What is a shower screen, and does a walk-in tub need one?

A shower screen is a hinged glass panel that mounts to the wall beside a walk-in tub and keeps shower spray inside the tub instead of on the bathroom floor. On an Ella walk-in tub it is an accessory rather than standard equipment, so no tub needs one to work, but it is the piece to add when you shower in the tub and would rather have folding glass than a curtain. Ella's version is the four-panel folding screen described in What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page covers when it makes sense, how it fits beside the tub, and what to plan before you order one.

What a Shower Screen Is

Think of a shower screen as a glass shower curtain that folds instead of draws. Ella's 4-fold screen, also called the folding glass screen, accordion screen or four-panel bath screen, is a 44 by 42 inch tempered glass screen in a chrome ionized aluminum frame. Its four panels of 1/8 inch clear tempered glass are joined by PVC geared hinges, so the screen folds accordion style flat against the wall when nobody is showering and unfolds along the tub when someone is. A knob on both sides lets you move it from inside or outside the tub, and a 90 degree pivot at the wall channel swings it clear for entry. The frame is reversible, so one screen suits either a left or a right installation.

The part that does the real work sits at the bottom. An inward-angled rubber gasket runs along the lower edge and brushes the tub deck lightly and evenly, and that gasket is the seal. A horizontal seal with an end cap finishes the run along the deck. The cap holds the seal in place and covers its cut edge so water cannot find the gap.

The video on this page, filmed on the two-person Big4Two, shows a four-fold screen combined with a three-fold screen so the full length of the tub is closed in glass. Ella presents that pairing as a bright and airy alternative to a shower curtain, and the same clip shows the dual rain shower heads that let one bather stand while the other sits.

Does a Walk-In Tub Need One?

Nothing about the tub requires a screen. The door, the seal, the drains and the therapies all work the same with or without it, and because the screen mounts to the wall rather than to the tub, it can be added after the tub is installed. Whether you want one comes down to how you bathe.

• You shower in the tub. A hand shower or shower column used while seated or standing throws spray past the rim. The screen keeps that spray inside the tub, which is its whole purpose.
• You prefer glass to a curtain. The folding screen is the glass alternative to a curtain across the open side of the tub, and it folds flat against the wall when you soak.
• The tub sits in a corner or an alcove. The screen needs a side wall to mount to, on the wall side away from any extension panel. A tub with no wall on that side has nowhere to hang it, in which case ask about the other glass choices Ella offers, including sliders and the Tidy screen.
• You only soak. If you fill the tub and never use the hand shower above the rim, the screen adds nothing. Leave it off and add it later if your habits change.

How the Screen Fits Beside the Tub

The screen is 44 inches long, and most Ella tubs are longer than that, so plan for the difference. On a tub whose top measures about 59 to 60 inches, the screen leaves roughly 15 inches uncovered at one end. Current screens are built as a more rigid unit limited to four panels, so a fifth panel cannot be inserted and leftover panels from another screen are not sold to close the gap. If you want the whole length enclosed, ask whether a fixed glass panel can be placed beside the folding screen so the door folds up against it. Whether that works depends on your tub and bathroom, and the team confirms it for your order. Four-Fold Glass Shower Screen: Damaged Hardware, the Return Window and Why Panels Cannot Be Added explains the panel limit in full.

The opposite problem, a screen that is too long for the space, has a built-in answer. In a 60 inch alcove where a 52 inch tub uses an extension panel, one section is removed to make the 32 inch wide 3-fold screen. That conversion is part of the alcove installation plan, so mention the alcove and the extension panel when you ask about the screen.

If your tub has the swivel tray on its deck, plan the tray and the screen together. The tray rotates out of the way for entry and exit, and the screen should be positioned so the tray can swing clear without hitting the glass. What Are My Options If My Swivel Tray Broke or Does Not Fit? describes how the two share the deck.

Fitting a Folding Shower Screen

Screens ship in several pieces and are assembled on site, and the printed installation manual that comes with the screen gives the step list, parts and tools. A few details decide whether the finished screen stays dry.

1. Set the wall channel at the right height and level. The bottom gasket must brush the deck lightly and evenly. Set too low, the gasket gets damaged. Set too high, water escapes underneath.
2. Angle the gasket inward. The rubber gasket must point toward the tub so spray running down the glass drops back onto the deck.
3. Cut the horizontal seal with the end cap in mind. Installers trim the seal to length. Leave enough seal beyond the last panel so the end cap has seal under it to protect the deck, then fit the cap as steps 4 and 5 of the manual describe and let any sealant cure before the next shower. If a cap comes off later, Replacing or Reattaching the End Cap and Horizontal Seal on a Folding Shower Screen covers refitting it.
4. Check every piece before you mount it. Occasionally a slide, roller or frame piece is damaged in shipping and a panel will not slide, or two frame sections differ in finish. Photograph the damage and the packaging and open a ticket with your serial number, and replacement hardware ships from the warehouse.

Decide on the screen early. It follows the standard 30-day return policy for uninstalled products in original packaging, a return must be authorized before anything ships back, and once the screen is mounted it can no longer be returned. Check its coverage against your tub length before the installer opens the box.

Living with the Screen

Clean the glass with warm soapy water and a lint-free cloth after use. Never use alcohol, petroleum liquids or chemical cleaners on the screen, and never anything gritty. If water shows up at the bottom of the screen, level the screen, set the height so the gasket seats on the deck, and confirm the gasket is angled inward toward the tub. For a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or a call to (800) 480-6850, have your tub model and serial number, whether the screen is set up as 4-fold or 3-fold, and a photo of the gasket and of where the water appears.

Watch: Big4Two: 2 Person Walk-In Tub Accessories For Couples | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• The Four-Fold Bath Screen Printed Manual: Parts Supplied, Loose Fittings, Tools and the Eleven Numbered Steps
• Folding Glass Shower Screen: Which Side It Mounts On, How Much Room It Takes Folded, and Confirming Stock
• Can a Shower Screen Cover the Full Length of My Walk-In Tub?

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