EXPERT REVIEWED 
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INSTALATION AVAILABLE 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
First Added - February 27 2022
Last Updated - August 4 2022 - 24 Data Points Updated - 2 Data Points Added
Reviewed & curated by a panel of garden building experts. Using methodology 1.1
Product ID: SKU: LOFT0806DSL-1AA
Size: 8' x 6'
Merchants Checked: 12
Our verdict on the 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
The 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse comes with an apex style roof, holds a 1 Years guarantee, is fit with lockable single doors that use a magnetic safety catch locking system, and is treated using a dip treated process [1]. The 2 windows used on this particular 8′ x 6′ 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 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 tongue & groove cladding(walls) used here is the best form of construction for playhouse walls out of the 4 types [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]. You’ll also find the tongue & groove cladding showing up on 22% of 8′ x 6′ playhouses (6 in total) [6], and if we compare this item against those 6 we find it’s Expert Score is 13% higher than the average score for a 8′ x 6′ tongue & groove playhouse.
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. 44% of 8′ x 6′ playhouses (12 in total) use 12mm thick walls [10], and if we compare this item against those 12 we find it’s Expert Score is 7% higher than the average score for a 8′ x 6′ 12mm playhouse.
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 8′ x 6′ playhouses (only 7% 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 8′ x 6′ is 2% lower when compared to the average osb roofed playhouse.
A 11.0mm thick roof boarding was used on this playhouse which is an about average thickness used for a roofing material out of 5 thicknesses identified on same-size playhouses [12]. It’s used on 3% of all playhouses and 6% of the top 10% of playhouses. Our data on all 8′ x 6′ playhouses shows us this is the only one to use a 11.0mm 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 8′ x 6′ playhouses. 74% of 8′ x 6′ playhouses (20 in total) make use of a mineral felt material as a roof covering, with this product having an Expert Score of 9% higher than the average.
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. 48% of 8′ x 6′ playhouses (13 in total) use tongue & groove construction for the floor with this product having an Expert Score of 11% higher than the average.
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. 37% of 8′ x 6′ playhouses (10 in total) use 12mm thick floor boarding, with this product having an Expert Score 7% higher than average.
Read full analysis for flooring.
Window
Styrene windows come installed on this playhouse. As a glazing option, we rate it one of the best out of the 2 glazing types found on 8′ x 6′ 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 8′ x 6′ playhouses with windows (20 in total) use styrene windows, with this product having an Expert Score of 9% higher than the average.
Read full analysis for window.
Height
The height of this playhouse is 1756.0mm (6′) which is 28% more than the average 8′ x 6′ playhouse, giving you 383.0mm (1′) extra headroom.
Read full analysis for height.
You Might Also Consider
We found 27 8′ x 6′ playhouses with comparable specifications. The 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse has an Expert Score that is 11% higher than average and is £78 less expensive than average. If you are looking for the best value or highest expert scoring playhouses out of the 27 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 £240 with this Mercia 10 x 5ft Wooden Snug Playhouse including Tower & Slide with Assembly. It is priced at £700, this is 34% less than this and has an Expert Score of 85, 5 points higher than the 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse.
Highest Expert Score – With an Expert Score of 85 vs 80 for this product, the Shire 7 x 7ft Children’s Wooden Penthouse Playhouse with Bridge, Slide & Climbing Wall is the best 8′ x 6′ playhouse with comparable specifications, and is priced at £1,360, that’s £420 more than the 8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden 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.
8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
8’x6′ Tigercub Funhouse | Playhouse
8’x6′ Tigercub Magic Mansion | 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 3 playhouses that have a combination of features that can make them more suited to higher wind areas.
Shire 7 x 7ft Children’s Wooden Penthouse Playhouse with Bridge, Slide & Climbing Wall
6 x 8 Hideout Wooden Playhouse with Apex Roof, Single Door And Window + T&G Verandah
8′ 7″ x 6 Cottage 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.
8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
8’x6′ Tigercub Funhouse | Playhouse
8’x6′ Tigercub Magic Mansion | 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.
Mercia 10 x 5ft Wooden Snug Playhouse including Tower & Slide with Assembly
6×8 Mercia Bramble Cottage Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
8′ x 5’6 Shire Loft Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
Product Details
Comparisons of Similar Sheds
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: european softwood, shiplap tongue & groove, tongue & groove, wood ↩
4. Global cladding data sourced from: All tongue & groove playhouses ↩
5. Top cladding data sourced from: Top 17 tongue & groove playhouses ↩
6. 8′ x 6′ cladding data sourced from: 27 8′ x 6′ 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. 8′ x 6′ cladding thickness data sourced from: 12 8′ x 6′ 12mm playhouses ↩
11. Roof material types identified: osb, tongue & groove ↩
12. Roof thickness types identified: 8mm, 11mm, 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: single glazed, styrene ↩