How to Repair a Dent in a Bullnose Corner

A dent or chipped corner in your home is a common problem with an easy solution. You create the straight, smooth, sharp or round corners in your home by installing a metal bullnose corner bead over the drywall joint. A bullnose corner bead is a strip of metal with mesh edges or edges with pre-drilled holes. To repair a dent in a bullnose corner bead, you need to scrap off old drywall and joint compound. Learning to make your own repairs will save you money.

Step 1

Use a 1 ½-inch drywall taping knife to scrape away the drywall on both sides of the damage to expose the bullnose corner bead underneath. Use the knife to scrape off any loose or ragged drywall edges around the repair area. Use a hammer to tap the metal corner bead dent gently until it is straight.

Step 2

Tighten the existing drywall screws that appear loose with a drill. Reinforce the corner bead with a drill and additional drywall screws if necessary.

Step 3

Mix the 45-minute drywall mud with water according to the instructions on the label. Don’t mix more than you will need to make the repair. Fill the mud pan with mud.

Step 4

Apply drywall mud to the repair area. Apply mud starting from the nose of the corner bead and moving toward the wall using a 6-inch drywall taping knife. Make the level of the mud even with the existing wall. Work the mud in an up and down motion to create a sharp corner.

Step 5

Let the mud dry thoroughly before applying a second coat of mud, using up and down strokes to keep the corner sharp. Let the mud dry again. On an untextured wall, sand the patch with 120-grit sandpaper to smooth and blend the patch with the wall surface.

Step 6

Blend the edges of the patch with the textured wall surface with a wet cloth. Let the mud dry thoroughly and texture the wall to match the old wall before priming and painting.