After you insert the first finial into one of the slots of the two roof tabs that are poking out of the back of the front roof panels, you're going to slide the other finial into it. Its “legs” slide into the other roof tab. I’m hoping my pictures speak for themselves because it's very difficult to explain in words how this is done. That’s why I had to actually dry fit the entire structure, including the back roof, in order to see how it was done because I couldn’t understand the worded instructions either.
After you got the center finials put in, glue on the two roof supports in place. You're going to have to paint the center finial and the roof supports before you put on the back roof or you won't be able to reach them later. If your finial seems slightly slanted, don’t worry about it because the back roof pieces will straighten them out.
While that’s drying, I put the shutters on.
Usually you don’t have to waste paper and paste on wallpapering the interior of the back roofs in dollhouses because they aren’t visible. In this dollhouse, the interior of the back roof is visible from various sides, so if you wallpapered your attic, you’ll want to wallpaper the back roof to match. This has to be done before the roof is installed because it will be very difficult to do afterwards.
Paint all of the exterior edges in the same color you painted the front roof and then prime and wallpaper your back roof.
The back roof slides into the center finial and other slots around the roof. Either side can be put first. Use a mallet to tap the roof so it will slide in easier and to hammer the tabs into their slots around the sides. Clamp everything until dry.
You can apply the roof trim, finials and gable trim before you shingle the dollhouse. It won't impede with anything. If you want to leave the roof trim until after shingling, that’s fine too. I applied everything now.
Don’t worry about little gaps here and there because the shingles will cover them.
