How do I tile over the tile flange on a walk-in tub?

Tiling over the flange on an Ella walk-in tub is a three-stage job: bond the flexible glue-up flange to the flat deck edge with 100 percent silicone so it overlaps the edge, run the tile or wall panels down over the flange and onto the deck, then silicone every joint. Ella tubs have no molded tile lip, so the flange is the water barrier that sends splash water back into the tub rather than behind it. The kit, its lengths and its orientation are covered in The Glue-Up Tile Flange Kit: What Is in the Box, Which Length to Choose, Which Colored Side Faces Out, and Whether It Goes On Before or After Drywall; this page walks through the tiling sequence itself.

Why the Order of Work Matters

A standard bathtub carries a molded lip that the tile hangs over. An Ella walk-in tub has a flat deck edge instead, and the article on what a tile flange is on a walk-in tub explains that the flange is added at installation for that reason. If any layer is missing, meaning no flange, a flange that does not overlap the tub edge, tile that stops above the flange, or corners left uncaulked, splash water runs down the wall line and shows up at the corners. That is the pattern described in why a tub leaks at the corners or wall when filled, and it is a finishing gap rather than a tub defect.

Two timing points follow from this. Wall finishing should begin only after the pre-installation water test and the leveling check, because fixing a leak behind finished tile is far more disruptive than fixing it with the walls open. And the flange ships separately by parcel carrier rather than in the crate with the tub, so do not report it missing on delivery day; when you request one, give your tub model so the right length ships. Support records the flange under the part code EB-FLANGE.

Step 1: Prepare the Tub and Mark the Walls

1. Set the tub level with every leg bearing on the floor, then fill and hold it with the access panels open for the pre-installation water test. Do not start any wall until it passes.
2. Measure the total run of tub edge that meets a wall, back plus each end, at deck height. The 124 inch kit suits most Ella walk-in tubs in a standard 60 inch three-wall alcove; longer strips are listed at 132 inches for the Big4One or TransferXXL, 136 inches for the LayDown72, 144 inches for the Escape or ShaK, and 152 inches for the Big4Two, with a 164 foot contractor roll in the bulk box. If you are between sizes, the bigger strip is fine when you want extra material for the corners.
3. Note the one exception: the ShaK is not designed to be tiled in directly, so talk with technical support before planning tile around one.
4. Mark the strip position on the walls. The first video shows both methods. With the tub temporarily in its working position, rest the alignment card on the deck against the wall and mark each wall at least twice, then mark where the tub ends; remove the tub and draw horizontal lines through the upper marks and vertical lines just outside the end marks. For a tight three-wall alcove, the video shows how to set the line height from the anticipated deck height instead, so the tub does not have to be slid in and out.

Step 2: Bond the Flange to the Tub Edge

1. Clean the tub edge with the alcohol surface-cleaning tissues in the kit. The residential kit also includes the spreading spatula and the cardboard alignment guide; the bulk box does not, so contractors bring their own.
2. Know what you are holding. The strip is a 4 inch wide flexible waterproof membrane with an integrated 1 1/4 inch adhesive strip. The pink portion is the membrane, and the rest of the strip is a cloth-like material that gets tiled over. The strip is reversible with a pink side and a red side, and which side faces out depends on whether the fixture already has an integral flange, so follow the kit guide for your fixture.
3. Apply 100 percent silicone, neutral-cure per the kit guide, and bond the strip so it overlaps the tub edge by about 2 inches. The video explains that the silicone reacts with the siliconized membrane and chemically bonds to it, which is what lets the seal stay tight through expansion, contraction and routine floor settling. A rigid plastic lip cannot follow that movement.
4. Because the strip is flexible, it can go on during or after the tub is installed, and on a shower base it can go on after the base is set.

Step 3: Tile Down over the Flange and the Deck

1. Run the tile or wall panel down over the flange so it overlaps both the flange and the deck. Tile that stops above the flange leaves the gap the flange was meant to close.
2. Silicone every joint: tub to wall along all three sides, each corner, the line where the extension panel meets the tub, and the line where the end panel meets the wall.
3. If you are using Ella's grout-less tongue-and-groove PVC tiles, the second video shows the routine: measure, score and snap each piece, apply adhesive to the back, lay a thin bead of silicone at each joint, then set and snap it into place. The tiles can go over new or existing surfaces.
4. Existing wall tile that is sound and properly sealed can stay in place; your installer confirms its condition and reseals the joint.

The same principle applies at a shower base, where the wall finish comes down over the base edge, but the base itself is a finished surface. The article on whether you can tile over an Ella acrylic shower base explains why tile belongs on the walls above the pan, never on top of it.

Checking the Finished Wall

Dry everything, fill the tub with the door closed and let it stand. If the corners stay dry until you splash or use the hand shower, water is coming over the deck edge at the wall, so look behind the wall finish at one corner: a flange strip should be bonded to the tub edge with silicone and overlap it, and the tile should come down over it. If water appears while you bathe rather than when you splash, trace it under the tub instead, starting with the unions, air fittings, button gaskets and drain elbow. Over the years, keep the caulk line between tub and wall in good condition and re-caulk if it cracks or pulls away. If your tub has no lip and you are unsure which flange applies, My Tub Has No Tile Lip. Which Flange Do I Use? covers the choice, and if the wall line is sealed and water still shows, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number, a photo of the corner, a photo behind the access panel, and a note on when the water appears.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Grout-less Tongue & Groove PVC Carrara Tile Installation with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Tile Flange, Caulking, and Finishing the Walls Around Your Walk-In Tub
• Common Installation Questions: Tile Order, Leveling Legs, Subfloor, Panels, Drain Size and the Outdoor Test
• What is a shower flange and what does it do?

Common Questions