Repairing a Drywall Corner

Even drywall can be torn, chipped, cracked or even punctured accidentally, especially when moving furniture around. Below are tips on repairing drywall on an outside corner.

Note: this procedure assumes that you've attached corner bead to the outside corner. Outside corners, at risk to damage, are reinforced with metal or plastic bead before finishing.

To protect yourself, wear work gloves and safety goggles. To safeguard the glass or plastic, pad the work surface using several layers of newspapers. Measure accurately and use a straightedge to help you score an accurate line. To cut an edge perpendicular to the first, use a framing square. As you work, clean up any glass or plastic shards and debris. If you have never before cut glass or plastic, you might want to practice first on a scrap piece.

1) Cut out the damage
To fix a broken outside corner, first make a rectangular cutout with a utility knife around the damage to prevent tearing. (Fig. 1)

2) Cut through the guard
Use a hacksaw to cut through metal corner guard above and below the damage. You also can use metal shears. (Fig. 2)

3) Pull the nails
Use a pry bar and the claw end of a hammer to pull out the nails driven through the corner guard into the drywall. (Fig. 3)

4) Cut a replacement guard
Use metal shears to cut a replacement piece of corner guard. Clear away torn paper and gypsum in the replacement area. (Fig. 4)

5) Replace the guard
Screw the new piece of guard in place on the corner. Make sure that the new piece aligns with the old guard. (Fig. 5)

6) Apply drywall compound
Use a taping knife to apply drywall joint compound. Install three coats, allowing each to dry, and sanding lightly in between. (Fig. 6)