The Ella glue-up tile flange is a flexible, reversible waterproof strip that bonds to the edge of your tub or shower base with neutral-cure silicone, and then your tile or wall panels overlap it so water cannot work its way behind the fixture. It comes in a 124 inch kit that suits most Ella walk-in tubs in a three-wall 60 inch alcove, longer strips for bigger perimeters, and a contractor bulk box. Because the strip has a pink side and a red side, which way it faces depends on whether your fixture already has an integral flange, and because it is flexible it can go on during or after the tub is installed.

What Is in the Box

The standard tile flange kit contains one roll of flexible 4 inch wide waterproof membrane with an integrated 1 1/4 inch siliconized adhesive strip, a spreading spatula, a cardboard alignment guide and two alcohol surface-cleaning tissues. The kit is listed as FlangeBand and is sometimes described by our team as the flexible tile flange band. Owners sometimes ask which part is the membrane: the pink portion is the membrane and the rest of the strip is a cloth-like material that gets tiled over. The membrane bonds with the silicone to form a solid water barrier, and the product page notes that the seal stays flexible through floor contraction, expansion and joint movement, which is exactly the kind of movement a rigid plastic flange cannot follow.

The bulk box holds a single 164 foot roll of the same 4 inch membrane with the 1 1/4 inch adhesive strip, enough for sixteen projects at 124 inches each. It does not include the spatula, the alignment guide or the alcohol tissues that come in the residential kit, so contractors should plan on their own alcohol wipes and spreading tool.

Which Length to Choose

The strip runs along every side of the tub that meets a wall. For a standard three-wall alcove that works out to 124 inches on most Ella walk-in tubs, and the product page lists longer strips for the larger models:

If you are between sizes, our team's advice is that the bigger strip is fine when you want extra material for corners. Measure the wall perimeter at deck height and ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 if you are unsure which length your layout needs.

Which Colored Side Faces Out

The strip is reversible, and the color you see tells you it is oriented correctly:

• On a shower base or bathtub that has an integral tile flange, the pink siliconized surface faces the fixture's flange.
• On a shower base or bathtub with no tile flange, which includes Ella walk-in tubs, the red surface faces the installer.

If you already have a built-in flange and only one wall is short, running the strip all the way around keeps the barrier continuous, and the pink side goes against your existing flange.

Before or After Drywall, and the Sealant Rule

The flange bonds to the tub edge, then the tile or wall panel overlaps the flange and the deck. It can be installed during or after the tub is set, which is why it works for both new builds and retrofits. Clean the acrylic with the alcohol tissues first. The gap between the fixture and the wall-mounted strip must be sealed with a neutral-curing, sanitary-grade, 100 percent silicone sealant; when that silicone is gunned into the gap and contacts the siliconized adhesive strip, it forms the bond with the tub or base. Do not substitute a general-purpose caulk. One more planning tip from our technical team: do not run cement board and tile all the way down onto the tub deck. Doing so puts the wall right up against the controls and valves and makes servicing difficult. Let the wall stop at the flange and finish the joint with silicone. Wall build-up and caulking are covered in tile flange, caulking and wall finishing.

Video: The Official Installation Demonstration

This six minute video from the product video page is the official installation demonstration for the residential kit. As the page describes it, the flange is designed to prevent water leakage between your tub or shower floor and the wall, and its adhesive strip reacts chemically when exposed to silicone sealant to create an extremely strong watertight bond. Watch it with your installer before the first strip goes on.

Which Fixtures Use It

Ella walk-in tub shells do not include an integral tile flange, because the deck is kept narrow to maximize interior space, so the kit is recommended whenever new tile or a new surround is going up around a tub set in an alcove. Shower bases and LayDown tubs can be ordered with it as well; if your fixture already has an integral flange, the glue-up strip is an optional extra layer. Ella's manuals also accept any thin 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch rustproof, waterproof strip about 5 inches tall, glued with 100 percent silicone and overlapping the tub edge by 2 inches, if you prefer an aftermarket flange. Shower base and dam specifics are in installing Ella shower bases and the flexible shower dam, and general alcove questions are answered in common installation questions.

Common Questions

Still deciding on a length or a layout? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support/new or call (800) 480-6850 with your alcove measurements and we will point you to the right strip.