Corner Bead Repair — Metal & Vinyl
Corner bead repair is the splice fix for dented outside-corner drywall bead (metal, vinyl, or paper-faced) where the protective 90-degree profile has been bent inward by an impact — cut out the damaged section, splice in a fresh matching piece of bead, re-mud the seams in two coats with a corner knife, texture-match both walls, and re-point the edge so it reads as a continuous straight line again, from $180. The outside corner where the dining room turns into the hallway, the corner by the kitchen island where the vacuum cleaner hits every Sunday, the corner near the front door that the moving company crushed with the couch on the way in — mud-only patch-overs fail within months, only a bead splice restores the structural edge.
Service
What Does Corner Bead Repair Include?
Corner bead repair is the splice fix for the dented metal, vinyl, or paper-faced 90-degree profile that wraps and protects an outside drywall corner — score and cut out the damaged six-to-twelve-inch section, splice in a fresh matching piece of bead, fasten with corner-bead screws or adhesive, two-coat-mud the splice seams with a corner knife, texture-match both adjacent walls, and re-point the edge so the corner reads as a continuous straight line, from $180. Once the bead dents inward (vacuum-cleaner hit, furniture impact, a kid's bicycle, a moving box), the bead crimps the drywall behind it and the paint cracks along the dent. You cannot un-dent a metal bead — the metal stays bent. The fix is to remove the damaged section and splice in a fresh piece of bead, then re-mud and re-point the corner.
Identify the Bead Type First
Three common bead types in Seattle homes. Galvanized metal bead (most common in pre-2000 construction) is a thin steel L-profile with perforations along each leg, nailed or screwed into the drywall every 8 inches — it dents easily and stays dented. Vinyl bead (more common in 2000-onward construction) is a PVC L-profile that flexes slightly under impact and sometimes pops back, but cracks along the corner if hit hard. Paper-faced metal bead (high-end remodels) is a metal bead with paper-tape flanges that mud directly without screws or nails. We identify which one your wall has by cutting an inspection slot — and we splice in matching bead, never mixing types on the same corner.
Cut Out the Damaged Section Cleanly
We score both sides of the corner with a utility knife about an inch past the visible damage on each end of the dent — usually a 6-to-12-inch section depending on how far the deformation extends. With a hacksaw blade or oscillating multi-tool, we cut through the bead itself on both ends, then pry the damaged piece free. The drywall behind the bead often needs minor cleanup — torn paper, crumbled gypsum at the corner — which we trim back to solid material before the splice goes in.
Splice In a Fresh Piece of Bead
A new piece of bead, cut to the same length as the removed section, mitered or butt-jointed at the ends, gets installed into the corner. Metal bead fastens with 1-1/4 inch drywall screws every 8 inches through both legs. Vinyl bead can be installed with screws or with bead-adhesive (spray-on contact cement) and held in place with painter's tape until the adhesive grabs. Paper-faced bead embeds into a first coat of mud and gets bedded down with a wide knife. The splice ends — where new bead meets old — need to seat flush so the corner line stays continuous.
Re-Mud the Corner in Two Coats
First coat of joint compound goes on with a corner knife (a 4-inch knife angled to fit the 90-degree corner) over the splice and the splice joints. Drying time is 12 to 24 hours. Second coat goes on with a wider 6-inch corner knife, feathered out to about 6 to 8 inches on each side of the corner. The second coat extends past the splice ends so the splice transition disappears into the surrounding wall. Sand between coats with 150-grit and final 220-grit before texture.
Re-Point the Corner Edge
Re-pointing means dressing the 90-degree edge so it reads as a continuous straight line from ceiling to floor. We sight down the corner from end to end after the second coat sands clean, and any spots where the new section is slightly proud or slightly recessed relative to the original get adjusted with a final skim pass. Texture match (orange peel, knockdown, smooth) goes on both sides of the corner. Primer over everything before paint.
How Corner Bead Repair Works
Splice in fresh bead, re-mud the seams, re-point the edge — the only repair that restores a structurally bent corner.
Identify the Bead Type
Galvanized metal (most common pre-2000), vinyl (more common 2000-onward), or paper-faced metal (high-end remodels). The tech cuts a small inspection slot to confirm before sourcing the splice material — we splice metal to metal, vinyl to vinyl, paper-faced to paper-faced and never mix types on one corner.
Cut Out the Damaged Section
Score both sides of the corner with a utility knife about an inch past the visible damage on each end of the dent — usually a 6-to-12-inch section. A hacksaw blade or oscillating multi-tool cuts through the bead itself, then we pry the damaged piece free and trim any torn paper or crumbled gypsum back to solid material.
Splice In a Fresh Piece of Bead
A new piece of matching bead, cut to length and butt-jointed or mitered at the ends, installs into the corner. Metal bead fastens with 1-1/4 inch drywall screws every 8 inches; vinyl bead takes screws or bead-adhesive held with painter tape; paper-faced bead embeds into a first coat of mud and gets bedded with a wide knife.
