How do I install a one-piece Ella shower stall?

A one-piece Ella low-threshold shower stall is installed by a local licensed plumber or contractor, and the job follows a fixed order: confirm the unit will fit through every opening on the way in, frame the alcove to the rough-in diagram, dry fit the stall, level the base on wedge shims, fasten it to the studs as the instruction sheet describes, connect the drain, mount the grab bars and seal the edges. Ella's Bubbles does not install showers or send technicians, but its technical support team answers your contractor's questions at (800) 480-6850 while the work is under way. The leveling method, including the shims you cut yourself, is covered in Shower Stall Shims Are Not Included: What Size to Make and How to Level the Base.

Before the Unit Is Ordered or Delivered

A one-piece stall arrives as a single molded unit that cannot be broken down, so the first installation step happens before anything ships. Measure the narrowest point of every doorway, hallway and stairway between the delivery point and the bathroom, starting with the exterior door the freight carrier will use, and confirm each one offers at least 33 inches of clear opening. Most finished homes have at least one opening narrower than that, which is why the one-piece stall is aimed at new construction; if the bathroom is not yet framed, plan with your contractor so the stall is set in place before the doorways and hallways are finished. The walk-through is in How Do I Measure Doorways and Hallways for a One-Piece Ella Shower?. Because the unit cannot be broken down, the team contacts you before the order goes to production to confirm that you understand the clearance rule, to verify the seat side, the drain side and the number of grab bars, and to make sure the phone number on the order will be answered, since freight deliveries are scheduled by phone.

Use the same window to line up the trade work. Have your plumber locate the supply lines and the drain before the stall is positioned, because the drain has to align with the base, and settle who is doing the job. Any licensed installer is fine, and certification by Ella's Bubbles is not required; Who installs Ella acrylic shower walls, and how do I find them? explains how the split between your contractor and Ella's tech support works and how to find an installer if you do not have one.

Delivery Day: Inspect Before You Sign

1. Inspect every carton with the driver present. Note any damage on the delivery document before signing, or sign "subject to further inspection".
2. Look for concealed damage as well, and keep all packaging. Freight damage must be reported within 48 hours of delivery.
3. Check the drain side and the hand of the unit against your order before anything is fastened. A unit sent for the wrong drain side is a shipping error to report to where you purchased, not something to work around in the framing.
4. Never install a damaged unit.

What to do if the base has a crack, a hole or a coating coming off, and how the reporting windows work, is in What If My Shower Stall Wall Is Out of Square or the Base Is Damaged?.

Framing the Pocket

The one-piece stall needs the alcove shown on its rough-in diagram, square and plumb, on a level floor, with a 6 inch floor opening for the 2 inch drain. Check the floor with a level and the walls with a level or plumb line, and correct both before the unit goes in, because a pocket that is not square is the usual reason a stall will not sit right. Notching a stud or shimming the pan is a normal part of the fit. A stud wall that pushes on the upper corner of the unit produces a tipping effect, so the fix is always to correct the wall rather than force the stall. If your project is a conversion of a finished room instead of new construction, note that it is the three-piece Freedom stall that goes over existing drywall, as explained in Installing the Freedom 3-Piece Shower Stall Over Existing Drywall; its separate sections also pass through ordinary doorways, which makes it the usual choice when a one-piece unit will not clear the route.

Setting, Shimming and Leveling the Base

Low-threshold one-piece and three-piece stalls are leveled on wedges under the base, exactly as the instructions specify. A mortar bed is not required and is not used; setting the base in mortar applies only to Ella's barrier-free roll-in showers, which also removes any worry about mortar finding its way down the drain pipe. Shim blocks are not included, including with the 33 by 60 inch one-piece unit sold through home improvement retailers, so cut your own before the unit goes into the alcove.

1. Cut wedge-shaped shims about 6 inches long, with the thick end 1 1/2 inches, tapering toward the other end. Cut several; how many you need depends on how far out of level the floor is.
2. Dry fit the unit in the alcove before fastening anything. This confirms the drain location and the fit against the studs while the stall is still easy to move.
3. Set the base in place and slide shims into any gaps beneath it. A one-piece stall keeps its own blocks or legs in place.
4. Check level front to back and side to side, and adjust the shims until the bubble is centered in both directions.
5. Fasten the unit to the studs as the instruction sheet describes, then recheck level after the last screw.

Drain, Grab Bars and Finishing

With the base level and fastened, your plumber connects the 2 inch drain that the floor opening was cut for. Grab bars ship with the unit rather than factory installed, and your installer mounts them during installation, in the number confirmed on the order. The joint between the stall and the surrounding wall surface is then caulked and finished so water stays inside the shower, and the instruction sheet packed with the unit gives the exact fastening and sealing sequence for your model. Once the shower is in use, clean the textured floor with warm water and liquid detergent or a non abrasive cleanser, never wax it, and remove any rubber mat after each use so the floor finish is not damaged.

Getting Help During the Job

Keep your model number handy. If a question comes up mid-project, your contractor can call (800) 480-6850 and talk with Ella's technical support about the unit, or you can open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with photos and measurements. Two situations are worth a ticket rather than improvising: a door sweep that does not reach the base, where the first check is whether the base is level, and a stall that will not sit square in the pocket. Ella shower bases carry a 30 year limited warranty that asks for a defect to be reported within 10 days of discovering it, and stalls carry their own printed terms, so report promptly and before installing. Replacement parts ship under the warranty, and the labor is done by the local licensed plumber or contractor who did the work.

Related Guides

• Installation Instructions and Spec Drawings for One-Piece and Multi-Piece Shower Units
• Do Ella Shower Stall Walls Come Smooth, or Only With the Molded Tile Pattern?
• Ella Shower Rough Opening, Standing Area and Floor Width: What to Measure Before You Frame

Common Questions