Heads up about using mesh tape on inside corners

I keep seeing guys on job sites in Portland using self-adhesive mesh tape for inside corners and it's driving me nuts. Mesh tape is fine for flat seams but it bubbles up in corners every time because it can't fold tight like paper tape can. I've had to tear out three corners this month alone on a 12 unit apartment complex because the mud cracked behind it. Are you guys running into this too or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_kim1d ago

I dunno, mesh tape is fine if you crease it first.

jamesc791d ago

Zara, how many drywall jobs did you say you've actually done where mesh tape was the only thing that failed?

zaranelson1d ago

Absolutely agree with you on this one. Paper tape is the only way to go for inside corners, mesh tape just doesn't have the flex to fold clean and it always leaves a gap behind the crease (which is where the mud cracks out later). I had to redo a whole bathroom ceiling corner last month because the mesh bubble was so bad you could see it from across the room. It's like people think they're saving time but they're actually just creating double work for themselves or whoever has to fix it. Drives me nuts watching guys slap mesh in a corner and call it good.