Support Center / Door & Seal / Operating and Caring for the LayDown Tempered Glass Door

Operating and Caring for the LayDown Tempered Glass Door

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary5

Opening and Closing the Door
Caring for the Glass Door and Seal
A Note on Faucets in the Manual
If the Door Leaks or Will Not Seal
Common Questions

The LayDown tempered glass door is an inward-swing door: you swing it into the tub, step in over the low threshold, close it while standing with the handle on the inside, rotate the locking handle fully, and drain the tub completely before opening it again. The LayDown60 (30 inches by 60 inches) and LayDown72 (32 inches by 72 inches) are Ella's full-length lay-down walk-in tubs, and both use the same elegant door: a tempered glass panel in a sleek brushed aluminum frame with a chrome locking handle. The two sizes share a single owner's manual, so the door guidance below applies to both. One quick correction for anyone reading the family brochure: if the cover lists the smaller tub as 30 by 52 inches, that is a known cover misprint. The LayDown60 measures 30 inches wide by 60 inches long.

The video shows the door up close: a chrome locking handle, a tempered glass door, and a low threshold for easy step-in, on a tub that is deeper and roomier than an average bathtub. It also previews options like the fast-fill waterfall faucet with an extendable multi-function hand shower and the optional bi-fold glass shower door with chrome hinges and a bottom gasket to prevent water leakage.

Woman stepping through the low-step inward swing glass door of an Ella LayDown72 walk-in tub — Step in over the low threshold, then close and lock the glass door while standing.

Opening and Closing the Door

Swing the glass door inward and step in over the low threshold.
Remain standing and close the door using the handle on the inside of the door. Closing the door is much harder once you are seated, so seal it before you settle in.
Rotate the locking handle fully so the door compresses evenly onto its seal. The door swings through roughly a 115 degree inward arc with a door opening of about 19 5/8 inches, so no floor clearance is needed in front of the tub.
After your bath, drain the tub completely before unlocking the door. An inward-swing door is also held shut by water pressure, and it should never be opened until the tub is fully drained. Our article on why the door will not open until the tub drains explains the design.

Caring for the Glass Door and Seal

Clean the tempered glass and aluminum frame with approved non-abrasive cleaners only. Never use abrasive pads or harsh scouring products on the glass, the frame, or the acrylic around them. See cleaning glass, doors and chrome.
If the silicone door seal arrives stuck or slightly deformed from shipping, squeeze it gently with your fingertips and pull it away from the door frame to restore its shape, then clean it with rubbing alcohol.
Keep the door open whenever the tub is not in use. This lets the seal rest and dry, which extends its life.
Door alignment depends on leveling. All leveling legs must touch the floor with equal weight; an unlevel tub can warp the frame, throw the door out of alignment, and cause leaks. If the door starts rubbing or will not seal, have your installer re-check the legs before anything else.
The door holds its own weight only. Use the grab bar, never the glass door, to steady yourself.

Close-up of the chrome hinges and tempered glass inward swing door seal on an Ella LayDown walk-in tub — The LayDown door seal sits in the aluminum frame. Keep it clean and let it rest with the door open between baths.

This tour of the 32 by 72 and 30 by 60 LayDown tubs covers both versions of the door family: each features a beautiful tempered glass door with a sleek brushed aluminum door frame, an easy step-in low threshold, a textured slip-resistant floor, and large, easy-to-turn drain controls. The video notes these tubs are 15 inches deep, compared to a standard 11 inches, for a deeper and more comfortable soak, and that the straight, narrow sidewalls are designed to minimize slipping. More walkthroughs are collected in LayDown tubs on video.

A Note on Faucets in the Manual

The shared LayDown manual includes operating instructions for Ella's 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets. Those sections apply based on your size and ordered configuration. The LayDown60 does not come with a factory faucet, so it pairs with a pre-existing or new customer-supplied faucet, typically wall mounted. The LayDown72 is faucet-ready, and an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck-mount fast-fill faucet can be added as an option at order time; the manual's faucet sections apply to a 72 only if it was ordered with one. The barrel extension hose warning in the manual applies only to the 32 by 72 with the hand mixer option. The two sizes are compared in the LayDown walk-in tubs guide.

