/butt.

Mike Finley

Thanks Greg, I did as suggested here and will keep in mind the butt to butt tip when it comes ready to sheet rock it. It all makes sense, sometimes I just have to be reminded to do what sounds sensible.

Torn down the soffit today, holy crap what a rats nest of wires and plumbing to deal with! Is it fair to just let the electrician go at it and figure out what runs to what or should I just cut all the wiring and seal it all up?


Just kidding! Oy, this is going to be a mess to get figured out. I think they ran every wire they could through the sofit.