What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Does It Compare?

An acrylic shower base, also called a shower pan, is a molded shower floor that arrives as a finished walking surface with its slope, threshold and drain opening already formed in, so it is set on the floor, connected to the drain and used as is. Ella's Bubbles makes its own acrylic bases in standard roll-in sizes and in custom rectangular sizes, and because the surface is finished it must not be tiled over, as Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? explains. This page describes what the base is, how it compares with Ella's cultured marble and gel coat options, and what to check before you choose one.

What an Acrylic Shower Base Is

The acrylic base is the walking surface as shipped. The slope that moves water to the drain, the threshold at the entry and the drain opening are molded into the shell at the factory. Tile needs a rigid, absorbent substrate that mortar can bond to, and acrylic is a smooth finished surface that does not accept thinset, so tile laid over it would not bond reliably and could trap water underneath with no path to the drain. The correct way to make the base feel solid is to support the shell from underneath during installation, not to add a layer on top.

On Ella's current units the finish is AcrylX, an acrylic finish applied over a fiberglass-reinforced shell rather than a stand-alone acrylic sheet. AcrylX is the finish on the current made-in-the-USA stalls, multi-piece kits and barrier-free roll-in bases. Ella's published documents do not draw a line between AcrylX and other acrylic surfaces; the comparison they draw is between AcrylX and the gel coat finish on the older units, which What is the difference between gel coat and AcrylX Ella shower finishes? lays out. Roll-in and barrier-free acrylic bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam, and your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it.

Sizes, Thresholds and Drain Positions

Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base comes in three standard sizes, 30 x 60 inches, 32 x 60 inches and 36 x 60 inches, each available with a left or right drain. The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in base is ready to ship in left and right configurations. For a slightly raised entry instead of a barrier-free one, a three-inch step-in threshold is offered. Custom rectangular bases go up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with the drain placed left, right or center as long as it sits at least 9 inches from each wall; a custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches, and zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor. Bases with angled or curved edges are not made. Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? has the size limits and examples of what has and has not been produced.

On a standard model the drain position is molded into the base and is fixed. Most Ella stalls and bases are center drain, and some bases are molded with a left-hand drain only, with no alternative on that model. Can I Choose a Left, Right, or Center Drain on an Ella Shower? explains why it cannot be moved on request.

How the Acrylic Base Compares with Ella's Other Bases

The practical differences are weight, surface and entry height. The acrylic bases are the lighter units and are finished and ready to use once set and supported from underneath. The cultured marble bases are molded solid, so Ella's video describes them as heavy and says they require at least two people to install, and their surface is a glossy gel coat with a textured slip resistant floor rather than an acrylic layer. Gel coat is also the finish on Ella's legacy stalls, whose documents print a 3 year limited warranty, while AcrylX is the current finish. Between the acrylic options themselves, the choice comes down to whether you want a roll-in, a three-inch step-in or a zero threshold entry, and whether a standard drain position lines up with your floor.

What to Check Before You Order

• Measure the center of your existing drain from the back wall and from each side wall, and compare those figures with the drain location on the Specification drawing for the base you are considering. Ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the drawing if you do not have it.
• If the locations do not match and your plumber confirms the trap cannot be moved, look at a different size whose drain fits, or ask about a custom base within the 9 inch placement rule.
• Say whether the base goes in a three-wall alcove or a corner, because custom bases are made for both and the drain and edges are placed accordingly.
• Plan the wall finish to come down over the edge of the base so water runs onto the pan rather than behind it. If you want tiled walls with an Ella base, confirm that joint with your tile installer before work begins.
• Shower products are sold per item, so pair the base with a wall system sized to it. Ella offers three-piece acrylic wall systems in white, CNC and digital print finishes, and an 8 inch wide plastic L-shaped filler piece that trims down to close a gap between the base and an adjoining wall or fixture, both listed in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

Ella does not send technicians. A local licensed plumber sets the base and makes the drain connection, and the team supports that installer by phone for the life of the product.

Watch: Cultured Marble Reversible Shower Base with Low Threshold for Safer Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What the Ella Acrylic Shower Base Is Made Of and How It Is Installed
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases
• What is AcrylX and how does it compare to acrylic?

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