Do you have installation instructions for an acrylic shower base and wall surround?

Yes. Each Ella shower base and wall kit has its own printable installation manual published with that product on ellasbubbles.com, and Ella keeps step by step installation videos in its shower video library, including a complete low threshold three-piece shower tutorial that is embedded on this page. Your contractor does not need prior experience with Ella products: a local licensed plumber or remodeling contractor sets the base, connects the drain and installs the walls, and Who installs acrylic shower walls and shower pans in my bathroom? explains how to line that person up. Technical support guides whoever does the work with the manuals and live video help, at no charge.

What to Hand Your Contractor

• The installation manual for the base and the installation manual for the wall kit. Each product has its own instruction sheet, and the manual includes a framing diagrams page with the dimensions of the framing pocket.
• The two videos on this page. The first is the low threshold three-piece shower installation, which walks through dry assembly, checking the framing pocket, and setting the pan and panels. The second shows the cultured marble travertine wall surround going up over an existing wall surface.
• The support contacts: (800) 480-6850 and ellasbubbles.com/support. A contractor who hits a question mid-job can call directly, and the team supports that contractor with the manuals and live video help.

If a manual did not arrive with the shipment or you cannot locate it with the product listing, ask through a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support and the team points you to the right document for the base and wall kit you ordered.

The Sequence the Installation Video Shows

The video covers a low threshold three-piece shower and refers the installer to the manual for specifics. Its order of work is the order a first-time installer should follow, and the video's own advice is that slow is fast.

1. Dry assemble the modular shower before moving it into the bathroom, on any clean, dry, open space. This confirms you received the correct panels and the correct drain location, that the panels and pan are free from damage and defect, and that the panels align properly when assembled.
2. Take a picture of the assembled unit. The video uses it in a later step.
3. Delay demolition of the existing tub area until you are confident the new unit is the correct size and condition, so the customer is not left without a working bathroom while waiting for a replacement.
4. Gather the required tools and materials. The video lists both before the framing check begins.
5. Check the framing pocket against the dimensions on the framing diagrams page of the installation instructions.
6. Check the pocket for square, plumb and level. The video notes it is more common than not that adjustments will be needed, and shows hanging a plumb bob from the framing at the back wall. Where the wall is not plumb, either shim the pan away from the wall or notch the stud, because slight variances affect plumb walls and produce uneven grout lines on the back wall panels.
7. Inspect the subfloor, then set the base level in beads of 100 percent silicone.
8. Fasten the panels to the studs, with the drain connected before the walls land on top of the pan.

Which Pieces Are Cut on Site and Which Never Are

The single most useful thing a first-time installer can know is that the base is never trimmed. Ella shower pans are built to size at the factory, and an odd space is handled by ordering a custom base rather than by cutting. The wall surround is the part that is fitted on site.

What the table means in practice: measure the finished opening, not the framing, order the pan in that size, and let any on-site fitting happen in the walls above it. Can shower pans be cut to size or ordered custom? covers the custom limits in detail.

Installing the Wall Panels over Existing Tile

Whether the walls can go over existing tile depends on which wall family you ordered. The cultured marble travertine panels, shown in the second video, are glued directly over drywall, plaster, painted walls, Durock cement board or existing tile, so a remodel with those panels does not have to start with stripping the walls to the studs. They come as eight, six or four panel surrounds, each panel light enough for one person to carry and install, and the edges are factory finished for seamless joining but can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit. The three-piece acrylic shower in the installation video is a different kind of job: it is installed into a framing pocket that is checked for size, square and plumb, and its panels are fastened to the studs, so that tutorial starts from open framing. What Are Ella Shower Wall Panels Made Of, and Do They Off-Gas? lays out both material families and their finishes, and What Companies Offer Custom Shower Wall Panel Systems, and Does Ella? lists the published wall sizes side by side.

Where Ella's Part Ends and the Contractor's Begins

Ella molds the base to size, makes the wall panels, ships them as finished pieces and supports the contractor. It does not send technicians or perform installations, and labor is arranged and paid for between you and the contractor. If you do not have a contractor, the team can refer installers from its nationwide network. On the wall side the contractor confirms the base is set and the drain connected, checks the surface the panels will bond to, trims the factory finished edges to fit the alcove, glues or fastens the panels and joins the edges, and mounts any grab bars. Accessories such as a slide bar, a hand shower hose or a rain shower are covered in Showers, Shower Screens, and Accessories for Your Ella Walk-in Tub.

Watch: Step-by-Step Low-Threshold Shower Installation for Remodeling | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels
• How do you install or attach Ella shower wall panels and surrounds?
• Which Adhesive or Caulk Do Ella Acrylic Wall Panel Kits Require?

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