If the Door Leaks or Will Not Seal

Work through the basics in order: restore and clean the seal as described above, confirm the tub is level with all legs bearing equal weight, and make sure no one has been leaning or pressing on the door, which is designed to hold only its own weight. Our door leaks article covers troubleshooting in depth, and the LayDown seal replacement clip is in the seal installation video guide.

Woman stepping out through the low-step inward swing door of an Ella LayDown60 walk-in bathtub — The LayDown60 door: open it only after the tub has drained completely.

Common Questions

Which way does the LayDown door swing, and which side is it on?

The LayDown tempered glass door is an inward-swing door, so it always opens into the tub rather than out over the bathroom floor. It is centered on the side of the tub and swings toward the drain end, and the LayDown72 can be configured with the door on the left or the right, though the swing is always inward. Because the door swings into the tub, you step in over the low threshold, close it while standing, and rotate the locking handle fully before filling. For help deciding which side suits your bathroom, see choosing left-hand or right-hand.

Do I need floor space in front of the door?

No. The glass door swings into the tub through roughly a 115 degree inward arc with a door opening of about 19 5/8 inches, so no floor clearance is needed in front of the tub. Nothing in the bathroom has to move to accommodate the door, which makes the LayDown well suited to tighter layouts. The one thing to keep in mind is that the door is opened only after the tub has drained completely, since the water pressure inside helps hold it shut.

The door is very tight to open. Can it be adjusted?

No adjustment procedure is published for the LayDown door, so please do not attempt to modify the hinges or frame. Start by confirming the tub is level with every leveling leg touching the floor with equal weight, since an unlevel tub can warp the frame and throw the door out of alignment, and make sure the silicone seal is clean, restored to shape and seated in the frame. Also confirm the tub is fully drained, because an inward-swing door is held shut by water pressure until the water is gone. If the door remains very tight after those checks, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model, serial number and a short video of the door in use so the team can advise on the next step.

How do I lock the door?

Step in over the low threshold, remain standing, and close the door using the handle on the inside of the door, since closing it is much harder once you are seated. Then rotate the chrome locking handle fully so the door compresses evenly onto its seal all the way around. Once the tub fills, the water adds its own pressure against the inward-swing door, which is why it should not be unlocked until the tub has drained completely.

What can I clean the glass with?

Clean the tempered glass, the brushed aluminum frame and the surrounding acrylic with approved non-abrasive cleaners only. Never use abrasive pads, harsh scouring products or anything gritty, since these can permanently mark the glass, the frame and the acrylic around them. If the silicone seal needs attention, gently restore its shape and clean it with rubbing alcohol, then leave the door open between baths so the seal can rest and dry.

Is the glass shower screen included, and does it affect the door?

The bi-fold glass screen is an option rather than standard equipment, so a LayDown can be configured with or without it. When the screen is fitted, it must line up with the glass door rather than being centered on the side of the tub, and its gasket should point inward toward the tub, otherwise the screen will leak where it meets the door. The full procedure, including the 24 hour silicone cure before the first shower, is in installing glass shower screens.

Does the LayDown60 come with a faucet?

No. The LayDown60 does not come with a factory faucet, so it pairs with a pre-existing or new customer-supplied faucet, typically wall mounted. The LayDown72 is faucet-ready, and an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck-mount fast-fill faucet can be added as an option at order time, so the faucet sections of the shared manual apply to a 72 only if it was ordered with one. If you are unsure which configuration your tub has, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm it from your order.

How do I get a replacement seal for the glass door?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model, your serial number and clear photos of the seal, including any section that is torn or permanently compressed. The LayDown seal is its own part, so the team matches it to your tub before anything ships and includes the LayDown-specific installation clip so you or your installer can fit it correctly. Before requesting one, it is worth trying to restore the existing seal by squeezing it gently with your fingertips, pulling it away from the frame and cleaning it with rubbing alcohol, since a seal that was only stuck or deformed in shipping often recovers.

Need help with your LayDown door, or a replacement seal? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number, or call (800) 480-6850, and we will get you taken care of.

Did this solve it?

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

Open a Support Ticket

Schedule Product Video Call

Call Now: 800-480-6850