What is the difference between a roll-in shower and a walk-in shower?

The difference is the threshold at the entry. A roll-in shower has a barrier-free, curb-less base that sits flush with the bathroom floor so a wheelchair can roll straight in, while a walk-in shower keeps a low step-in threshold that you step over on foot, such as the three-inch step-in option in the Ella lineup. Both styles, along with the walls and filler pieces that go with them, are introduced in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

Roll-In Showers: No Curb at the Entry

Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base is an ADA curb-less pan. It comes in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60, and 36 by 60 inches, and the 32 by 60 inch barrier-free base is stocked in left and right configurations and ready to ship. Because there is no lip, a wheelchair or walker moves from the bathroom floor onto the pan without a bump. The drain position is specified when you order, and sizes outside the standard three can be made to order. Sizes and drain choices are detailed in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately.

A curb-less pan raises an obvious question: what keeps the water in? The answer is the Ella flexible shower dam, a compressible waterproof strip that bonds along the open edge of a barrier-free base. Wheels roll over it on the way in and out, and the dam returns to its original shape once the chair has passed. The video on this page shows the full installation: measuring, cleaning the surfaces with denatured alcohol, laying a tape guide, cutting the dam to length, fitting the end caps, pressing it snugly against the wall and floor, and sealing both edges and both caps with silicone. It closes with a demonstration of the dam holding water inside the stall.

Walk-In Showers: A Low Step-In Threshold

A walk-in shower keeps a small raised edge at the entry. Ella offers a three-inch step-in threshold for customers who prefer a slightly raised entry instead of a barrier-free design, and the Accessible Caregiver Shower Base, built for home care, has a low 3/4-inch threshold. A low step is far easier to clear than a traditional tub wall and helps contain water without a dam, which suits many residential remodels where everyone using the shower can step over a lip. It is still a step, though, so it is not the right choice for someone who bathes from a wheelchair.

Which Style Meets Accessibility Rules

ADA standards generally limit the threshold in a roll-in shower compartment to a maximum of 1/2 inch. That is why the 3/4-inch caregiver base is normally not the right pick for a commercial or public project, and why a three-inch step-in base is a residential choice rather than a code-compliant roll-in. Ella does not offer a floor insert or riser that converts a stepped base into a roll-in, so if a project turns out to require roll-in access the answer is a different base, not an add-on. Your local building department decides what passes inspection, and the details are in Is a 3/4-Inch Shower Base Threshold ADA Compliant for a Commercial Building?.

Walls and What Is Sold Separately

Whichever entry you choose, the base is sold on its own. Shower products are sold per item, so a complete shower is put together from the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to it, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Ella wall options include three-piece acrylic systems in white, CNC, and digital print finishes, plus large acrylic panels such as 98 by 60 inch back walls. On the multi-piece gel coat roll-in showers, the back wall can be cut on site to route supply lines or clear an existing valve; the blades to use and the reinforcing rod check are covered in Cutting a Roll-In Shower Back Wall Panel to Route Supply Lines or Clear a Valve. For current availability on any base, wall kit, or the shower dam, contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Watch: The Ella Shower Dam, Keep Water In, Roll In With Ease | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases
• Installing the SMC Low-Profile Shower Bases: 1 Inch Reversible Linear Drain and Barrier-Free Linear-Drain Bases
• What Is a Collapsible Rubber Dam on a Roll-In Shower?

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