Two years ago, Meridian Construction was hired to renovate the State Library. The project, which included replacing and restoring over a hundred century-old windows, received a lot of attention in the area due to the historical significance that the library holds for many in New Hampshire. The outstanding work performed by Meridian even won them a 2010 Excellence in Construction award from Associated Builders & Contractors.
Today, Meridian has started work on a new set of restorations, on the signature granite facade of the library, interior skylights, and a lot more. Due to the sensitive nature of restoring a cherished building of this kind, a lot of work has gone into analyzing existing conditions to properly determine the best construction methods to maintain the historical quality as it was originally intended. Meridian met with the NH Historical Society, the State of NH and library representatives to review potential products and test samples.
Upcoming work will include cleaning, repairing and repointing the building's granite exterior. Glass skylights will be replaced and re-glazed, as their original glazing compound contained asbestos, which was properly removed and disposed of. The new frosted replacement glass will be enhanced by attic area lighting above the skylights, simulating natural lighting that had been previously eliminated through years of weather tight construction solutions.
Additional restorations include fixing existing plaster walls, ceilings and moldings, marble stairwell and mosaic floor tiles. Thermal improvements have been made, involving low expansion foam applications to attic walls and ceilings above existing interior restored skylights. The estimated completion date for the project will be around late summer.