Can I order shower wall panels in a custom size or with a bend?

Yes on both counts, though each works differently. Ella shower wall panels are molded in fixed stock sizes and are meant to be trimmed on site, so a nonstandard shower width is handled by ordering the nearest size up and cutting the panels down to the wall. A factory bend on a white acrylic side panel has no part number of its own: it is a request written onto the panel order at the time of purchase, and the factory forms it before the panel ships. Can a contractor cut Ella's white acrylic to fit my space exactly? sorts the whole shower by which pieces are ever cut, and this page covers the largest panel sizes available, how to ask for the bend when there is nothing to order by number, and how a cut edge is finished.

The Largest Panels Ella Makes

Because every panel comes out of a mold, the sizes are fixed at the factory, and the back wall is the figure that limits a wide shower. The acrylic 3-piece kit is 40 by 60 by 98 inches, with a flat back panel of 60 by 98 inches and two 40 inch side panels, offered in plain white, a CNC routed design with light gray grout lines, or a digital print. Cultured marble tops out at 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall for the back wall, with side panels molded 30, 32, 34 and 36 inches wide. The smaller kits are built for one footprint each.

What the table means for a nonstandard shower is simple. If your back wall is 60 inches or less and each side wall is 40 inches or less, the acrylic 3-piece surround covers it after trimming. If you are keeping the old walls and want to go over them, cultured marble covers up to 60 inches across the back and comes in four side widths so the cut is small. The 6-piece acrylic kit and the SMC kits are sized for a 36 by 60 inch footprint and are the right choice only when the alcove already matches. A back wall wider than 60 inches is beyond any single panel, so give the team your measurements and they will work out which pieces to combine.

How to Order a Bend When There Is No SKU

The bend is not a separate item. On the 3-panel kits the option heats the front edge of the 40 inch side panel and bends it 90 degrees, so that side wall becomes 38 inches of usable width, and the bent edge can still be trimmed on site for a clean fit. Because it is formed at the factory it cannot be added once the walls arrive, so it has to be settled when the order is placed.

1. Tell your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 that you want the factory bend at the time you order the panels.
2. Name the wall type as the white CNC walls, since the bend is offered on those only. For a printed pattern or tile design ask about a trim strip instead.
3. Say which panel gets the bend and whether you need the left or the right side as you face the shower. The bend goes on the front edge of a side panel.
4. Include your tub's serial number if the panels are going around an existing Ella tub, so the walls are matched to that unit.
5. Mention the bend when you discuss shipping, because bent panels cannot go in the standard box and travel lying flat on a crate.

Cutting Panels to a Nonstandard Width

Order the stock size that is equal to or slightly larger than the wall you need to cover, then trim off the excess. A panel that is slightly oversized only needs a quick cut, while a panel that is too small cannot be stretched to fit. Measure each wall at the top, the middle and the bottom, use the largest figure because walls are rarely square, and round up to the next stock width. For example, a side wall that measures 29 inches deep is covered by the 30 inch cultured marble side panel with 1 inch removed. Note any windows, valves or niches the panel must be cut around before you order.

The acrylic panels can all be cut to fit your space, and cultured marble cuts with a masonry blade in a standard circular saw. Support the panel fully on a flat surface, mark the cut line before cutting, and wear eye protection and a dust mask. The one piece a contractor never cuts is the shower base. It is molded to its finished size with the drain in place, and when none of the stock footprints fits, a custom acrylic base is ordered to your length and width instead, as a rectangle up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long with a minimum of 30 by 30 inches. Walk-In Tub and Shower Base Sizes and How to Measure for Fit lists the stock base sizes and how custom drain placement is specified.

Finishing the Cut Edges

A cut edge does not need to be polished. The simplest finish is a bead of caulk along the edge, which can be painted to match the wall. Where a more finished look is wanted, a 2 inch trim piece is applied over the edge. Ella carries a few trim options: a 1 inch corner trim in 96 inch lengths that suits inside corners and the ceiling line, and a 2 inch by 3/4 inch flat trim that can cover the gap at the tub. On the white acrylic walls the exposed front edge is finished either with the factory 2 inch bend or with locally sourced trim; the panel is never reshaped on site beyond trimming. Cultured Marble Shower Wall Panels: Stock Sizes, Cutting to Fit, and Finishing the Edges goes deeper on the marble cuts.

The video on this page shows the cultured marble travertine surround. Its panels are a natural quartz and granite composite with a gel coat surface, come as eight, six or four panel surrounds that one person can carry and install, and glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, Durock or existing tile. The edges are factory finished for seamless joining, and the video states that they can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit, which is exactly how a nonstandard width is handled.

Where the Panels Come from and What to Have Ready

Ella manufactures its own panels and surrounds, and they are sold through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 rather than from a store shelf, so the local part of the job is your contractor, the trim and the sealant. Where Can I Buy Walk-In Shower Wall Kits Locally? explains that arrangement, and Where can I buy acrylic shower wall panels for my Ella bathroom? compares the acrylic formats. When you call or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, have the width of each wall at three heights, the depth of the side walls, the height from the base or tub rim to the ceiling, the finish you want, which side gets the bend as you face the shower, and the tub serial number if the walls go around an existing Ella tub.

Watch: Transform Your Shower with Cultured Marble Wall Surround | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels
• How do you install a shower wall panel kit from Ella's Bubbles?
• How Shower Wall Edges Are Finished: 2-Inch Bends on White CNC Walls and Trim Options

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