Which Do-It-Yourself Walk-In Shower Kits Does Ella's Bubbles Offer?

Ella's Bubbles builds its do-it-yourself walk-in shower lineup from three kinds of pieces: shower stall kits that ship with the stall, the grab bars listed for that kit and the drain; acrylic shower bases in three standard roll-in sizes and in custom rectangular sizes; and wall panel systems in acrylic, SMC and cultured marble that go over the room's existing surfaces. Every one of them leaves the shower valve, trim, shower head and rough-in plumbing to be bought separately and connected by a licensed plumber. What is included in a basic DIY walk-in shower kit? lists the carton contents of a stall kit; this page lays out the whole lineup so you can see which route fits your bathroom.

Three Ways an Ella Shower Comes Together

Shower products are sold per item, so "kit" can mean different things depending on what you order.

• A shower stall kit. The stall arrives as one piece or several pieces depending on the model, with the grab bars packed loose and the drain in the box. The base arrives with the drain and the threshold already formed, and some models have a molded seat. The installation manual is published with the product listing and is also available from the team at (800) 480-6850, so you can read the whole procedure before the carton arrives and decide which steps you will take on yourself.
• A base with separate walls. You choose a base in your size and drain position, then a wall system sized to that base, and add accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Confirm whether your order is a stall or a base with walls before assuming the walls are included.
• Walls or a surround around an existing tub. Owners who already have an Ella walk-in tub can add wall panels above the tub rim, and Ella offers wall surround systems for walk-in tubs with an acrylic top portion for a finished, water tight look above the deck.

Shower Bases: Standard, Custom and Zero Threshold

Ella manufactures its own acrylic shower pans. The three standard sizes are 30 x 60, 32 x 60 and 36 x 60 inches. All three are ADA curb-less roll-in pans that a wheelchair can roll straight into, each is available with a left or right drain, and roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam. Tell the team where your existing drain line sits in the floor and it confirms which drain position matches your size. If one of the standard sizes fits, it is the simplest choice because the drain sits in a set position for that size.

Custom bases are rectangular only, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, made for three-wall alcoves and corner installations, with the drain placed left, right or center but at least 9 inches from each wall. A custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches, and for a barrier free entry a zero threshold base sits flush with the surrounding floor instead. Bases with angled or curved edges are not offered. The full limits are in Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers?. Because the pans are finished acrylic, they need no tile; your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it.

Bases, Wall Panels and Surrounds Compared

The wall side of the lineup is where most of the choice lies. The table gathers every option with the sizes Ella publishes for it.

What the differences mean: the base sets the footprint and the wall system has to match it, so the alcove width and depth narrow the field before finish comes into it. A 36 by 60 inch alcove can take the acrylic 6-piece kit or an SMC kit, while the 3-piece surround needs 40 inches of depth and, at 97 inches, more ceiling height than the 92 inch acrylic kit. The 98 inch shower wall panels are taller still. Measure your alcove width, depth and the height from the floor or tub rim to the ceiling before choosing, and if your alcove is larger or smaller than a kit footprint, give the team the measurements so they can advise on fit. Sizes and finishes for the panel systems are collected in Shower Bases and Wall Panels, and the acrylic kits are compared piece by piece in Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels.

What No Kit Includes

The part of a do-it-yourself project that a kit does not solve is the water. No Ella shower kit includes a shower head, a hand shower, a mixing valve or valve trim, and the wall arrives solid with no valve cutout and no preset height or offset. That is deliberate: the correct location depends on the valve you choose, the rough-in behind the wall and the needs of the person using the shower, so the openings are marked and cut on site rather than at the factory. Nothing in the box detaches for hand-held use, so a hand shower and a slide bar are separate purchases, best chosen with your plumber at the same time as the valve so the openings can be planned together and cut once.

The realistic split of labor is that you or your installer set the stall or base and mount the grab bars, following the manual, while a licensed plumber connects the drain to the house waste line and supplies the rough-in piping and fittings. Are do-it-yourself walk-in shower kits worth it for your bathroom? weighs that split against a site-built shower.

Choosing and Ordering

Because styles and finishes vary, ask your Ella dealer or call (800) 480-6850 to see samples and to get the product page and spec sheet for the kit you are considering. Ask for both documents, because the spec sheet is a separate drawing with the details your installer needs. When wall panels are ordered together with a tub, they ship with the tub order. Have your alcove measurements, your existing drain position and your ceiling height ready, and say whether you are starting from an empty alcove, an existing shower or an installed Ella tub, so the team can point you to the base, walls and surround that match.

Related Guides

• What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower Kit, and What You Still Need to Buy
• Custom-Size Shower Bases: Size Ranges, Threshold Options, Drain Placement Rules, Construction, and How to Request One
• What are acrylic shower walls, and how do they hold up?

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