Can I Use an Ella Extension Panel Next to a Non-Ella Tub?

An Ella extension panel is built as one component of an Ella walk-in tub, so it is not a universal filler for the gap beside another brand's tub. The panel rests on adjustable stainless steel shelf brackets that are part of the Ella tub frame, and each panel is cut for a specific Ella model and door side. For the basics of the part itself, start with What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub?, then read on for why the panel and the tub belong together and what that means for your bathroom.

Why the Panel Depends on the Ella Frame

The extension panel looks like a simple shelf at the end of the tub, but it does not hold itself up. It sits on integrated shelf support brackets that are an extension of the tub's stainless steel frame. The first video on this page shows the underside of the panel: the brackets are all stainless steel, their legs screw up and down so the panel can be leveled, and the installer in the video describes the result as one integrated component of the bathtub. That support is the reason the panel stays put, and in the video's words it is why there is no worry about silicone cracking or the panel failing.

The hardware is matched to the tub family as well. Kit contents vary by door family. The Standard, Zen and Flow kit, for example, uses 2 stainless L brackets, 1 plastic bracket, 2 pressure clips and 4 nuts. All of it is designed to meet an Ella frame, so beside a tub from another maker the panel would have none of the support it was designed around. The installer in the video also notes that this is the only bathtub in the industry they know of that comes with this integrated shelf support bracket.

Panels Are Sized and Cut for Specific Ella Models

The second reason is fit. An Ella extension panel exists to take a 52 or 55 inch Ella tub to a standard 60 inch three-wall alcove, and the panel width follows the tub length:

• The Standard, Ultra, Elite, Petite and Royal use a 7 inch panel.
• The Deluxe, at 55 inches long, uses a 4 inch panel.
• The Capri, Transfer26, Transfer30 and Transfer32 use an 8 inch panel.
• The TransferXXL uses a 5 inch panel.
• The Zen and Flow include a panel for 60 inch alcoves, and one is available for the Monaco and Lounger.

Panels are cut for a specific model and door side. That is why every panel request starts with three details: the Ella model, the serial number from the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door, and the door side. Where Do I Buy an Extension Panel for My Walk-In Tub? walks through that path. A tub from another manufacturer has no Ella model, serial number or door side to match a panel against, so there is nothing to confirm the shape, height or bracket position against.

What This Means If Your Tub Is Another Brand

If the gap you want to close sits beside a tub that is not an Ella, plan on a solution that does not rely on Ella's frame brackets. Ella's own guidance for a space its panel does not cover is a good model: when a gap is wider than the panel covers, your installer frames and finishes the remaining space. A local licensed contractor can do the same beside any tub and finish it to match the room. The maker of your tub is the right place to ask about a filler designed for its frame.

If you would still like to ask about a specific Ella part, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can tell you what a panel is built to fit, and you can open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with photos and measurements in inches. Go in knowing how the part is designed: it is trimmed on site to meet the wall, but it is carried by the tub frame, not by the wall or the floor.

If You Are Replacing That Tub with an Ella

The picture changes when the tub itself is an Ella. Any Ella walk-in tub that is less than 60 inches long comes with an extension panel, so the tub fits a standard 60 inch alcove, and it can be placed on the right side of the tub or on the left, as specified on your order. The second video on this page explains what ships with every tub and where each panel goes.

On installation day the sequence is simple:

1. Your installer sets and levels the tub first and fits the extension panel last.
2. Alcoves are rarely square, so the gap is measured at the top and at the bottom.
3. The panel is trimmed to the wall. It is designed to be cut.
4. The brackets are adjusted so the panel sits level with the deck.
5. The kit hardware secures it and the seams are sealed with silicone.

The finished panel doubles as a shelf for soaps and towels. It does not add length to the tub, and the interior dimensions are unchanged. A few Ella models do not use one at all: full-length tubs such as the Ultimate, Standard60, Zen60, Transfer60, Big4One, ShaK and the two-seat models, along with the Front Entry and Mobile. If your installation will not need the panel, you can decline it on your order to reduce packaging waste. If a panel on an Ella tub will not mount at the end you expected, Why Doesn't the Extension Panel Attach on the Faucet Side? explains how the brackets decide which end it fits.

Make Sure an Extension Panel Is the Part You Mean

Two Ella panels are often confused. The extension panel closes the gap between a shorter tub and the alcove wall. The end panel is the reversible panel that covers an exposed short end of the tub, hiding the shell edge, plumbing and frame, and it attaches with two white screws. What Is an End Panel on a Walk-In Tub? covers that part in detail. One reversible end panel ships with every Ella tub, and a second end panel is available when both short ends will be open to the room.

Like the extension panel, the end panel is cut for a specific Ella model and door side, so the same limit applies beside another brand's tub. There is also no factory cover for the long back side of any Ella tub. The back goes against a wall or a knee wall your contractor builds.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Understanding Extension and End Panels with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Extension panels and filler kits: fitting your walk-in tub into a 60 inch alcove
• Can an Ella End Panel or Extension Panel Be Trimmed to Fit?
• End Panels, Extension Panels, and Aprons: Getting the Right Replacement Panel

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