Mesh tape or paper tape for corners... which side are you on?

I used paper tape on my last job and got a nice flat finish but a buddy swears by mesh for strength, so after three houses I'm still torn on what to use for the next one, what do you all prefer for inside corners?

2 comments

2 Comments

susanh461d ago

Mesh tape for strength" - is that what your buddy calls those nice cracks that show up a year later? Mesh has its place but inside corners are where paper tape actually earns its keep.

dylan_green581d ago

Man I gotta push back on this one... paper tape has its place sure but mesh takes the abuse way better in my experience. I've got a buddy who did his whole basement with paper tape and every single inside corner cracked come wintertime when the foundation settled. Mesh stretches a little, that's the whole point, it moves with the house instead of fighting it. The only place paper beats it is if you're using setting type mud where the water can soften the paper and bond it in... but for regular pre-mixed compound mesh is way more forgiving for a guy like me who doesn't want to babysit every joint.