Can I Add a Glass Shower Screen to an Existing Walk-In Tub?

Yes, on an Ella walk-in tub, as long as there is a wall where the screen needs one. Ella's published splash guards are the 4 fold glass screen for seated tubs and the LayDown screen for the LayDown tubs, and the 4 fold rides in a channel sealed to the wall beside the tub deck, so the tub must sit in a corner or an alcove, the screen goes on the wall side away from any extension panel, and a 52 inch tub in a 60 inch alcove uses the 3 fold version. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? describes the three-wall opening most tubs sit in; this page covers what the screen needs, how it is fitted and sealed, and what to check on the deck before you order.

What Ella's Screens Are and What the Tub Needs

Both Ella screens keep water in only when the bottom gasket brushes the tub deck, so each is matched to the deck it rides on. For the 4 fold, three placement rules decide whether it can go on your tub at all:

• It needs a side wall next to the deck, so the tub must sit in a corner or an alcove. A tub standing free at its door end has nowhere to mount the channel.
• It mounts on the wall side, away from any extension panel. If the panel is at one end, the screen goes against the wall at the other.
• A 52 inch tub with an extension panel in a 60 inch alcove uses the 32 inch 3 fold configuration, made by removing one section of the 4 fold.

The screen pivots 90 degrees and folds back against the wall, so it does not swing out across the room when you get in or out. The channel is fastened and sealed to the wall and the gasket only brushes the deck, so the screen does not attach to the tub, which is why the same requirements apply whether the tub is going in now or has been in place for years. If your tub or shower is not an Ella product, send photos and measurements to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before ordering, because the published screens are made for Ella decks.

Converting the 4 Fold to a 3 Fold

The first video on this page shows how the 4 panel glass door becomes a 3 panel door by removing one of the inside panels. The door is laid carefully on a soft surface, the third panel from the wall side is lifted and its inside screw removed, the same is done on the other side for the outside screw, and any long screw is used to push out the plastic retainer inserts that hold the panel connection. Repeating the process at the other end frees the third panel completely. One plastic spacer is kept in place, the outside panel is brought in to meet the middle panel, the hinge is reconnected, the retainer insert and screw go back in and are tightened without over-torquing, and the screw caps snap onto the top. The 3 panel door can be used on its own, or on the Big4Two combined with a 4 panel door.

Fitting and Sealing It so Water Stays in

Ella does not send technicians, so your installer fits the screen. The details that decide whether it works are small:

1. The wall channel must be level.
2. The rubber gasket must be angled inward toward the tub, never facing the room.
3. The gasket should brush the deck lightly and evenly. Too high leaks, and too low damages the gasket.
4. A thin bead of silicone between the channel and the wall finishes the seal.

If water still escapes after the screen is level, inward and brushing the deck, check how the tub is being used before blaming the screen. Keep the hand shower below deck height and aimed at the tub wall, and fill until the water covers every jet before switching any therapy on, since jets above the waterline spray well out of the tub. Why Does Water Spray Out of the Tub When I Use the Hand Shower? walks through those checks in order.

Check the Deck Before You Order

Two deck accessories affect where the screen can go. The swivel tray, Ella's 8.5 by 8.5 inch rotating bath tray, pins into a threaded fitting near the door on the stainless inward-swing deck, and because it sits close to the door it can interfere with a glass shower screen, so plan both positions before either is installed. The tray lifts out when you unscrew its cap, and a cap covers the fitting when it is off. What Is the Swivel Tray on a Walk-In Tub? lists the models that carry it.

The Shower Column Kit is the usual reason to want a screen in the first place. The second video shows it added to the tub deck: the existing hand shower comes out, the column base goes into the vacant receptacle, the supply line is replaced, and the new one-half inch line connects to the diverter on the 2-piece or 5-piece Fast-Fill faucet. Its diverter selects the rain head or the hand shower one at a time, and on a tub with an extension panel the column uses the long 4 to 5 inch pipe connector to reach the wall, so tell the team about the panel when you ask for either accessory.

Ordering, Clearance Listings and Broken Glass

Order the screen through your Ella dealer or the team with your model and serial number, whether the tub sits in a corner or a three-wall alcove, which side the wall is on as you face the tub, and whether an extension panel is fitted. If you are buying a clearance tub, be aware that listing photos sometimes show a screen that is not part of that unit. The team confirms what ships with the serial and can add the screen to your order, as Confirming What a Clearance Tub Includes by Serial Number explains.

If a pane later shatters or cracks, the fix is a complete replacement pane rather than a repair. Glass panes on a given model are interchangeable, so a new pane fits the existing frame and hardware. Photograph the remaining panel and all of the hardware before removing anything, and keep the packaging and report within 48 hours if the damage was there when you unpacked it, since that is handled as a freight claim. The parts warranty does not cover impact damage or glass broken while someone was standing in the tub or handling the screen during installation, and tempered glass does not crack on its own. Shattered or Cracked Shower Glass Panel: How Replacement Works covers what to send.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Do You Sell Folding Glass Shower Screens for a 60 Inch Walk-In Tub?
• Which glass shower screen fits a seated versus a lay-down walk-in tub?
• How Do I Fix a 4-Fold Shower Screen That Leaks or Will Not Fold Flat?

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