I would have thought they would attend to the entire tank, or at least the side next to the shuttle. It seems to me that they would especially gone into Over React Mode after Columbia -- was it Colombia or Columbia? -- and have made sure that they would dip the entire external tank on what ever goo they needed to, instead of simplying the new goo to a few select places and cross their collective fingers.
Again, I'm not denegrating the program, but it seems that they would have done more than needed and then engaged in a program of ramping back instead of doing just barely what was needed, then doing a bit more if that wasn't enough.
In any case, you work there and I'm just the Monday Morning Quarterback.