Two-Coat Mud the Corner
First coat goes on with a 4-inch corner knife over the splice and the splice joints, set 12 to 24 hours. The second coat goes on with a wider 6-inch corner knife, feathered six to eight inches past the corner on each side so the splice transition disappears into the surrounding wall. Sand 150-grit between coats and 220-grit before texture.
Re-Point the 90-Degree Edge
After the second coat sands clean, the tech sights down the corner ceiling to floor — looking for proud spots, recessed spots, or a slight curve where the new section meets the original. A final skim pass takes out the variation so the eye reads the corner as a continuous straight line.
Match the Texture on Both Walls and Prime
Orange peel or knockdown sprays from a hopper gun tested on cardboard first; smooth Level 5 gets a final skim and a 220-grit sand. The texture goes on both adjacent walls — skipping one side leaves a visible band where the patch ends. Stain-blocking primer over everything before paint.
Corner Bead Repair Pricing
Final pricing depends on the length of the dented section, the bead type, the wall texture, and the number of corners on the visit. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us where the dented corner is and roughly how long the dent runs.
Why Handis for Corner Bead
Most corner bead repairs fail because the technician tried to mud over the dent instead of splicing the bead. Mud over a dented bead will fill the visible crater but does nothing to restore the structural edge — the next impact in the same spot cracks the mud immediately and the dent reappears. After repairing enough corner beads across Seattle dining rooms, kitchens, hallways, and entryways, the fix is non-negotiable — cut out the bead, splice in fresh material, re-mud the splice seams, re-point the edge. The corner reads straight again and survives the next vacuum cleaner pass. Mud-only repairs are the failure mode we get called back to fix, often three or four months after a previous handyman did them.
Splice the bead, never just mud over the dent
A dented metal corner bead is structurally bent — no amount of mud restores the 90-degree edge. We cut out the damaged section every time and splice in fresh bead. The mud comes after the bead is back in place, not as a substitute for it.
Match the bead type on every splice
Metal to metal, vinyl to vinyl, paper-faced to paper-faced. Mixing bead types on the same corner creates a visible seam where the new section meets the old, because the two materials shrink differently as the mud dries. We identify the original bead type on arrival and splice in matching material.
Re-pointed edge sighted down the corner
After the second coat sands clean, the tech sights down the corner from ceiling to floor — looking for proud spots, recessed spots, or a slight curve where the splice transitions to the original. A final skim pass takes out the variation so the eye reads the corner as a continuous straight line.
Texture match on both sides of the corner
The mud feathers six to eight inches past the corner on both walls — both sides get the same texture (orange peel, knockdown, smooth) before primer. Skipping the texture on one side leaves a visible band where the patch ends.
30-day workmanship guarantee
If the splice cracks, the seam telegraphs through paint, the texture mismatches, or the corner edge reads as not-straight within 30 days because of our workmanship, we come back and re-do the work at no charge. A fresh impact on the same corner is not a workmanship failure — but the patch we made should hold through normal use.
Estimate
Describe the dented corner — where it is (hallway, kitchen island, dining room), how long the dent runs (a few inches, a foot, the whole corner), the bead type if you know it (metal, vinyl, paper-faced), and the wall texture. We will quote the splice and the finish.
Customer Reviews
Corner bead repair reviews from real Handis customers.
Dining room corner that the vacuum cleaner had been hitting for years — finally cracked the bead and the paint was flaking. Previous handyman had just mudded over it twice and both times it came back within months. The Handis tech cut out the bead, spliced in a fresh piece of vinyl, re-mudded both sides, and matched the orange peel. Six months later the corner is still straight and the paint has not cracked.
Kitchen island corner — moving company hit it with the fridge on the way in. About 18 inches of bead crushed inward and the drywall paper torn behind it. The tech cut out a 24-inch section, cleaned up the torn paper, spliced metal bead in, and finished it with a knockdown texture match. Corner is invisible. He even cleaned the dust off the new countertop afterward.
Hallway corner at the entry to the kids' rooms — repeatedly hit by the laundry basket. Tech told me before he started that the metal bead was bent past saving and a splice was the only correct fix. Twelve-inch splice, two-coat mud, smooth Level 5 finish to match the wall, primed everything. The kids will hit it again but the splice is solid.
1927 Craftsman, plaster walls, plaster outside corner that had crumbled at the bottom near the kitchen entry. Tech explained that real plaster outside corners do not have bead at all — the corner is shaped by the plaster itself — and the repair is a setting-type compound rebuild rather than a bead splice. Took longer than a drywall corner but the finished edge is invisible and the corner reads straight.
Three dented corners across our house from a decade of normal use. Tech worked it as a half-day visit — two were short splices, one was a full corner replacement floor to ceiling because the bead had been damaged in three separate spots. All three primed and ready for the painter. Cleanest corner work I have seen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about corner bead repair — pricing, bead types, durability.