Coolant leak! FIPG?

I recently replaced the rad and thermostat on my 2000 SR5 and ever since then (about a week maybe two), I've had a slight leak coming from the thermostat housing. I've tried torquing the nuts down little by little to see if that helped anything and it did a little but coolant is still coming out slowing when the engine is cold. Once things heat up it goes away because i'm assuming the aluminum is expanding and sealing better.

Some things to note:
When I initially installed the new thermostat I was sloppy and pinched the stat in between the housing and bent it. I'm thinking this might have gouged the mating surfaces? I put a new stat in and now the leak. What would be the fix for this? I don't want to just keep on leaking coolant slowly obviously. Would FIPG be a good fix for this kind of thing if there is a minor gouge or should i just torque the bolts down a little more? Or maybe JB weld and sand it down?

Frustrated this simple job is dragging out but i guess it's just a learning experience.

 

If it were mine, I’d take the housing off, put some high temp silicone around the gasket and then reinstall.

some pictures would help too, having a hard time following what’s damaged.

 

Not sure what type of gasket was on the old one either but make sure its all gone as well.

 

Did you use a new Toyota rubber gasket for the T-Stat?

I don't think you would have damaged the surfaces other than the T-Stat.

I wouldn't "Torque" it down...something is wrong. Over tightening is NEVER the answer.

I would just get a new Toyota gasket and redo the job. They are not really any more expensive than the aftermarket stuff but the aftermarket stuff is always not the same thickness.