Can an Ella End Panel or Extension Panel Be Trimmed to Fit?

Yes, both panels are meant to be cut on site when the bathroom does not match them exactly. The end panel is trimmed on its wall-side edge when it is longer than the opening between the finished wall and the front apron, as shown step by step in End Panel Too Long for the Opening: Trimming It to Fit, and the extension panel is trimmed to the wall as the last step of the install so a shorter tub fills a standard 60 inch alcove. Neither panel carries any structural load, so taking material off does not weaken the tub or leave the panel loose.

Two Panels, Two Different Cuts

The two panels are often confused, and the cut you make depends on which one you are holding. The end panel is the reversible cover that ships with every Ella walk-in tub and hides the shell edge, plumbing and frame on the exposed short end of a corner installation. It runs across the end of the tub with a little overlap, bends over with a short return lip of about an inch on the wall side, and is held by two screws at the bottom that fasten it to the mounting brackets. It adds no length to the tub.

The extension panel, also called a filler kit or filler panel, is the piece that closes the gap between a 52 to 55 inch tub and a standard 60 inch three-wall alcove. It rests on adjustable stainless steel shelf brackets that are part of the tub frame, sits on either end of the tub, and doubles as a shelf for towels and bathing items. Every Ella tub shorter than 60 inches includes one unless it was declined on the order. What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub? covers the part itself.

• End panel: trimmed only when it is longer than the opening, on the edge that sits against the wall or tile, usually taking some or all of the return lip.
• Extension panel: trimmed as a matter of course, because alcoves are rarely square and the gap is measured at the top and bottom before the panel is cut to the wall.

Trimming the End Panel

When a tub sits in a corner and the wall is finished with tile or backer board, the opening between the wall and the front apron can end up narrower than the panel by a small amount, sometimes only a fraction of an inch. That is enough to keep the panel from dropping in. Pulling the tub away from the wall to make room is the wrong fix, because it leaves a gap between the wall and the end of the tub, a situation explained in What If the End Panel Is Too Short and Leaves a Wall Gap?. Trimming the panel is the fix support recommends.

1. With the tub in its final, leveled position and the front apron installed, measure the opening from the finished wall surface to the edge of the apron where the end panel seats. Measure at the top and at the bottom, since walls are rarely plumb.
2. Measure the end panel along the same edge and note the difference.
3. Mark the cut line on the wall-side edge of the panel using the larger of the two differences, and add nothing extra. You can always take a little more off.
4. Run painter's tape along both faces of the panel over the cut line to protect the finish.
5. Cut with a fine-toothed blade, supporting the panel on a flat surface so it does not flex or vibrate.
6. Smooth the cut edge with a sanding block so it sits cleanly against the wall.
7. Test fit the panel and drive the two bottom screws into the brackets. Trim a little more if it still binds, then cover the screws with the trim caps and caulk the wall joint.

Installers sometimes worry that removing the return lip takes away the panel's support on the wall side. It does not. The panel has no structural components, it is held by the two screws at the bottom, and it will not flap or rattle when the pumps run.

Trimming the Extension Panel

The extension panel is fitted last, after the tub has been set and leveled. Your installer measures the gap at the top and the bottom of the alcove, trims the panel to the wall, and adjusts the shelf brackets so the panel sits level with the deck. The kit hardware secures it and the seams are sealed with silicone. The interior dimensions of the tub are unchanged, because the panel fills the alcove rather than lengthening the tub. 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.

Because the panel can be cut down to size, it also solves an out-of-square alcove or an opening slightly larger than the tub without a custom unit. Some installers prefer to center a shorter tub in the alcove rather than push it to one wall. A second extension panel can be ordered for that purpose, each end receives a trimmed panel, and the tub sits centered. The Extension Panel: What Ships With Your Tub, Where It Installs, and When to Set It Aside explains that the panel goes on whichever end the gap falls, the head end or the foot end, and that the pumps and plumbing are always reached through the tub's own access panels, never through the extension.

How Much Panel You Have to Work with

The width of the extension panel follows the tub length, and it sets the most an installer can trim away. The figures below are the published panel widths by model.

What the differences mean is simple. A 7 or 8 inch panel gives plenty of margin to trim an alcove that is out of square, while a 4 or 5 inch panel closes a small gap and leaves less material to remove. Full-length tubs do not use an extension panel at all, so any trimming question on those models is about the end panel only. Whichever model you have, confirm the tub's actual length from its spec sheet and measure the alcove before anyone cuts.

Handling, Cleaning and Replacements

Remove the extension panel, the end panel and the front apron before the tub is carried into the house, and lift the tub only by the frame. The video on this page walks through both panels, shows that one reversible end panel and one extension panel ship with every tub shorter than 60 inches, explains that you can opt out of either to reduce plastic waste, and reminds installers that every removable panel comes off before the tub is moved into the bathroom. Clean either panel with the same mild, non-abrasive cleaner you use on the shell.

If a trim goes wrong or a panel is misplaced, panels are cut for a specific model and door side, so have your model, serial number and door side ready. The serial number is on the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door. Note which end of the tub the gap is on and take a photo of that end of the alcove, then ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Where Do I Buy an Extension Panel for My Walk-In Tub? covers the ordering path.

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

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• Extension panels and filler kits: fitting your walk-in tub into a 60 inch alcove

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