We live in the Los Angeles area and recently replaced a 8' window with a french sliding door. Afterwards, we designed a step and landing to exit the new door. Unfortunately, we had some issues with the concrete work and must now seek advice on "damage control."

1) The concrete guy (I will not call him a "mason") failed to remove all the screws from the forms for the top step and it literally fell apart when he pulled out the forms. He hastily tried to re-hydrate the cement and put the forms back in place. The repair looked OK at first but after the cement dried we noticed several hairline cracks in the bullnose.

They are very small cracks but we fear they will propagate if not addressed properly. The installer wanted to put cement in them but we thought that was pretty lame and told him not to do that. Does anyone have any informed suggestions on how to go about repairing the cracks?

2) The installer elected to "fix" a couple of other defects with what looks to be the same spec mix he used to grout the tiles. It's too dark and doesn't blend with the concrete. What can we do to make it blend in more? Is there some sort of paint or sealant we can use that will match the concrete?

We appreciate any helpful advice you can offer. Thanks.

Stephanie

P.S. In case you're wondering, the PVC pipe showing in the photo is for an electrical connection to run LED rope light in a channel behind the bullnose on the top step.