Can a Shower Screen Cover the Full Length of My Walk-In Tub?

No. The 4-fold tempered glass shower screen measures 44 inches long by 42 inches high, and it is the screen offered for seated Ella walk-in tubs, so it does not run the full length of a 52 inch or 60 inch tub. Ella's Bubbles does not offer a full-length or full-height glass enclosure. For coverage along the whole tub, a regular shower curtain from any home and hardware store is the answer, and Is There a Lock on the Walk-In Tub Door, and How Do I Stop Hand-Shower Splashing? explains why the screen is sized the way it is.

Why the Screen Stops Short of the End

The screen is 44 inches rather than the full tub length because one size has to fit every Ella tub. It mounts to the side wall, ideally into a stud, rather than to the tub, and it runs from the back wall at the seat end toward the grab bar at the front, crossing the door. That places the glass over the entire seating area, which is where most showering happens and where the hand shower spray is aimed. On a 60 inch tub the screen leaves an opening of about 16 inches at the standing end, and on a shorter tub the opening is narrower. Because the spray is directed at the covered seating area, there should not be much splashing at the standing end.

Starting the screen at the standing end instead is usually not possible, because the grab bar can be in the way. The LayDown tubs use their own bi-fold glass screen, which likewise covers about 44 inches from the plumbing side where people stand to shower, and that is the only screen option for them. The screen can also be made shorter, not longer: removing one panel turns it into a 32 inch 3-fold, and the video shows that conversion step by step. Common Questions About Showering Add-Ons and Accessories gathers the other screen questions.

Full-Length Coverage: The Shower Curtain

Households that add a standing shower column often use a regular shower curtain instead of, or in addition to, the screen. A curtain covers the whole length of the tub and slides out of the way when the shower is not in use, so it is the practical choice when you want every inch of the tub side closed off. The folding screen remains the option for tight alcove or corner installs where a curtain is awkward, and the two can be combined.

If Water Is Reaching the Floor with the Screen in Place

When a screen is installed and water still lands on the bathroom floor, the usual cause is placement rather than coverage. Where Should the 4-Fold Shower Screen Sit on the Tub Deck? explains that the screen must sit on the inside edge of the deck, the inner lip closest to the bathing well, especially where it passes over the door. When it sits farther out, spray that hits the panels runs down the glass into the gap between the door and the tub on the hinge side and follows the door jamb to the floor, even when the door seal is fine. The tell-tale sign is a leak that only appears when the jets or hand shower are running.

• Fold the screen fully open across the tub and check that the bottom edge follows the inner lip of the deck along its full length.
• Look closely at the two panels furthest from the wall and the panels over the door and hinge side.
• Run the jets with the screen in place and watch whether water returns to the bathing well or runs down the outside face of the door.
• Confirm the screen height and level, because the bottom gasket must brush the deck evenly to seal, as covered in Installing Glass Shower Screens.

If a panel sits outboard, have your installer reposition the mount. If the leak continues, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with photos from directly above showing where the bottom edge meets the deck, a close photo of the door seal, and your model and serial number, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm whether the placement is correct.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Three Fold Shower Screen Assembly with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Folding Glass Shower Screen: Which Side It Mounts On, How Much Room It Takes Folded, and Confirming Stock
• The Four-Fold Bath Screen Printed Manual: Parts Supplied, Loose Fittings, Tools and the Eleven Numbered Steps

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