Support Center / Door & Seal / Why the Tub Door Is a Slightly Different White Than the Tub Shell
Back to Door & Seal

Why the Tub Door Is a Slightly Different White Than the Tub Shell

▶Glossary8
  1. Why the Two Whites Never Match Perfectly
  2. Is This a Defect?
  3. Can the Door Be Swapped for a Closer Match?
  4. What to Do When the Door Color Concerns You
  5. Which Tubs This Applies to
  6. Related Guides
  7. Common Questions
  8. Still Need Help?

If the door on your Ella walk-in tub looks like a slightly different shade of white than the tub itself, that is expected and not a sign of a problem. On the U-shape outward-swing tubs, the door frame is made from a different material than the glossy white acrylic shell, and two different materials cannot take on exactly the same white. The factory matches the door color as closely as the materials allow, and the small variance is noted on the Ella's Bubbles website so it does not come as a surprise.

Why the Two Whites Never Match Perfectly

The tub shell is molded from high-gloss white acrylic. On the U-shape outward-swing family (Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak and Big4One), the door is a white composite frame holding a tempered glass panel. Acrylic and composite take pigment differently and reflect light differently, so even a very good match reads as a slightly different white once the two sit side by side under bathroom lighting.

Acrylic also varies a little from batch to batch. A door produced on one date will not be an exact match for a shell produced on another. The factory has tried different suppliers across several production runs to bring the door closer to the shell, and the match has improved over time, but a perfect match is not possible with these materials.

Is This a Defect?

No. A slight tone difference between the door and the shell is a known cosmetic characteristic of this door design, not a manufacturing defect, and it has no effect on the door seal or the latches. Structural problems are a different matter. A crack in the shell, door or base should be reported right away, and the steps are in how to file a claim for a cracked shell or door. For an overview of the white finish and chrome trim, see tub colors and hardware finishes.

Can the Door Be Swapped for a Closer Match?

Swapping the door is not recommended, and it is not a fix for shade variance. Every Ella tub is water-tested at the factory with its own door fitted, so the seal, latches and alignment are proven as a set. Installing a different door disturbs that set and can cause the tub to leak. Because materials differ by manufacturing date, there is also no way to choose a replacement door that is guaranteed to match the shell any better than the original. The door and shell pairing is one of the fixed features described in what can and cannot be customized on an Ella tub.

What to Do When the Door Color Concerns You

  1. Inspect the tub as soon as it is unpacked and before installation begins, while the door and shell can be viewed together in daylight. Concerns are far easier to address before the tub is installed.
  2. Judge the difference under the lighting the bathroom will actually use. Warm bulbs, cool LEDs and daylight each shift the apparent tone of both surfaces.
  3. If the door looks strongly off-color rather than slightly different in tone, take clear photos of the door beside the shell and open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number.
  4. If you are a dealer or installer, show the customer the door and shell together before the tub goes in, so expectations are set before the installation is complete.

Shell discoloration that develops after installation, such as a pink, yellow or stained look on the acrylic, is a separate topic covered in my tub looks pink, yellow or stained.

Which Tubs This Applies to

The variance is specific to the U-shape outward-swing tubs, which have a white composite door frame. Tubs with a stainless-steel inward-swing door have a metal frame around the glass, so there is no white-on-white comparison to make. If you are choosing between families and the two-tone look matters to you, weigh it alongside door swing and bathroom space.

Common Questions

Why is my tub door a different white than the tub?
The door frame is a composite material and the shell is acrylic, and two different materials cannot be pigmented to an identical white. The factory matches them as closely as the materials allow. A slight difference is normal on the U-shape outward-swing tubs and is noted on the Ella's Bubbles website.
Is the door color difference considered a defect?
No. A slight tone variance is a known cosmetic characteristic of the design rather than a defect, and it does not affect how the door seals or latches. If the door looks strongly off-color, send photos of the door beside the shell with your serial number through ellasbubbles.com/support.
Can I order a replacement door that matches better?
A replacement door is not recommended for color reasons. The tub was water-tested with its original door, and fitting a different one can cause leaks. Materials also vary by production date, so there is no guarantee a second door would match any closer.
Does the color variance affect the door seal or function?
No. The variance is only in the appearance of the white finish. The door seal, the latch mechanism and the watertight fit are unaffected, and they are tested at the factory before the tub ships.
Do stainless-steel inward-swing doors have the same issue?
No. Those doors use a stainless-steel frame with a glass panel, so there is no white door frame to compare against the white shell. The variance applies to the U-shape outward-swing tubs with a white composite door frame.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

Related guides

Did this solve your question?

If not, open a ticket and our team will pick it up from here.

Open a Support Ticket