What does barrier-free mean, and which shower bases have no threshold?

Barrier-free, also called roll-in or curb-less, means there is no curb to step or roll over at the entry of the shower, so a wheelchair or walker crosses straight in, while a low-threshold base still has a short edge you step over. All of Ella's standard roll-in bases are curb-less pans, including the ready-to-ship 32 by 60 inch barrier-free base in left or right drain configurations described in Do you make a barrier-free 32x60 shower base with a right-hand drain?, and the low-threshold group runs from the 1 inch SMC reversible base through custom acrylic bases of about 3 inches to shower stalls with a 4 inch threshold. This page explains what the two words mean on the floor and compares every published threshold so you can pick the right one for the bather.

What Barrier-Free Actually Means, and What It Does Not

A barrier-free base has no step at the entry. On Ella's AcrylX barrier-free bases the entry is a beveled roll-in edge of 3/4 inch to 1 1/8 inch depending on size, and the SMC roll-in bases are 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch, low enough that a wheel compresses the rubber dam and rolls over. The reference figure these are measured against is the ADA roll-in shower compartment limit of 1/2 inch, which is why the Accessible Caregiver Shower Base at 3/4 inch is described as low, but normally not the ADA roll-in figure. The floor of every base is pre-sloped, textured and slip-resistant, with the drainage channels molded in, so the pan does not rely on a curb to move water to the drain.

Low threshold means something different. A 2 or 3 inch step-in is still a step, not roll-in access, and a custom acrylic base is not made fully barrier-free. A 3/4 inch step and a flush floor can look alike in a product photo, which is why the threshold figure on the spec sheet, not the image, should drive the decision. How Deep Is a Shower Pan and Does Depth Matter? explains why the threshold is the only vertical dimension that changes how you use a shower base.

No Threshold Versus Low Threshold, Base by Base

What the differences mean: the first three rows are the only true barrier-free choices, and they are the ones to specify when a wheelchair, a rolling shower chair or a walker has to enter the stall. Everything from the Caregiver base down is a step, and the taller the step the more it asks of someone with limited mobility. The lower the threshold, the more the design relies on the floor slope, the drain and, at the curb-less end, a dam to keep water where it belongs. Pick the row by how the bather will enter, then confirm the drain position against your floor.

How Water Stays in Without a Curb

Roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam across the entry. It is set with silicone, it compresses under a wheel and springs back once the chair is inside, and it is what keeps water in the stall when there is no curb. Depth plays no part in drainage on any Ella base. Every base has a textured, slip-resistant floor with the slope and drainage channels molded in, so water is carried to the drain by the shape of the floor, and a 2 inch threshold drains the same way a 4 inch one does.

What does matter is where the drain sits. Each of Ella's standard base sizes has a set drain position for the left or right configuration, so the drain hole in the pan has to land over the drain line that already comes up through the floor, or your contractor has to move the line. On a custom base the drain can be placed left, right or center, but it must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. What sizes do shower pans come in, from smallest to largest? lays out the standard and custom size limits that go with those drain rules.

Ordering the 32 by 60 Barrier-Free Base with a Right-Hand Drain

The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in shower base is available in left and right side configurations and is a stock item that is ready to ship, so the right-hand question is really a question about your floor. Before you order:

1. Measure the opening from finished wall to finished wall, front to back and side to side.
2. Measure where the existing drain line comes up: its distance from the back wall and from each side wall.
3. Note whether the installation is on a concrete slab with no access from below, because that limits how far the line can be moved.
4. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with a simple drawing showing the walls and the drain, or call (800) 480-6850.

For North Carolina or South Carolina, call the team at (800) 480-6850 with your zip code, your opening measurements and the base you want, and they will look into who can help with the work near you. If a gap remains between the base and an adjoining wall or fixture, the 8 inch wide L-shaped filler piece covered in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces closes it and can be trimmed to size.

Low-Threshold Choices When Roll-In Access Is Not Needed

If the bather steps in on foot, a low threshold can be the better fit, especially where the floor opening is already set. The SMC 1 inch low-profile reversible base is one part that covers both handings: set it one way and the linear drain runs along the left end, set it the other way and it runs along the right end, with the printed ADA size of 35 by 59 inches the same either way. Which end can the linear drain face on the reversible SMC shower base? walks through dry fitting it before the floor is cut. Custom acrylic bases from 30 by 30 up to 44 by 80 inches typically carry a threshold of about 3 inches, and the 32 by 60 footprint is shown in 2 inch and 4 inch versions, so state which height you want. The cultured marble video on this page shows the third option, a reversible low-threshold cultured marble base offered in three sizes with an ADA compliant slip-resistant textured floor; these bases are heavy and need at least two people to install.

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

Related Guides

• Which Ella Shower Pan Is Best for Wheelchair Accessibility?
• What is a roll-in shower and who is it designed for?
• Custom-Size Shower Bases: Size Ranges, Threshold Options, Drain Placement Rules, Construction, and How to Request One

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