EXPERT REVIEWED 
FREE DELIVERY 
INSTALATION AVAILABLE 4 x 4 (1.19m X 1.19m) – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door
First Added - February 27 2022
Last Updated - August 4 2022 - 15 Data Points Updated - 3 Data Points Added
Reviewed & curated by a panel of garden building experts. Using methodology 1.1
Product ID: SKU: 37406
Size: 3' x 3'
Merchants Checked: 12
Available From: 1
Support WhatShed: by making a purchase after clicking a link above, a portion of the sale supports this site.
Our verdict on the 4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door
The 4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door fit with single doors. The windows window used on this particular 3′ x 3′ use a glazing material (Thickness was not specified).
Base material: wood
Certifications this product meets:
FSC certified timber[1] EN71 Certified[2]
Our experts say this has 1 stand out feature. A stand out feature is something found on over 70% of the top 10% of products in a particular category or is an exceptionally good feature as rated by our panel of experts.
1. The tongue & groove cladding used on this playhouse is one the best available for playhouses rated by our experts.
Below is a brief overview of how some of the key points of this playhouse fairs across the market.
Cladding
The tongue & groove cladding(walls) used here is the best form of construction for walls and is the only type [3] we’ve identified on same-size playhouses, that you’ll also see getting used on 35% (61 of 175) of all playhouses analysed [4], as well as being used on 47% (8 of 17) of the top 10% of playhouses [5]. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is 1 point below that of the average tongue & groove clad 3′ x 3’s (they have an average Expert Score of 73), with it being on 47% of the top 10%, its use here is a reassuring sign of a high quality cladding. You’ll also find the tongue & groove cladding showing up on 100% of 3′ x 3′ playhouses (2 in total) [6].
The walls are 12mm thick and we rate this an about average thickness out of the 2 found on same-size playhouses [7]. It is used on 49% of all playhouses [8] and is also used across 59% of the top 10% of playhouses [9] we analysed. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is 1 point below the average 12mm clad 3′ x 3’s score of 73, the fact that 59% of the top 10% use a cladding this thick is reassuring as a sign of quality. 100% of 3′ x 3′ playhouses (2 in total) use 12mm thick walls [10].
Read full analysis for cladding.
Roofing
Osb is the of construction method used for the roofing, our experts rate this one of the best forms of roof material and is the only type we’ve found on same-size playhouses [11]. This roofing material is used on 20% of all playhouses analysed, and 65% of the top 10% of playhouses. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is 1 point below the average of 73 for 3′ x 3’s using an osb roofing, with it being on 65% of the top 10%, you can be assured that this is a quality roof material. 100% of 3′ x 3′ playhouses (2 in total) use osb construction for the roof.
A 11mm thick roof boarding was used on this playhouse which is an about average thickness used for a roofing material and is the only thickness identified on same-size playhouses [12]. It’s used on 5% of all playhouses with a further analysis of the top 10% of playhouses (17 in total) showing us that none of them use a roof of this thickness. 100% of 3′ x 3′ playhouses (2 in total) use a 11mm thick roof boarding.
Read full analysis for roofing.
Height
The Height of this playhouse is 1160mm (4′) which sits right on the average height of all 3′ x 3′ playhouses.
Read full analysis for height.
You Might Also Consider
We found 2 3′ x 3′ playhouses with comparable specifications. The 4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door has an Expert Score that is 2% lower than average and is £18 more expensive than average. If you are looking for the best value or highest expert scoring playhouses out of the 2 with comparable specifications the following might be of interest.
Best value – If you are looking for something comparable that costs less, then you could save £341 with this 4 x 4 Wooden Hide Playhouse. It is priced at £792, this is 43% less than this and has an Expert Score of 75, 2 points higher than the 4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door.
Highest Expert Score – With an Expert Score of 75 vs 72 for this product, the 4 x 4 Wooden Hide Playhouse is the best 3′ x 3′ playhouse with comparable specifications, and is priced at £792, that’s £341 less than the 4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door.
High Wind Area – If you live in a particularly exposed or high wind area then having a playhouse with a thicker cladding and higher than average frame thickness can be preferable. We found at least 2 playhouses that have a combination of features that can make them more suited to higher wind areas.
4 x 4 Wooden Hide Playhouse
4 x 4 – Wooden Playhouse – 1 Opening Window – Single Door
Product Details
Comparisons of Similar Sheds
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Expert Score | 58 | 58 | 63 | 63 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,995.00 | £2,995.00 | £2,240.00 | £2,240.00 | £1,530.99 |
| Size | 7' x 7' | 7' x 7' | 7' x 5' | 7' x 5' | 8' x 8' |
| Brand | Country Living | Country Living | Country Living | Country Living | Tiger Sheds |
| Material | Wooden | Wooden | Wooden | Wooden | Wooden |
| Cladding Thickness | 12mm | ||||
| Guarantee | 10 Years | 10 Years | 10 Years | 10 Years | |
| Go | Go | Go | Go | Go |
Sources
Merchants Checked
12 different sources were used to research information on this product, and 1 contained information that we were able to use to compile the data used on this page.
The following merchants were checked on the 06 August, 2022 to see if they stocked this product.
ManoMano UK – 922302 products checked, found 1 match.
Waltons – 231 products checked, found no matches.
Wickes – 19576 products checked, found no matches.
B&Q – 78905 products checked, found no matches.
Wilko.com – 21232 products checked, found no matches.
Homebase – 35509 products checked, found no matches.
Buy Sheds Direct – 1635 products checked, found no matches.
sheds.co.uk – 1999 products checked, found no matches.
BillyOh – 1244 products checked, found no matches.
Garden Buildings Direct – 1284 products checked, found no matches.
Shedstore – 1373 products checked, found no matches.
Tiger Sheds – 635 products checked, found no matches.
1. Untreated: Any wooden structure that is left untreated will have its lifespan dramatically shortened. This is especially the case with Douglas fir or European softwoods such as Whitewood (spruce) or Redwood (Pine), most garden buildings sold in the UK are made from such wood.
The Wood Protection Association says that “the risk of attack increases significantly if the moisture content of wood, for any reason, rises above 20%” they also talk about how more lower durability cuts of wood (known as sapwood) are getting used to build with than in years gone by. They also say that “sapwood on the other hand is a source of food for many species of fungi and insects and is always vulnerable to attack.” This risk is particularly prevalent with European softwoods.
The BS 8417 code of practice (this advises on the choice of timber species and the use and application of wood preservatives) and BS EN 350:2016 (this advises on methods for determining and classifying the durability of wood and wood-based materials against biological wood-destroying agents) says the natural durability class of such European softwoods is between 3 and 5. With class 3 listed as moderately durable, class 4 listed as slightly durable and class 5 listed as not durable. All three classes have a service life of less than 15 years in a frequently wet environment (such as a UK garden). Yet the application of a preservative treatment or modification of lower durability species is designed according to BS8605 part1 (this is the British standards specifications for external timber cladding) to extend service life to 15/30 years or more.
Having a wooden garden structure supplied as untreated is relatively rare. The vast majority of wooden buildings are supplied with some form of basic treatment, usually a short term water based dip treatment. If you buy an untreated wooden building/structure then we strongly advise that you treat it annually with a solvent-based wood treatment. For full penetration it requires 2-3 coats. It is also recommended that you treat the inside of the structure as well.
If you are wanting something that will require much less maintenance throughout the products life cycle then we would strongly suggest looking at something that is pressure treated also known as tanalised timber.
By correctly treating timber you can take a sub 15 year service life for a not very durable European softwood and extend its service life to 15/30 years or more according to the Timber Decking and Cladding Association. ↩
2. FSC Certified Timber: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organisation that is “dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.” When you see the FSC certification it means the forest where this wood was sourced from is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity, while ensuring it sustains economic viability. FSC-certified forests are managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. FSC certified timber is comparable to Certified Timber. ↩
3. EN71 Certified: If something has an EN71 certificate then it means that the childrens toy meets with the British Standards Institution (BSI) implementation of the European Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, enacted in the UK as the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.
This explains how manufacturers should meet the requirements of the regulations, stating how toys should be manufactured and tested and the safety warnings they must carry. Areas the regulation focuses on are making sure toys cannot stab, trap, mangle or choke. Checking the fire safety of high-risk products such as play houses. Along with ensuring children aren’t at risk from elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury along with other potentially dangerous substances, such as solvents and preservatives. ↩
4. Cladding types identified: tongue & groove ↩
5. Global cladding data sourced from: All tongue & groove playhouses ↩
6. Top cladding data sourced from: Top 17 tongue & groove playhouses ↩
7. 3′ x 3′ cladding data sourced from: 2 3′ x 3′ tongue & groove playhouses ↩
9. Global cladding thickness data sourced from: All 12mm playhouses ↩
10. Top cladding thickness data sourced from: Top 17 12mm playhouses ↩
11. 3′ x 3′ cladding thickness data sourced from: 2 3′ x 3′ 12mm playhouses ↩
12. Roof material types identified: osb ↩
13. Roof thickness types identified: 11mm ↩