How to keep small external corners square and flat?

[perky416]

Hi guys.

How do people bond and plaster external corners around windows? Or small external corners elsewhere?

I can never seem to get the surface square to the other wall, or flat for that matter (because the surface is so small and with one end of the trowel scraping along the corner bead as a guide, i cant keep the other end of my trowel at exactly the same level as the corner bead across the entire length. I have resorted to using an engineer square to scrape along the bonding but obviously i cant do that with the plaster.
Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[RandomGrinch]

Hi,

I have only used one once on a short plastering course, so I can't vouch for its effectiveness, but the following could be worth a try:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-external-corner-trowel-4-x-3-/1019C

Internals are also available.

 

[NickB_99]

May not be quite the question you’re asking, but another option is to put a thin coat edge bead up against your window. It will allow the skim coat to be more even on the window reveals etc as you have two edges for the trowel, and not just the corner bead to work off.

 

[darrington]

How to make a reveal gauge.

Get a small piece of wood, say, 30mm x10mm, cut it just a little longer than the reveal width, then tap a panel pin a LITTLE way into the end of the piece of timber, you're then ready to put your plaster onto the reveal/soffit. When you've put the plaster on, run the timber "reveal guage" gently up the side of the reveal, with the small panel pin running GENTLY up and around the inside edge of the window frame, and the other side running on the corner bead.
We did this years ago, long before corner beads were ever invented. Just make sure you make the gauge to look square on the reveal.
So to recap, make the gauge, (takes about 5 minutes), the put plaster onto the reveals/soffits, as you go, then run the gauge gently up the reveals/soffit, filling up any low spots as to go. You may have to do a small amount of fiddling at the top and bottom, but that's not a problem. Do one reveal/ soffit as you go, at your own speed until to get used to doing it this way. Use a twitcher on the internal corners at the top of each reveal where it meets the soffit.

 

[roughcaster]

I remember telling NicB 99 of this same method a few years ago Darrington.

Do you remember that NicB.99?

 

[Ptrain]

Plaster one face one day, and the other face the day after?

 

[NickB_99]

I remember telling NicB 99 of this same method a few years ago Darrington.

Do you remember that NicB.99?

hi Roughcaster.
Sorry for the delay in reply.
Oh yes, it was certainly an epic one!
Even found the thread again I think -
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/corner-beads.162027/

I think it was one of those if someone just showed you it would be easy, but trying to cover by description only, was tough.

 

[perky416]

Sorry for the late reply guys i didnt get the email notifications and only just remembered i posted this.

May not be quite the question you’re asking, but another option is to put a thin coat edge bead up against your window.

What a fantastic idea. Much appreciated.

How to make a reveal gauge.

Again a great idea. Thank you for the info ill deffo look at that

 

[perky416]

Do you guys have any pictures of the reveal guide? Ive googled it but cant find anything like you guys described, u less im picturing it wrong