What is an acrylic shower and how durable is it?

An acrylic shower is one whose base and wall panels are molded acrylic rather than tile, so the glossy surface you see is the material itself with nothing painted or coated on top. Ella's acrylic shower kits use acrylic and fiberglass construction that meets or exceeds the UPC, IPC, ANSI Z124.1, NAHB, HUD and FHA requirements, come with a self-supporting pre-leveled base, and carry a lifetime limited residential warranty. The same material logic that makes Gelcoat vs Acrylic Walk-In Tub: Which Material Holds Up Better? favor acrylic for tubs applies to the shower: the color runs through the sheet, so it resists fading, and dull spots can be polished rather than refinished.

What Acrylic Is and Why the Finish Lasts

Acrylic is a sheet material. A molded acrylic part starts as a solid sheet that is heated and formed over a mold into one seamless surface, and fiberglass is applied behind it for stiffness. The white is part of the sheet, so there is no separate finish layer to wear through. That is the difference from a gelcoat product, where a thin sprayed gel coat is the surface you touch and fiberglass resin is built up behind it; that sprayed layer is described as brittle, it chips and cracks as the piece expands and contracts with hot and cold water, and a repair means fiberglass work. On an acrylic surface the gloss white is non-porous, which is why it resists mold, mildew and staining, and a dulled area can be polished back.

The thickness figure Ella publishes is for its tub shells, roughly 1/8 to 3/16 inch of acrylic with a fiberglass backing. The shower articles do not print a wall panel thickness, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the spec sheet of the exact kit you are considering. The construction standards above are those of the AcrylX 3-piece shower kits, and the base in those kits is self-supporting and pre-leveled, so it needs no mud set under it.

The Parts of an Ella Acrylic Shower

Ella offers acrylic shower walls and shower bases, custom acrylic shower pans and a plastic filler piece, and Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces lists the standard sizes.

• Bases: a 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in base in left and right configurations that is ready to ship, a three-inch step-in threshold option, wheelchair rolling bases, and seat shower bases.
• Walls: large acrylic panels including 98 by 60 inch back walls and 36 to 38 by 96 to 98 inch side walls, and three-piece acrylic wall systems in white, CNC and digital print finishes with ADA accessories available.
• Custom bases: when a standard footprint does not fit, a custom base can be made with a 2-inch or 4-inch front threshold and the drain on the left, right or center. A 4-inch threshold gives an inside basin depth of approximately 2 inches, and a 2-inch threshold gives approximately 0.25 inch.
• Filler: an 8 inch wide L-shaped plastic filler piece with brackets closes a gap between the base and an adjoining wall or fixture, and because it is plastic it can be trimmed to fit.

Shower Bases and Walls: Roll-In, Seat, Custom Sizes, Thresholds and Wall Systems walks through choosing a base style, threshold and drain location before you talk with your dealer.

Acrylic Next to the Other Shower Materials Ella Uses

Acrylic is not the only molded material in the shower catalog, and the choice is mostly about weight, entry height and how you want to care for the surface.

For most bathrooms the differences come down to handling and finish care. Acrylic panels and pans are light enough for a contractor to carry in and set on a pre-leveled base, and the surface stays glossy with gentle cleaning. The cultured marble base trades that light weight for a heavy molded slab with a textured floor, which is why it takes two people to set. SMC bases are picked for their entry height, a 1 inch lip or no step at all. A sprayed gelcoat surface is the one to avoid when you want the finish to look the same years from now.

Keeping an Acrylic Shower Looking New

• Clean the walls with a soft cloth and a non-abrasive cleanser made for bathroom fixtures.
• Use a brush on the floor of the base.
• Never use scouring powders, scouring pads or steel wool anywhere on acrylic.
• Never tile over an acrylic base. Acrylic does not accept thinset, and a layer on top would bury the molded slope that carries water to the drain. Ella's custom acrylic shower pans are finished, not tile-ready; if you want tiled walls, a custom base with a tile flange is built for exactly that.

Planning the Installation

Ella does not install showers. A local licensed contractor sets the base and panels, and the self-supporting pre-leveled base means there is no mud bed to float first. Tell your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 your alcove width, depth and ceiling height, and they can point you to the base and wall panel sizes that fit, and shower wall sample binders show the available colors. The pieces that finish an acrylic shower, such as a 24-inch hand shower slide bar, a 5-foot stainless steel shower hose, a 10-inch rain shower and glass shower screens, are listed in Showers, Shower Screens, and Accessories for Your Ella Walk-in Tub.

Related Guides

• Is acrylic a good material for shower walls compared to tile?
• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels

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