How do I fit a folding shower screen beside a walk-in tub?

To fit Ella's folding glass shower screen, you mount its wall channel plumb and level on the wall beside the tub, fit the bottom gasket, end caps and knobs while the screen lies on the floor, then hang the screen in the channel and set its height so the rubber gasket just brushes the tub deck. The screen mounts to the wall, never to the tub, on the wall side away from any extension panel. What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub? describes the screen itself; this page is the fitting sequence, drawn from Ella's installation video and the printed manual.

Before You Start

Know what you are fitting. The 4-fold screen is a 44 by 42 inch tempered glass screen in a chrome ionized aluminum frame. Its panels are 1/8 inch tempered clear glass joined by PVC geared hinges, with a knob on both sides and a 90 degree pivot at the wall channel. It is reversible for a left or right installation, so the same screen fits either end of the tub. The screen ships in several pieces and is assembled on site, so unpack it carefully and confirm every part is accounted for before you drill anything. The video recommends setting the screen on the floor bottom side up while you work on the channel and the gasket.

Three planning points save trouble later:

• Confirm you have the right screen. Every seated Ella walk-in tub takes the 4-fold screen, while the LayDown tubs take their own bi-fold screen with different mounting positions and an installation diagram rather than this video. Which shower screen or curtain fits your Ella walk-in tub model? maps the choices.
• Decide early. A screen follows the standard 30-day return policy for uninstalled accessories in original packaging. Once it is mounted it cannot be returned, so check its coverage against your tub length before the first hole is drilled. Four-Fold Glass Shower Screen: Damaged Hardware, the Return Window and Why Panels Cannot Be Added has the details.
• Plan the screen and the swivel tray together on tubs that have one. The tray rotates out of the way for entry and exit, so position the screen where the tray can still swing clear. What Are My Options If My Swivel Tray Broke or Does Not Fit? explains where the tray sits on the deck.

Step 1: Mount the Wall Channel

The wall channel is the only part that fastens to the house, and its height and level decide whether the screen stays dry. Set too low, the gasket gets damaged; set too high, water escapes underneath. Measure where the channel will sit, ideally so it fastens into a stud, and set it at perfect level before marking the drill holes. The video shows the installer marking the holes, drilling carefully, tapping in the anchors, and then tightening the screws while leaving a little lag so the channel can still be nudged, finishing the last few turns by hand without over torquing. Mount on the wall side away from any extension panel. The screen normally starts at the back wall at the seat end and runs toward the grab bar at the front, crossing the door, so it covers the whole seating area where most showering happens. Starting it at the standing end instead may not be possible, because the grab bar can be in the way.

Step 2: Fit the Bottom Gasket and End Caps

With the screen still on the floor, slide the rubber gasket into the channel along the bottom edge. A little silicone lubrication helps it slide if it binds. The gasket is longer than the screen, so there will be excess to trim later. The video sequence runs like this:

1. Leave a short length of gasket hanging out at the wall end, cut it as the video shows, tie a knot in the loose end and tuck the knot into the space in the plastic corner. The knot anchors the gasket at the wall end.
2. At the opposite bottom front corner, remove the screw, pull the gasket down the channel away from the open end so there is room for the end cap molding, then fit the molding and secure it with the same screw. The end caps are in the parts and accessories bag.
3. Draw the gasket through the end cap, then fit one half of the seal end cap on each side of the gasket. This anchors the gasket at the open end of the screen.
4. Glue both the end cap and the seal cap onto the molding, then trim the excess gasket.
5. Fit the chrome knobs to the glass with their rubber gaskets in place, tightening firmly without over torquing.

The end cap steps are the ones that most often need redoing later, because the horizontal seal is frequently trimmed during installation and a cap that is not secured can come off. Replacing or Reattaching the End Cap and Horizontal Seal on a Folding Shower Screen covers refitting a loose cap and what to check before ordering a new kit.

Step 3: Hang the Screen and Set the Height

Lift the assembled screen onto the wall channel to judge the proper height and level. The gasket is the seal, and it should brush the tub deck lightly and evenly along its whole length, angled inward toward the tub. If the gasket is crushed, the channel is too low; if daylight shows beneath it, the channel is too high. Fold the panels flat against the wall and pivot the screen 90 degrees at the channel to confirm nothing binds. Once the height is right, the screen is ready for everyday use. The first embedded video shows each of these steps on an actual screen.

Converting to a 3-Fold for an Extension Panel Alcove

In a 60 inch alcove where a 52 inch tub uses an extension panel, one section is removed so the screen becomes a 32 inch wide 3-fold screen. The second video on this page shows the conversion. Lay the four panel screen on a soft surface, lift the third panel from the wall side, remove the inside screw on one side and the outside screw on the other, then use any long screw to push out the plastic retainer inserts that hold the panel connection. Repeat on the other side of the screen, and the third panel lifts free. Keep the remaining plastic spacer in place, bring the outside panel in to meet the middle panel, reconnect the hinge, replace the retainer insert, secure it with the same screw without over torquing, and repeat for every connection. Snap the screw caps onto the top of the screen and it is ready to install exactly as above.

What the Screen Will and Will Not Cover

One size of screen has to fit every seated Ella tub, which is why it is 44 inches wide rather than the full length of the tub. On a tub whose top measures about 59 to 60 inches, the 44 inch screen leaves roughly 15 inches uncovered at the standing end. Because the spray is aimed at the seat, little splashing normally reaches that opening. If you want the whole length closed, panels cannot be added, since current screens are built as a rigid unit limited to four panels. Instead, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 whether a fixed glass panel can be placed beside the folding screen so the door folds up against it. If any slide, roller or frame piece arrives damaged, or a panel will not slide after assembly, replacement hardware ships once you open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with photos and your serial number.

Related Guides

• The Four-Fold Bath Screen Printed Manual: Parts Supplied, Loose Fittings, Tools and the Eleven Numbered Steps
• How Do I Fix a 4-Fold Shower Screen That Leaks or Will Not Fold Flat?
• Where Should the 4-Fold Shower Screen Sit on the Tub Deck?

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