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I’m getting ready to install LVT over existing VCT in my bathroom, and when I pulled up the shoe molding I discovered that the corner of the floor next to the shower has a slight soft spot at the very edge, with just a slight give when I press my finger in the very edge of the corner. The radius of the give is well under an inch, and the deflection no more than 1/8 inch down. It’s not wet so it seems like it must’ve been this way for a long time, and perhaps some cracking caulk for where the shower had been sealed long ago is to blame. There is also some evidence of a small amount of mold.

I’ve treated the mold with vinegar, but do I need to pull up the floor and repair this small spot? It won’t be noticeable once I’ve installed the new floor, and if I take care to seal it well, do I still need to be worried about it getting worse some how?

Update: I peeled up the flooring to reveal the extent of the damage to the wood subfloor, and the top layer was a little crumbly but it’s solid underneath (see photo). Would it work for me to just patch it up now? Any recommended patch strategy?

Thank you!

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If your subfloor is wood, I would verify that the wood is in OK condition.

Caulking is good, but it's not necessarily a solution here. You have a piece of wood trim by a major source of water. That trim will get wet sooner or later, caulk or not. What you should look into is getting some vinyl(PVC) trim. It's not terribly hard to find now and it avoids the need for trying to prevent water intrusion here. Just do some basic caulk for aesthetics and it should be fine.

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  • Update: I peeled up the flooring to reveal the extent of the damage to the wood subfloor, and the top layer was a little crumbly but it’s solid underneath (see photo). Would it work for me to just patch it up now? Any recommended patch strategy? thanks!
    – aknodt
    Commented Apr 24, 2021 at 14:12
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    It probably wouldn't hurt to put a layer of waterproofing membrane down to help prevent more water intrusion but in theory your LVT should do that for you. I would just add some floor leveler here and tile over it.
    – Machavity
    Commented Apr 24, 2021 at 14:25

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