6 Types of Drywall Corner Beads (With Pictures)

When you’re putting up drywall, tricker areas can be the corners of rooms. You want a specific look, but you need everything to flow together to get there. Since many people have different preferences, it makes sense that there are different types of drywall corner beads to pick from.

Here, we highlight six of the most common types of drywall corner beads. We also dive into a few of the different materials that you can get these drywall corner beads in. This way, you’ll know how to get the perfect drywall corner beads for your next project.

The 6 Types of Drywall Corner Beads

1. Standard

Standard drywall corner beads are among the most common types of drywall corner beads out there. Each corner has small, rounded edges that easily blend into most environments. These beads connect the two pieces of drywall with holes for either nails or screws.

Standard drywall corner beads are generally the least expensive types of drywall boards, but there will be an overlap between the two connecting boards.

2. Chamfer

Chamfer drywall corner beads have a wide connecting edge for the drywall boards to meet. This type of corner bead allows for less overlap between the two types of boards, but it also doesn’t produce a true 90-degree angle. It has a more rounded appearance, which has its advantages in décor situations like archways.

3. Bullnose

Bullnose corner beads combine standard corner beads with chamfer beads. They have a similar width to chamfer beads and the same rounded appearance as standard corner beads.

The advantage of this type of bead over a chamfer bead comes down to durability. It’s an extremely strong bead and creates a more subtle appearance than a standard bead.

4. J-Bead

The J-bead has a cross-section profile to create an angled curve. It goes around the corners to create a more subtle appearance than an L-bead.

There are multiple types of J-beads out there; it depends on what company you go with and the type of drywall corner material that you choose.

5. L-Bead

The L-bead is a type of cross-section drywall corner bead. Instead of the subtle appearance that you get with a J-bead, the L-bead gives you a sharp angle. It’s the perfect choice for the corner of many rooms, as you don’t always want a rounded edge there.

6. Archway Corner Bead

Archway corner beads flex more compared to most other drywall corner beads. This is perfect for areas where you need a subtle bend to the drywall. With archway corner beads, you don’t need to take too much time getting exact measurements.

The archway corner bead will adjust to whatever you need, making it a great and easy choice for installing drywall around archways.

The 3 Types of Drywall Corner Bead Materials

Now that you know about the different types of drywall corner boards, let’s go over the different materials that you can get each type in. This plays a big part in its overall performance.

1. Metal

Metal is the most common type of drywall corner bead. It’s extremely sturdy, long lasting, and easy to install. Moreover, it’s not the most expensive choice out there, so you don’t have to break the bank to get all these benefits.

2. Vinyl

Vinyl corner beads are among the most versatile choices on the market today. It’s easier for manufacturers to produce vinyl drywall corner beads in different shapes and sizes, and this gives you far more flexibility when it comes to picking out exactly what you want and need.

However, while vinyl drywall beads are extremely versatile and durable, they don’t last quite as long as metal drywall corner beads.

3. Paper-Face

Paper-faced drywall corner beads come in two different styles: metal and composite. A paper-faced metal bead has a traditional metal core and a paper coating on the outside.

A paper-faced composite corner bead works the same way, but instead of metal on the inside, it has plastic. Paper-faced composite corner beads are less expensive than paper-faced metal ones, but they don’t last as long.

Conclusion

Now that you know all about drywall corner beads, you just have to pick out the ones that you need for your next project.

When ordering drywall corner beads, we highly recommend going with high-quality options; otherwise, you’ll have to replace them when they start to crack, shift, and fall apart.

Featured Image By: DUO Studio, Shutterstock