I will try to keep this concise.
First, the background and steps taken so far:
A few weeks ago, I discovered my front load laundry washing machine had a failed inlet valve that slowly leaked and soaked through the vinyl plank flooring and into the particle board underlayment,. swellling it. Also, the instability of the high speed washer had cracked a floor joist underneath (but that's another project.)
Soooo...
1. Installed plumbing and electrical connections in garage and moved W/D to nice, solid, concrete floor. (Also fixed washer with $13 part.)
2. Ripped up ruined vinyl plank and particle board underlayment....found mold in soaked underlayment in laundry closet and adjoining pantry, sooooooooo.....
3. Removed the 1/4 round and baseboards. Ripped up and cut out all wet particle board plus another 3 inches all way around, (less than 30 sq. ft.)
4. Damage to plywood subfloor was minimal, but scrubbed plywood subfloor underneath and adjoining wall structural (sill?) boards thoroughly with 50% bleach/water solution three times. Dried with fans for about a week. Also cut out affected sheetrock near floor.
5. Tested plywood subfloor throroughly for firmness, then coated with Zinser's shellac based primer. (Also primed structural wall sill (?) boards after inspecting for wood damage.)
6. Installed 3/4 BC plywood underlayment, leaving 1/4 inch expansion gap at walls as instructed at plywood manufacturer's site. Repaired sheetrock and repainted.
7. This is where I diverged into what most will probably say is over-engineering, if not earlier.
I hated the idea of a gap between my underlayment and the wall, so I determined to lay a bead of flexible caulk between the underlayment and the bottom of the sheetrock, with some of it laying into the gap to provide some waterproofing (in the event we or a future occupant decides to again use that closet as a laundry connection.)
I'm experienced (or thought I was) with caulk, so I forged ahead.
I had two tubes of brown, exterior-use, weatherproofing caulk, one by DAP and one by GE.
I applied the DAP, and although it was a little thin, it went on smoothly but ran out quickly.
I opened the GE Windows, Siding, and Doors caulk and laid it in and finished the caulking.
A few hours later, the DAP had cured but the GE had not.
Now, several days later, the GE has *still* not cured.
After researching at several forums, I have concluded that this tube must have been expired or a bad batch to begin with.
So, now I know to check the exp. date AND to test a small amount for curing BEFORE using on project.
So, my question is.......
Should I :
a) cut out about 2" of sheetrock above the new underlayment and clean out the gooey mess that is the uncured caulk, and then repair and repaint my sheetrock, (Uuuuuuuggghh, at least another 3 days on my schedule)
OR
b) leave it exposed and wait it out for the caulk to cure
(Be advised, the gap is small, and air movement behind it is nil. I can keep a fan on it, but .......????)
OR
c) apply my Roberts moisture barrier sheets and relay the vinyl plank and watch closely for any signs of mold....?
What I tried to research and could not find on the Web is,
does mold grow in or on exterior type caulk that is uncured? I know that the caulk is designed to resist mold and mildew, but I don't know if that is effective if it does not cure.
Any help or advice is appreciated. As an IT, my internet research skills are good, but I do not find where anyone has asked this question before. (Perhaps it is because it is a stupid question? )
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