Historic Carnegie Library Stair Restoration, Warren, Ohio
NEO Surface restored the grand entry stairs and landing of Warren's 1906 Carnegie library, now the Trumbull County Law Library, using ARDEX repair and coating systems, completed October 2026 with no punch-list items.
About 650 sq ft of exterior stairs and landing
16 stair surface cracks repaired with ARDEX CD Fine
Wall joints where the stairs meet the stone walls key-cut about 2" deep, packed with backer rod and filled
Landing cracks at the handrail mounts repaired with ARDEX MRF, then CD Fine
Repaired areas primed, then 2 coats of ARDEX CG over the entire stairs and landing
On-site mockup provided for approval
Final walkthrough with the architect and general contractor: no discrepancies
Built 1904–1906 with funding from Andrew Carnegie.
Designed by architect Edward L. Tilton.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Home of the Trumbull County Law Library since 1996.
Products: ARDEX CD, ARDEX CD Fine, ARDEX MRF, ARDEX CP, ARDEX CG, ARDEX CG Gray.
How do you repair cracks in historic concrete stairs? Each crack is cleaned out and filled with an ARDEX repair mortar matched to the depth, here ARDEX CD Fine on the stair surfaces and ARDEX MRF at the handrail mounts. Joints against the stone walls are key-cut, packed with backer rod and filled so they can move. The repaired areas are then primed and coated so the whole surface reads as one.
How long did the project take? The work was scheduled around the building's use and completed on October 29, 2026. The final walkthrough with the architect and general contractor found no discrepancies and no punch-list items.
Why resurface instead of replace? Tearing out original stairs on a historic building is costly, disruptive and removes original fabric. Repairing and resurfacing with ARDEX systems keeps the original structure in place and restores a uniform, durable surface in far less time.