Jeff Beneke

Jeff Beneke is a home renovation and conversion expert. He has also edited and written multiple articles and books on the topic.

Highlights

  • Author of more than a dozen books that cover garage and basement conversions
  • More than three years experience writing for The Spruce on home renovation and conversion topics

Experience

Jeff Beneke is a former writer for The Spruce contributing articles about all things garage for more than three years. He has written more than a dozen books related to home renovation, repair, and maintenance and contributed to another dozen. Beneke has also published articles and reviews on home improvement for a wide range of publications such as Popular Mechanics.

A former editor of Fine Homebuilding Books at the Taunton Press, Beneke has kept busy renovating two 19th-century farmhouses in upstate New York and a mid-20th-century house in Austin, Texas. He has built scores of storage units, bookcases, kitchen cabinets, and tool caddies. Beneke's idea of a great garage is one filled with tools, lumber, and workbenches rather than cars.

Education

After completing an apprenticeship program, Beneke worked as a machinist for many years in Texas and Connecticut. Along the way, he picked up a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Houston and a Master's degree at the University of Rochester. He is a largely self-taught carpenter, cabinetmaker, electrician, and plumber.

Publications
  • "Converting Garages, Attics & Basements" (Sunset Pub Co, 2001)
  • "The Fence Bible" (Storey Publishing, LLC, 2005)
  • "How to Paints Walls, Ceilings, Trim & Exteriors" (Sterling Pub Co Inc, 1998)
Expertise: Home renovation

About The Spruce

The Spruce, a Dotdash Meredith brand, is a new kind of home website offering practical, real-life tips and inspiration to help you create your best home. The Spruce reaches 32 million people each month. Learn more about us and our editorial process, and our commitment to ensuring we are providing you with the most trustworthy advice by certified experts for your home and garden.

More from Jeff Beneke