Ella's Bubbles shower stalls come in two constructions, and the choice between a one-piece and a three-piece shower stall is mostly about how it gets into the room. One-piece stalls are molded as a single unit with an integral base and seamless walls, which makes them a natural fit for new construction where the stall can be brought in before walls are closed. Three-piece kits ship as a base plus two wall sections that assemble from the front or rear, which is what you want for a remodel where the stall has to pass through finished doorways. Both are made in the USA from fiberglass reinforced with the AcrylX applied acrylic finish and Armorcore reinforced walls. This article compares the current spec sheets and explains where the older ESM gel coat stalls fit.

One-Piece AcrylX Stalls

The current specification manual (July 2022) documents the 48 by 37 by 80 inch New Construction One-Piece Shower, models E-3648LWH and E-3648RWH, handed by seat. Key facts:

• Material: fiberglass reinforced with AcrylX; Armorcore reinforced walls on all sides for installing future grab bars.
• Overall dimensions 48 by 37 by 80 inches; threshold height 4 inches; center drain.
• Net weight 160 pounds; shipping dimensions 53 by 42 by 84 inches; shipping weight 280 pounds.
• Color: white only. Packages: Basic or Liberty.
• Architectural subway tile pattern with a diamond accent row, Grip Sure floor texture, molded soap, shampoo and foot ledges, square corners at the base that accept a framed or frameless shower door or a curtain.
• Codes: UPC, CSA B45.5, IAPMO Z124-11, Home Innovation Research Lab, Southern Building Code.
• Warranty: Lifetime Limited Residential and 30 Year Commercial on the shower stall.

The same 2022 manual series and the product pages cover the other one-piece sizes in the same construction: 60 by 33 by 77 inches with a left or right seat (molded seat 21 1/2 wide by 18 1/2 deep by 21 inches high), 60 by 33 by 77 with a center drain and no seat, 60 by 36 by 77 with a left or right seat (seat 25 by 18 by 21 inches), 48 by 37 by 80 with a left or right seat (seat 25 1/2 by 13 3/4 by 20 inches) and 42 by 42 by 80 with a center drain. Because a one-piece stall does not disassemble, the product pages carry a clear warning: if you are remodeling, make sure the stall fits through every doorway and hallway into the bathroom before placing your order, and otherwise use the multi-piece line. The alcove prep, drain opening and fastening steps are in installing an Ella one-piece AcrylX shower stall.

Basic Versus Liberty

The Basic package includes the stall with a 2 inch chrome strainer brass drain with friction seal. The Liberty package adds grab bars: on the one-piece manuals the Liberty package adds three 18 inch straight stainless steel bars, and on the three-piece 60 by 33 kit the Liberty options are Liberty 24 (three 24 inch fine-finished stainless bars with concealed flanges) or Liberty 36. Because the walls are Armorcore reinforced, bars and seats can be placed anywhere rather than only at stud locations. Flange trim molding and multi-piece window trim kits are available through the team.

Three-Piece 60x33 Low Threshold Shower with Molded Seat

The current sheet (07/22) for the Ella Liberty 24, models E-6033-3PLWH24SS (left seat) and E-6033-3PRWH24SS (right seat), prints:

• Outside dimensions 33 wide by 60 long by 77 inches high; seat 22 wide by 18 1/2 long by 21 inches high; threshold 4 inches.
• Panels: shower base 33 by 60 by 28 inches high; left and right side wall panels 33 wide by 30 long by 49 inches high.
• Net weight 175 pounds; shipping dimensions 60 by 48 by 72 inches; shipping weight 325 pounds.
• Premium applied acrylic with a 6 inch classic tile pattern and diamond accent, Armorcore reinforced walls, a pin-lock wall assembly system that allows front installation, precision-fit seams that match into the grout pattern, Grip Sure floor, and a self-supporting pre-leveled base with no mud set required.
• Codes: IPC, UPC, ANSI Z124.2, NAHB, HUD, FHA. Warranty as printed: 30 Year Limited Lifetime Warranty on the shower panels.

A 48 by 36 3/4 by 79 1/2 inch three-piece alcove kit with a left or right seat and center drain is also listed on the product pages with the same construction and a 4 inch threshold. The assembly sequence for the Liberty 24 and 36 kits is in installing the 60 x 33 three-piece shower with molded seat.

Watch: A Three-Piece Low-Threshold Shower Going in

This is the remodel scenario the three-piece kit is designed for: the video dry-assembles the shower before demolition, checks the framing pocket with a plumb bob, uses three short PVC pipes as slider rails to lower the base in at 45 degrees, levels it and marks the threshold line, installs the 2 inch no-caulk drain with plumber's putty, and makes sure the back support leg contacts the subfloor, which the warranty depends on, before the silicone beads go down and the wall panels lock in.

What AcrylX and Armorcore Are

AcrylX is an applied acrylic finish over the fiberglass structure. The manufacturer's description says it gives a truer white, higher-gloss and less porous surface than gel coat, which is easier to clean, resists scratching, cracking and chipping, has UV properties that resist fading, and can be repaired and restored. Armorcore is the resin-reinforced backing bonded behind the acrylic. It is described as tested well beyond industry standards, holding 1,800 pounds of pressure without failing and rating 600 percent above code weight on the base while adding only one to three percent to unit weight, and it does not require foundation or bedding material for installation. In practice it is why these stalls carry a lifetime limited residential warranty and why accessories can be mounted anywhere on the walls. Day to day care for AcrylX is in caring for Ella showers.

The Legacy ESM Gel Coat Stalls

Before the 2022 AcrylX edition, Ella published a September 2016 series of ESM spec manuals for one-piece gel coat fiberglass stalls in white, bone and biscuit: sizes 36 by 48 (48 by 37 by 80), 42 by 42 by 80, 48 by 36 (48 by 37 by 80), 60 by 32 and 60 by 33 (60 by 33 by 77) and 60 by 36 by 77, in Standard, Classic, Imperial and Ultimate packages, with and without shower valve kits, and a related Millennial Century Stone line. The ESM stalls carried a 3 year limited warranty (10 years on the Century Stone line) and 4 inch thresholds. The 2022 AcrylX and Armorcore specification manuals supersede the 2016 gel coat manuals, so the ESM sheets are reference material for owners of older stalls rather than current product documents. The older gel coat owner's manual (03/14 and 06/15 editions) still applies to those installed units, and the multi-piece gel coat units have their own guide in installing multi-piece gel coat showers.

Common Questions

For anything model-specific, including the exact spec sheet for the stall on your order, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will be glad to help.