Can Ella Shower Wall Panels Be Installed Over Existing Tile?

Yes, two of Ella's wall products are made to go up over existing tile. The cultured marble travertine panels glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, Durock or existing tile, and the PVC groutless tongue and groove tiles can be placed over new or existing surfaces. The acrylic kits and the SMC subway panels are sized to a specific alcove, and their published materials do not describe an over-tile installation, so confirm those with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you plan on it. What are the best shower wall inserts for a walk-in tub surround? compares every Ella wall option, and this page focuses on what changes when the wall behind the panels is tile you want to keep.

Which Ella Wall Products Install over Tile

The pattern in the table is about how each product reaches its final size. The cultured marble panels and the PVC tiles are cut and trimmed on site, so they can be fitted around whatever is already on the wall, and their published instructions name existing tile or existing surfaces as an acceptable base. The acrylic and SMC kits are molded to fixed footprints and heights, and they are chosen by matching the kit to the alcove rather than by cutting the kit down, so the published materials talk about the alcove measurements instead of the surface underneath. If your tile is staying, the marble surround and the PVC tiles are the two options the sources support.

Putting Cultured Marble Panels over Tile

The first video shows the cultured marble travertine walls. They are made from a natural quartz and granite composite with a gel coat surface, which gives a natural stone look that is durable and easy to clean, and the multi-piece surrounds come as eight, six or four panel sets that one person can carry and install. The panels glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, Durock or existing tile, and the edges are factory finished for seamless joining but can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit. Because each panel comes out of a mold, the sizes are fixed at the factory, so the fitting work happens at the edges.

1. Measure each wall at the top, middle and bottom, use the largest figure, and note any windows, valves or niches the panel must be cut around.
2. Order the panel size equal to or slightly larger than the wall. The back panel tops out at 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall, and side panels are molded 30, 32, 34 and 36 inches wide.
3. Trim the excess with a masonry blade in a standard circular saw.
4. Finish a cut edge with a bead of caulk or cover it with a 2 inch trim piece. Ella carries a 1 inch corner trim in 96 inch lengths and a 2 inch by 3/4 inch flat trim for the gap at the tub.
5. Glue the panels to the wall over the tile, joining the factory edges to each other.

Where to order and how the marble compares with acrylic is covered in Where Can I Buy Cultured Marble Shower Walls, and Is Acrylic Better?.

Putting PVC Groutless Tiles over an Existing Surface

The second video shows Ella brand PVC groutless shower tiles in a Carrara look going up as a simple upgrade to a shower or bath enclosure. They are tiles with a tongue and groove edge, not loose sheets of board, and they can be placed over new or existing surfaces, which is what makes them a remodel-friendly choice when you want a fresh wall without tearing out what is there. The installation guide adds the preparation rules around the video.

1. Bring the tiles into the home and let them acclimate for 24 hours before installation.
2. Confirm the wall is an approved substrate as listed in the installation guide.
3. Measure carefully, score the tile, then snap it to get the precise piece you need.
4. Apply adhesive to the back of the tile.
5. Place a thin bead of silicone at each joint to ensure a watertight seal.
6. Set the tile and snap it into place against its neighbor with the tongue and groove connection.
7. Hold back 10 percent spare tile so cuts and any later repair can be covered from the same material.

Can PVC Board or PVC Panels Be Used for Shower Walls? explains what keeps the PVC wall watertight and how it compares with the other Ella wall systems. Note that the guidance above is for Ella's own tiles; for a PVC board from another maker, follow that maker's installation instructions.

What the Acrylic and SMC Kits Need Instead

Ella's acrylic walls are large molded panels with a smooth finished surface, reinforced behind so that grab bars and seats can be mounted anywhere on the wall. That reinforcement and the fixed footprint are the reasons the kits are chosen by alcove size. The 6-piece acrylic kit and the SMC kits share the same 36 by 60 inch footprint and differ in height, 92 inches against 96, and in finish. The 3-piece surround is deeper at 40 inches and taller at 97 inches, so the ceiling height and the alcove depth decide whether it fits at all. None of the published material for these kits describes gluing them over tile, so if you want one of them and your walls are tiled, ask your Ella dealer or the team for both the product page and the spec sheet of the kit, because the spec sheet is a separate document with the drawings your installer needs, and confirm the substrate question before you order. Is acrylic a good material for shower walls compared to tile? sets the acrylic panels beside tile and the tile-look alternatives.

Planning the Walls Around the Tub

Most walk-in tubs go into the classic three-wall alcove where a 60 inch bathtub used to sit. The walls above the tub deck are then finished with tile or a surround over an aftermarket tile flange so water runs back into the tub, which is the detail your installer needs to get right whether the panels go over old tile or over bare wall. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? covers the alcove itself. Two more points matter when you plan panels over tile:

• Measure the alcove width from wall to wall above the tub rim, and measure the ceiling height, before choosing any kit, since the acrylic and SMC footprints are fixed.
• If a shower column will stand on a tub with an extension panel, the column uses the long 4 to 5 inch pipe connector to reach the wall, so mention the alcove and the panel when you ask about the column.

Shower products are sold per item rather than as one bundle, so a surround is put together from the panels and trim pieces you need. Availability of each wall line changes over time, so review the current shower and accessories pages at ellasbubbles.com, then confirm the selection with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. For a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, have your wall measurements, the tub model, and photos of the existing tile and any windows, valves or niches the panels must be cut around.

Related Guides

• Cultured Marble Shower Wall Panels: Stock Sizes, Cutting to Fit, and Finishing the Edges
• How do you install and seal tongue and groove PVC shower wall tiles?
• How Do You Install Cultured Marble Shower Walls in a Bathroom?

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