Choosing a Shower Door for the Ella Liberty Three-Piece Shower: Opening Size, Mounting and Sealing

Ella offers one door of its own for this opening, the Ella Duo framed sliding door, and the Liberty three-piece low-threshold shower also accepts any third-party door sized to the opening. Measured from the threshold, the interior opening of the Liberty is 55.75 inches wide and 73 inches high, and the specification drawing for the unit confirms both figures. The Liberty accommodates any style of shower door, and the square corners above the low threshold support framed and frameless doors alike, so hinged, sliding and barn-style doors are all workable choices. Read the general sizing guidance in does the Ella shower stall come with a door, then use the figures below for the Liberty specifically.

The Opening You Are Fitting

Door makers publish a minimum and maximum opening width for each door. Compare those to 55.75 inches for the Liberty, not to the nominal size of the stall, because the nominal size describes the alcove and not the door opening. Height matters for fixed panels and framed doors: the Liberty gives you 73 inches from the threshold to the top of the opening. Other Ella stalls have their own interior opening figures, and a compact stall can have a much narrower opening, such as 45 inches, so always read the figure from the spec drawing for your exact model.

When a Door's Minimum Width Is Slightly Larger Than the Opening

Some doors list a minimum opening a fraction of an inch wider than the Liberty's 55.75 inches. Do not assume the door can be shortened. Contact the door manufacturer before buying and ask whether that model can be trimmed by the difference. If it cannot, choose a door whose published range already includes 55.75 inches.

Mounting the Door

The Liberty will accommodate any shower door, so a framed door track or the wall jambs of a frameless door can be mounted to the stall walls following the door maker's instructions. The low threshold has square corners rather than a radius, which is what lets a framed or frameless door seal down into the corner. When the door hardware is fastened through the wall, use the anchors the door maker specifies and apply sealant at every fastener.

Sealing a Fixed Glass Panel

A fixed glass panel keeps water in only when every joint is sealed. The door maker's instructions will call for sealant between the wall and the mounting profile, between the fixed glass and its profile, and along the bottom edge where the glass meets the shower floor. Skip any of those and water finds the gap at the corner. Let the sealant cure for the time the sealant maker specifies before the first shower.

Choosing and Installing a Door

1. Confirm the opening on the specification drawing: 55.75 inches wide and 73 inches high for the Liberty, measured from the threshold.
2. Choose a door whose published opening range includes that width, or confirm with the door maker that it can be trimmed.
3. Decide between hinged, sliding or barn-style based on the room. A hinged door needs swing room outside the stall, while sliding and barn-style doors do not.
4. Install the stall first and fasten it to the studs, then mount the door hardware following the door maker's instructions.
5. Seal every profile, fastener and the bottom edge, and test with the hand shower before relying on it.

For getting the base and wall panels into the room, see will a three-piece Ella shower fit through my doorway. The stall installation itself is covered in the three-piece molded-seat shower installation guide, and the stall must be fastened and sealed before a door goes on.

Related Guides

• Do Ella Shower Stall Walls Come Smooth, or Only With the Molded Tile Pattern?
• Shower Stall Shims Are Not Included: What Size to Make and How to Level the Base

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.