Plastering - when/how to use beading?

[Lobster]

I've got some plastering coming up, mostly dry-lining which needs skimming. I've bought some metal corner beading to protect the external corners - when do you apply this? Do you just embed it in the skim plaster when you at the same time you apply that (I don't think so) or does it get fixed rigidly to the plasterboard before skimming? If so, how do you usually attach it (to 3/8" plasterboard?)

Thanks David

[Christian McArdle]

Use nails. Buy plasterboard types that won't rust and show through.

Christian.

[sm_jamieson]

I was told to glue it on with plasterboard adhesive before the plastering arrived, but this was hopeless. The flat sides of the beading were not held tight enough to the wall. In the end I nailed it on with galvanised nails. Note: if the plasterboarding is not perfect, it can be hard to get the stuff to lie properly. You need to check with a straight edge that the flat edges of the beading are far enough below the corner profile. I found the beading from B&Q was quite wonky and poorly made. Simon.

[Guy King]

The message from "sm_jamieson" contains these words:

It was probably well enough made, just stored badly. B&Q do that.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Goes directly onto the plaster board,somtimes you cant use galvanised nails so a staple gun can be used instead. Personally I don't use beading when doing external corners,I butt up the plasterbaords to give me a perfect sharp edge corner when applying the plaster.

[Lobster]

OK - I'd assumed (without actually trying it!) that 3/8" pb really wouldn't hold nails firmly.

Thanks David

[Lobster]

With galvanised staples? :-)

But surely the beading is as much (more?) about providing a knock-proof corner than achieving a straight, sharp corner (and the sharper it is, the more prone to damage?)

Thanks David

[John Rumm]

You fix it to the plasterboard before you start (use a long level to get it nice and straight and upright - you can take out any minor errors in the wall/corner at this stage).

Fixing depends a bit on the situation. If the PB is screwed/nailed to studs, then there is usually going to be a stud behind the corner, so you can screw through its webbing into that. If the PB is dab 'n' dotted on, then you may get better results by gripfilling it on (although this works better for the plastic beads than the metal ones).

[Christian McArdle]

Well I wouldn't normally use 9.5mm, only 12.5mm. It only has to hold so much. The skim itself will hold it on a bit. However, I suspect even on

9.5mm, the nails will work well enough and that's assuming you don't knock them straight into the corner stud.

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

You can nail it (as someone said, use galvanised nails so you don't get any rust stains coming through). However, I just stick it on with plaster -- run a line down the back from the trowel edge, push it into place so this oozes out of the holes, and scrape the excess off with the trowel.

BTW, you are using plasterboard beading and not plaster beading aren't you? The latter is intended to be embedded in scratch (base) coat plaster, not on plasterboard for which it's far too thick.

[Lobster]

Yes - that's the stuff which has flat metal sides rather than coarse mesh, right?

Thanks David

[Chris Bacon]

Yup. Make sure it's not bent or buckled in any way, or you'll be saying things. Offer the bead up first to check.

[Stuart]

What about the paper tape stuff with the metal insert .Is it better for this sort of job .??

[sm_jamieson]

The stuff in the pictures is better. It looks like the stuff for undercoat, but presumably is not. The stuff with rigid sides is much more prone to being misshapen etc. Simon.

[weekendwarrior]

I recently used metal beading and I followed the instructions here-

was not difficult and looks great no

-- weekendwarrior