Classic 1920s Garage

Installing the Roof

Earlier on you needed to decide if you were going to build your garage with or without the optional eyebrows (the small triangles on each each end of the roof, also sometimes called hips).

If you are building your garage with the optional eyebrows, you'll need to remove the small triangle on each end of the roof section. As shown here, simply cut through the small tabs holding it in place.

The kit comes with a sheet of our Shake Ultra Shingles™ that you can use for for the shingles. First it's a good idea to remove all the white areas from around the shingles so you don't accidentally attach these to your roof.

Next cut out a piece from the "bottom" (the "top" side is marked as such) that is a little larger than one roof piece. It's important that you keep track of which side is the top since the shingles will look strange if they're placed upside down on the roof.

Place the piece of shingles you just cut on face down (sticky side up), with the top facing away from you.

Gently lay one corner down flush with the bottom of the roof piece and the shingles. Note: make sure you can see the scribe lines (painted white here) and that the lines are toward the bottom of the shingles.

Carefully lay the other edge down so it is also flush with the bottom. Note: you need to be careful here because once you've placed the wood flat on the paper, the tape will be stuck and you won't be able to change the position.

Tip: The paper backing from the peel-and-stick Shake Ultra Shingles™ makes a great place to put puddles of glue. Simply put some glue on the shiny side of the paper and use your toothpick. Once the glue dries, it peels off easily and you can use the paper again the next time.

Carefully trim the paper flush with the wood, taking the following into account:

Scissors: we prefer to use scissors, but you can also use a sharp hobby knife. If you use scissors, always trim on the right side (unless you're using left-handed scissors) because you'll get a nice close trim that way.
Top Edge: You should trim the top edge along a straight line as shown here. Don't trim inside the notches because this is where the two roof sections overlap and you want the overlap covered with the shingles.

Place glue on the top of each wall, then place the roof section in place, making sure the tabs on the end walls seat completely in the slots on the roof.

Next apply glue to the slots on the other wall half, as shown here, apply glue to the top of the walls on this side, and glue the second roof section into place. Note: start by inserting the top of the second roof half into the tabs and slots at the top of the other half, then work the tabs on the wall ends into the slots on the roof.

Adding the end rafters

	The end rafters need to be installed before you install the eyebrows (if you've chosen to install them). Using a toothpick, apply a bead of glue along the joint between the wall and the roof where the rafter will be glued. Also apply glue along the etched rafter lines, as shown here.
	Install the end rafter as shown, ensuring it is centered under the roof. Next install the rafter on the very end by placing a thin bead of glue on the bottom of the roof right next to the edge. Hold the rafter in place for a short while to let the glue harden a little.
	The kit comes with rafter tails that are easier to install than in might seem. Apply a thin bead of glue along the etched line under the roof. Then using tweezers place the rafter tale into position, ensuring the tab that you cut to remove the tail is facing away from the roof bottom. You can probably see these small tabs as dark dots in the center of each rafter tail.

Installing the optional eyebrows

	Apply a piece of shingle material to the unpainted side of the eyebrow. Then trim along the edges, leaving extra material that is about the same as the thickness of the wood. This will hide the overlap between the eyebrow and the rest of the roof.
	Apply glue along the edges that will be joined, as well as along the top of the rafters. Then place the eyebrow in place.

The finishing trim

	The very last step is to apply the vertical trim. There are two different widths. The wide trim is for the front and back walls. And the narrower trim (shown here) is for the side walls. Install the narrow trim first so it is flush with the end of the wall. Then install the wider trim so it overlaps the narrower trim.
	And last but not least, install the trellises. Once you've added the trellises, you might want to apply some white glue with a toothpick and then apply ground foam to represent plants growing up the trellises. You can also add a little bit of color to represent flowers.

At this point you can touch up the paint in places where trim parts didn't get painted completely, or you may be really happy with you model as it is. We hope you've enjoyed building this model. If you have any feedback, please send it here: