EXPERT REVIEWED 
FREE DELIVERY 
INSTALATION AVAILABLE 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse
First Added - February 27 2022
Last Updated - August 4 2022 - 25 Data Points Updated - 2 Data Points Added
Reviewed & curated by a panel of garden building experts. Using methodology 1.1
Product ID: SKU: CLUB0504DSL-1AABUN
Size: 5' x 4'
Merchants Checked: 12
Our verdict on the 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse
The 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse comes with an apex style roof, holds a 1 Years guarantee, is fit with lockable single doors that use a roller catch locking system, and is treated using a dip treated process [1]. The windows window used on this particular 5′ x 4′ use a styrene [2] glazing material (Thickness was not specified).
Base material: wood
Our experts say this has 5 stand out features. 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 choice of roof covering (mineral felt), is also what we find that 88% of the top 10% of playhouses use.
2. The styrene window installation is known to be a great choice, and our data shows us that 94% of the top 10% of playhouses make use of this kind of glazing.
3. A dip treated treatment process lets us know that this playhouse should be expected to last for a good few years, and is used on 82% of the top 10% of playhouses.
4. The shiplap tongue & groove cladding used on this playhouse is one the best available for playhouses rated by our experts.
5. Our experts say this the tongue & groove floor material used here is one of the best available on all playhouses.
Below is a brief overview of how some of the key points of this playhouse fairs across the market.
Cladding
The shiplap tongue & groove cladding(walls) used here is one of the best forms of construction for playhouse walls out of the 2 types [3] we’ve identified on same-size playhouses, that you’ll also see getting used on 59% (103 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 3 points below that of the average shiplap tongue & groove clad 5′ x 4’s (they have an average Expert Score of 85), 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 shiplap tongue & groove cladding showing up on 43% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses (3 in total) [6].
The walls are 12mm thick and we rate this an about average thickness out of the 3 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 2 points below the average 12mm clad 5′ x 4’s score of 84, the fact that 59% of the top 10% use a cladding this thick is reassuring as a sign of quality. 57% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses (4 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 out of the 2 types 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, and even though this material may not be popular among 5′ x 4′ playhouses (only 29% use it), the fact 65% of the top 10% use this roof cladding this should assure you of it’s quality, , even though the Expert Score of this 5′ x 4′ is 2% lower when compared to the average osb roofed playhouse.
A 8.0mm thick roof boarding was used on this playhouse which is the worst thickness used for a roofing material out of 6 thicknesses identified on same-size playhouses [12]. It’s used on 9% of all playhouses and 53% of the top 10% of playhouses. Our data on all 5′ x 4′ playhouses shows us this is the only one to use a 8.0mm roofing solution.
Mineral felt is used as the roof covering, and out of 2 types identified on same-size playhouses [13], is said to be one of the best roof covering materials. It comes fitted on 64% of playhouses and used on 88% of the top 10% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses. 57% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses (4 in total) make use of a mineral felt material as a roof covering, and when taking the average Expert Score of those 5′ x 4′ playhouses (82), the 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse is the same with an Expert Score of 82.
Read full analysis for roofing.
Flooring
The manufactures of this playhouse chose tongue & groove for the floor construction, we rate this the best form of floor construction out of 2 types found on same-size playhouses [14]. This type of floor construction is used on 41% of all playhouses we analysed, and 24% of the top 10% of those playhouses. Even though the Expert Score of this playhouse is 3 points lower than that of the average for 5′ x 4’s floored with a tongue & groove material (82 vs the average of 85), you can be sure it’s not due to the flooring because this one of the highest scoring flooring materials available on 5′ x 4′ playhouses. 57% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses (4 in total) use tongue & groove construction for the floor.
A 12mm thick floor boarding is used here, this is one of the best floor board thicknesses according to our experts out of 4 found on same-size playhouses [15]. It’s found on 26% of all playhouses and used on 24% of the top 10% of playhouses. Even though the Expert Score of this playhouse is 6 points lower than that of the average for 5′ x 4’s floored with a 12mm material (82 vs the average of 88), you can be sure it’s not due to the flooring because this one of the highest scoring flooring thicknesses available on 5′ x 4′ playhouses. 29% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses (2 in total) use 12mm thick floor boarding.
Read full analysis for flooring.
Window
Styrene windows come installed on this playhouse. As a glazing option, we rate it one of the best glazing types and is also the only type found on 5′ x 4′ playhouses [16]. This particular type of glazing is used on 77% of all windowed playhouses and 100% of the top 10% of playhouses with windows we analysed. 83% of 5′ x 4′ playhouses with windows (5 in total) use styrene windows, and when taking the average Expert Score of those styrene 5′ x 4′ playhouses (82), the 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse is the same with an Expert Score of 82.
Read full analysis for window.
Height
The height of this playhouse is 1240.0mm (4′) which is 1% less than the average 5′ x 4′ playhouse, giving you 10.0mm (0.0′) less headroom.
Read full analysis for height.
Doors
The door height is 1,115.00mm (4′) tall which is 1% or 12.00mm (0.0′) taller than the average 5′ x 4′.
The door width is 590.00mm (2′) wide which is 1% or 2.00mm (0.0′) wider than the average 5′ x 4′.
Read full analysis for doors.
You Might Also Consider
We found 7 5′ x 4′ playhouses with comparable specifications. The 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse has an Expert Score that is 3% lower than average and is £90 less expensive than average. If you are looking for the best value or highest expert scoring playhouses out of the 7 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 £1 with this 4’10 x 4 Mercia Poppy Kids Wooden Playhouse. It is priced at £430, this is 2% more than this and has an Expert Score of 85, 2 points higher than the 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse.
Highest Expert Score – With an Expert Score of 85 vs 82 for this product, the 4’10 x 4 Mercia Poppy Kids Wooden Playhouse is the best 5′ x 4′ playhouse with comparable specifications, and is priced at £430, that’s £10 more than the 5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse.
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 3 playhouses that have a combination of features that can make them more suited to higher wind areas.
4’10 x 4 Mercia Poppy Kids Wooden Playhouse
5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse
6 x 3 Pirate Ship and Sandpit Playhouse
Coastal Consideration – If you live in a particularly wet or harsher environment such as by the coast then you might want to consider something with a more robust pressure treatment or something made from metal or plastic, both materials that are particularly suited to such harsh environments. We’ve found at least 1 playhouses that have a combination of features that can make them more suited to higher wind areas.
6 x 3 Pirate Ship and Sandpit Playhouse
Public-Facing – Extra security measures might be more of a concern if you’re placing your building in an area that is more public-facing than a garden. Features such as security windows or even having no windows at all, and the ability to lock all opening doors are usually much more important when you have something that is more public-facing. We found at least 3 playhouses that have options that you might find a better fit if this is a concern you have.
5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse
Country Living Durlston 6 x 3 Traditional Tall Wall Greenhouse Painted + Installation Thorpe Towers
4x8w Two Storey Shiplap Timber Clubhouse Children’s Playhouse
More Child Friendly – If you have children and you are looking for something that has that little extra in terms of durability then tougher glazing options might be a better option. Here we have at least 3 other options that will fill those needs.
4’10 x 4 Mercia Poppy Kids Wooden Playhouse
5′ x 4′ Shire Club Kids Wooden Playhouse
Shire Playhouse Command Post
Product Details
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Sources
Merchants Checked
12 different sources were used to research information on this product, and 2 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.
Buy Sheds Direct – 1635 products checked, found 1 match.
Shedstore – 1373 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.
ManoMano UK – 922302 products checked, found no matches.
Wilko.com – 21232 products checked, found no matches.
Homebase – 35509 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.
Tiger Sheds – 635 products checked, found no matches.
1. Dip Treated: Dip treating is a temporary protective base coat treatment that is mainly designed to help protect the building during transit and for around one month after it is assembled. This water-based treatment is the least time-consuming and cheapest type of wood treatment. It involves dipping the wood in a protective water-based preservative and then leaving it to dry. The action of dipping is where ‘dip treatment’ comes from.
A dip-treated garden building is not considered fully treated with wood preservatives; it’s vital to re-treat your dip-treated building, preferably with a solvent-based (or oil-based) wood treatment. Then re-treat it on an annual basis using a solvent-based (or oil-based) wood treatment.
If you don’t want to treat something on an annual basis then a pressure treated wooden building might be a better option, this is where the wood undergoes a process called tanalisation (pressure treatment) during production. This is where the timber is submerged in specialist wood preservatives (such as Tanalith E, this is actually the origin of the word ‘tanalisation’), the wood then goes into a high pressure vacuum tank to draw out excess moisture and air and force in the preservatives. This deep penetration of the exterior wood protects it from the elements and all forms of insect attack. Wood treated this way can last many years without being re-treated. The Wood Protection Association has a good article/video on this. ↩
2. Styrene (Polystyrene (High Impact) HIPS): Styrene as it is commonly known or High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) is a very versatile form of plastic. It has a very wide range of uses but for garden buildings styrene is typically used as a budget option for windows.
Styrene is a shatter-resistant material, which is why it is ideal for situations where safety needs to be considered, such as playhouses. This benefit can be offset by a few other drawbacks, unfortunately styrene has a tendency to yellow over time (the technical term is Photoyellowing and it is caused by prolonged exposure to UV Light), the degradation of its polymers over time also causes it to become more brittle.
Another drawback of styrene is its thermal coefficient of expansion (it is 80 x 10-6), this is higher than most other glazing options. This means that as the material heats up and cools it can contract and expand more than other glazing options. This cycle can lead to a loose fit of windows over time.
According to data from the British Plastics Fedaration the physical properties of Styrene (Polystyrene (High Impact) are that it is not very good when exposed to high heat with a maximum continuous use temperature of between 60 to 80 °C. This is coupled with the fairly low range the Notched Impact Strength data shows of 10.0 – 20.0 Kj/m². ↩
3. Cladding types identified: shiplap tongue & groove, tongue & groove ↩
4. Global cladding data sourced from: All shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
5. Top cladding data sourced from: Top 17 shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
6. 5′ x 4′ cladding data sourced from: 7 5′ x 4′ shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
8. Global cladding thickness data sourced from: All 12mm playhouses ↩
9. Top cladding thickness data sourced from: Top 17 12mm playhouses ↩
10. 5′ x 4′ cladding thickness data sourced from: 4 5′ x 4′ 12mm playhouses ↩
11. Roof material types identified: osb, tongue & groove ↩
12. Roof thickness types identified: 8mm, 10mm, 12mm ↩
13. Roof covering types identified: mineral felt, styrene ↩
14. Floor material types identified: osb, tongue & groove ↩
15. Floor thickness types identified: 10mm, 12mm ↩
16. Glazing material types identified: styrene ↩