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INSTALATION AVAILABLE Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included
First Added - February 27 2022
Last Updated - August 4 2022 - 8 Data Points Updated - 3 Data Points Added
Reviewed & curated by a panel of garden building experts. Using methodology 1.1
Product ID: SKU: 593710
Size: 4' x 4'
Merchants Checked: 12
Available From: 1
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Our verdict on the Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included
The Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included comes with an apex style roof and holds a 10 Years guarantee. The windows window used on this particular 4′ x 4′ use a styrene [1] glazing material (Thickness was not specified).
Base material: wood
Certifications this product meets:
EN71 Certified[2]
Our experts say this has 3 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. The shiplap 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 shiplap tongue & groove cladding(walls) used here is one of the best forms 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 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 4′ x 4’s (they have an average Expert Score of 80), 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 48% of 4′ x 4′ playhouses (11 in total) [6].
Read full analysis for cladding.
Roofing
Mineral felt is used as the roof covering. Our experts say it’s one of the best roof covering materials, and is also the only kind identified on same-size playhouses [7]. It comes fitted on 64% of playhouses and used on 88% of the top 10% of 4′ x 4′ playhouses. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is below the average 4′ x 4’s cover their roofs with mineral felt (77 vs the average of 81), with it being on 88% of the top 10%, this should give you confidence in its quality. 57% of 4′ x 4′ playhouses (13 in total) make use of a mineral felt material as a roof covering.
Read full analysis for roofing.
Flooring
The manufactures of this playhouse chose osb for the floor construction, we rate this an about average form of floor construction out of 2 types found on same-size playhouses [8]. This type of floor construction is used on 19% of all playhouses we analysed, and 59% of the top 10% of those playhouses. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is 4 points below the average of 81 for 4′ x 4’s using an osb flooring, with it being on 59% of the top 10%, you can be assured that this is a quality flooring material. 30% of 4′ x 4′ playhouses (7 in total) use osb construction for the floor.
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 4′ x 4′ playhouses [9]. 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. Even though the Expert Score of this particular playhouse is 2 points below the average of 79 for windowed 4′ x 4’s use styrene windows, with it being on 100% of the top 10%, you can be assured that this playhouse is using a quality glazing type. 68% of 4′ x 4′ playhouses with windows (15 in total) use styrene windows.
Read full analysis for window.
You Might Also Consider
We found 21 4′ x 4′ playhouses with comparable specifications. The Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included has an Expert Score that is 1% lower than average and is £19 less expensive than average. If you are looking for the best value or highest expert scoring playhouses out of the 21 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 £410 with this 4′ x 4′ Shire Playhut Kids Wooden Playhouse. It is priced at £260, this is 158% less than this and has an Expert Score of 82, 5 points higher than the Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included.
Highest Expert Score – With an Expert Score of 85 vs 77 for this product, the 4×4 Mercia Snug Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse is the best 4′ x 4′ playhouse with comparable specifications, and is priced at £290, that’s £380 less than the Mercia 4ft x 4ft Snug Wooden Playhouse Installation Included.
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.
4×4 Mercia Snug Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
3’x5′ Tigercub Hideout House | Playhouse
4′ x 4′ Shire Playhut Kids Wooden 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.
BillyOh Childs Potting Shed Playhouse
BillyOh Bunny Max Playhouse
4 x 4 Isabelle Snug Den Wooden Playhouse with Apex Roof, Single Door And Windows
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.
3’x5′ Tigercub Hideout House | Playhouse
4′ x 4′ Shire Playhut Kids Wooden Playhouse
4′ x 4′ Shire Hide Kids Wooden 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.
4×4 Mercia Snug Childrens/ Kids Wooden Garden Playhouse
Mercia 4 x 4ft Wooden Snug Playhouse with Assembly
3’x5′ Tigercub Hideout House | Playhouse
Product Details
Comparisons of Similar Sheds
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.
Homebase – 35509 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.
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. 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. 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: european softwood, shiplap tongue & groove, tongue & groove, wood ↩
5. Global cladding data sourced from: All shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
6. Top cladding data sourced from: Top 17 shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
7. 4′ x 4′ cladding data sourced from: 23 4′ x 4′ shiplap tongue & groove playhouses ↩
8. Roof covering types identified: mineral felt ↩
9. Floor material types identified: osb, tongue & groove ↩
10. Glazing material types identified: styrene ↩