Why Stucco Pros Are Choosing Trim-Tex Exterior Corner Beads

Since 1969, Trim-Tex has made its name in finishing trim and accessories — but especially in one product: corner beads. High-quality, highly durable, easy-to-use corner beads. Now, Trim-Tex has moved outside, applying everything we’ve learned about extruding the world’s best PVC beads over the last 50-plus years to a full line of exterior finishing solutions. You can trust this: every box of Trim-Tex stucco Corner Beads meets our standards for quality, durability, and performance — and no one’s standards are higher than ours.

Here’s why more and more pros are upgrading to these go-to stucco solutions for a flawless exterior finish.

Key Benefits of Trim-Tex Stucco Corner Beads

There are many reasons why Trim-Tex exterior Corner Beads — available in four widths, including 1 ½”, 2 ½”, 4” and the specialty 2 ½” x 1 ½” version — are becoming increasingly popular among pro stucco finishers. Here are just a few of the biggest benefits they’ve got to offer.

Straighter corners

Corner beads have many functions, but perhaps its most important is also the most obvious: they've got to make corners look straight, even and aesthetically pleasing. Trim-Tex has been making corners look good since 1969 — you know we’ve got that covered. 

“With the corner beads, you create this perfect straight look,” says Carlos Barrera, Vice President of CB Quality Services, who recently used our exterior Corner Bead (and several other solutions) to build a supermarket complex just south of Tampa, Fla. “Once you apply them and connect them all, it allows that perfect corner to just seem seamless … We don't have to worry too much about the corners being straight edges and everything — with these Corner Beads, it just all looks straight, it looks perfect.”

Rust-proof, impact-resistant PVC materials

Exterior Corner Beads from Trim-Tex are made of a proprietary blend of exterior-grade PVC materials. Why PVC? It’s incredibly resilient; able to withstand everything from daily wear-and-tear to extreme impact; and totally resistant to corrosion and rust — which is going to be especially crucial if you work in a humid, coastal environment. 

Long story short: these materials are built to stand the test of time, even in extreme weather conditions.

“It doesn't rust — that happens a lot with some of the metals,” Carlos tells us. “When we've done some restorations, we have to take some of the zinc out, but PVC, it's not going to rust at all. I prefer PVC, you know, vinyl. I think it's easier to use, it's better and it doesn't rust — it's just faster process for everybody.”

Lightweight, flexible and easy to install

Trim-Tex’s beads are built with their installers in mind — from top to bottom, they’re engineered to make the installation process easier, and after that, look good for years to come.

After applying acrylic sealant and pressing it into place, you can utilize the bead’s built-in, slotted nail holes running along its legs to make the installation process easier. And the signature triangular pattern lining the bead isn’t just decorative — these open engineered triangles on the flange allow for full stucco embedment. And the flexibility of those PVC materials come in handy when you need to flex the bead to make a straight corner out of imperfect framing.

“Once the lather has placed it, it's easier for them to run the mud,” says Carlos. “Once you have the Corner Beads, you don't have to strip the stucco, which is a little harder and not many plasterers can do it; that's a skill that you need. This allows the process to go faster. Especially in big commercial jobs like this, it just helps everything run smoother.”

"It's always easier to put them on," adds Antonio Barrera, Carlos' brother and partner on the supermarket project. "They got more flex to it, and it's easier to use and get that leveled out."

Upgrade Your Stucco Finish with Trim-Tex

Corner Beads may be Trim-Tex’s specialty, but it’s just one of hundreds of profiles tailor-made to make exterior finishes look better and last longer. Check out all of them by taking a look through our Exterior Solutions catalog — hit the button below to request your free copy now.