Does the shower base tile flange sit against the wall or the floor?

The tile flange on an Ella shower base sits against the wall, not on the floor. It starts at the ledge where the base meets the wall and stands up the wall so the tile or wall panels can come down over it, and no part of it touches the bathroom floor. The same rule applies to walk-in tubs, as explained in Does the walk-in tub tile flange sit against the wall or the floor?, and this page follows the flange around a shower base specifically, from the custom base that is made with one to the flexible glue-up strip that goes on after a base is set.

Where the Flange Sits on a Shower Base

A tile flange is a water barrier at the wall line. Water that runs down the wall meets the tile or panel first, then the flange, then the ledge of the base, and goes back onto the base instead of behind it. For that to work the flange has to sit at the height where the base meets the wall, which is why it lives on the ledge and up the wall rather than anywhere near the floor.

Picture the flange as an L. The short leg lies on the edge of the base where it meets the wall, and the long leg stands up against the wall. Once the walls are finished, the tile or the acrylic wall panels overlap the flange and come down onto the ledge, and every joint is sealed with silicone. The floor beneath the base never enters the picture, because any water that reached the floor would already be behind the shower.

The glue-up flange video on this page makes this concrete. The very first installation step is to mark the strip position on the shower walls so the strip lands at the right height. With the shower floor temporarily in its working position, the installer rests the alignment card on the ledge against the wall, marks each wall at least twice above the ledge, and marks the wall where the shower floor ends. The base is then removed and horizontal lines are drawn through the upper marks and vertical lines just outside the end marks. Every mark is made on the wall at ledge height, which is itself the answer to the wall-or-floor question.

There is one moment where the floor does come into the calculation, and it is worth understanding so it does not confuse you. For a tighter three-wall enclosure, the video shows a second marking method that avoids sliding the base in and out. Instead, the installer works out the height of the strip's upper edge above the floor by adding the strip offset to the anticipated height the receptor ledge will sit above the floor after installation. The floor is used only as a measuring reference to find the ledge line on the wall. The strip itself still ends up on the wall, above the ledge.

Two Ways an Ella Shower Base Gets Its Flange

Ella shower bases arrive at a tile flange in one of two ways, and the position is the same in both. A custom size shower base is made with a tile flange, which is why the shower bases and walls overview notes that a custom base works well in a shower where the walls will be tiled. The flange is part of the base, sitting along the edges that meet the walls.

The other route is the flexible glue-up flange kit, which the video calls Sealux and which is listed in Ella's parts as the Flexible Glue-Up Tile Flange. The kit contains a 124 inch strip of 4 inch wide flexible membrane with an integrated 1 1/4 inch siliconized adhesive strip, packed with a spreading spatula, a cardboard alignment card and alcohol cleaning tissues. It is also offered in bulk form for contractors. The membrane is a durable, waterproof adhesive fabric with a siliconized strip that reacts with and chemically bonds to 100 percent silicone sealant, so the seal holds through general expansion and contraction and routine floor settling. The accessories video shows this flexible flange being used around a shower base, and the guide to a tub with no tile lip confirms that for a shower base the same flange approach applies and the flexible strip can go on after the base is set.

The glue-up strip is reversible, and which colored side faces out depends on whether the fixture already has an integral flange. If you are unsure which side applies to your base, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before opening the silicone.

What the layers mean for you is simple. Everything that keeps water out of the wall happens at ledge height, so the flange must be in place before the walls are finished, and the threshold choice you make when ordering only changes how deep the basin is inside the shower, not where the flange goes. If a contractor proposes sealing the base to the floor as the waterproofing step, that is a different joint and does not replace the flange at the wall.

The Order of Work Around a Shower Base

1. Set the base in its pocket and confirm it sits level before any wall is finished. The flexible strip can go on after the base is set.
2. Measure the total run of base edge that meets a wall, at ledge height, and match it to the kit length so you have enough strip for the full run.
3. Mark the strip position on the walls using the alignment card, by either of the two methods the video shows.
4. Clean the base edge with the alcohol tissues in the kit, then bond the flange with 100 percent silicone so it overlaps the edge of the base and rises up the wall.
5. Run the tile or acrylic wall panels down over the flange and onto the ledge, then silicone every joint.

Ella's Bubbles does not send technicians, so this work is done by your installer or a local licensed plumber. The team supports them with the published guides and the videos on this page.

Tile Walls or Acrylic Wall Panels

Both finishes work above a flange. Acrylic wall systems are available for Ella showers, and shower wall sample binders show the color choices. If you would rather tile, a custom base with its tile flange is made for that purpose. Either way the wall finish overlaps the flange and comes down onto the ledge, so the flange position does not change with the material you choose. The accessories and add-ons overview describes the tile flange as the option to consider whenever a fixture will meet a tiled wall.

If your shower calls for a custom base, remember that the size has to be settled before the flange is relevant at all. Custom bases are built to the measurements you submit and custom orders are final, and the smallest custom base is covered in Can you make a custom shower base smaller than 30 by 30 inches?.

When to Open a Ticket

If you are unsure whether your base has an integral flange, which flange length your wall run needs, or the walls are already partly finished, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your base model, a sketch of the alcove with wall lengths in inches and a photo of the base edge at the wall. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm the kit and how to place it so the finished shower stays dry behind the walls.

Watch: Walk-In Tub Accessories to Enhance Your Experience | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• How Do You Install a Tile Flange on a Tub or Shower Base?
• How Do You Tile Over a Walk-In Tub Flange Correctly?
• Does Drywall or Backer Board Go Over the Walk-In Tub Flange?

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