This month we're focusing on the 24x30 Garage/Shop with an upstairs apartment built by Erik Fleck and his family. Erik is a retired IT Manager with some construction experience and his wife, Kim, works in the healthcare industry. They started work in the Fall of 2023 on the barn they had dreamed about for nearly three decades. The Flecks first purchased plans for a 20x30 Garage/Shop way back in 1998 when they lived in San Jose, CA only to find it was too tall for their city's building code... oops! Then they moved to picturesque Boulder Creek, CA and bought the plans for their 24x30 Garage/Shop but, alas... still no barn. After 26 years, a move across the country and help from their son, Neal, they finally got it done in June of 2024 in Jonesborough, TN!

The site work begins. Nice dirt... a few roots/no big rocks!

Concrete Block was used around the perimeter to bring the grade up to the level of the concrete slab.

The first floor gets framed in, using 1/2" OSB for shearwall and 24' x 14" I-Joists to span the garage with no support posts. Note our rig to lift plywood to the upper deck.

"Stairway to Heaven" since the upstairs unit will be a rental, access other than through the garage was needed.

The Truss "Jig" was made and the fun began!

It all starts to make perfect sense when that first truss goes up!

Working through the Winter months, the rest of the trusses were built and raised.

Building the dormers.

We spoke with Dano at this point and he suggested larger windows in the 6' dormers.

Sheet siding goes on and batten strips added.

Framing the apartment interior.

Sheet rocking the apartment, there were a lot of angles!

Finished Interior Living Room.

Finished Interior Bathroom.

Finished Interior Kitchen and its view.

Finished Exterior View Rear.

Finished Exterior View Side. (we're really glad we got the bigger windows)

Finished Exterior View Front.

Nice, new Garage/Shop...

... before it gets all filled up with "stuff"!

The Build Team... Erik and Neal Fleck

The project took us about eight months to complete working at it part time. Building the roof trusses was the most "fun" aspect of this project. Dano's support and suggestions were very helpful in getting our barn done... after all, it only took us twenty-six years to build this one!

Erik decided to get his Contractors License and is now doing small jobs for his friends and neighbors in and around Jonesborough, TN! Here's a link to his website: White Barn Home Services LLC