Installing the SMC 12-Piece Wall Kit, Acrylic Tub Surrounds, the 3-Panel Kit, Tongue-and-Groove Wall Tiles and Palisade Vinyl Tiles

Shower wall kit installation on an Ella shower goes one of three ways. The SMC 12-piece kit is four rows of 24 inch panels set bottom row first on 100 percent silicone with overlapping flanges. The acrylic 3-panel kit is glued only, never screwed or nailed, dry-fitted first and braced or taped for 24 hours while the silicone cures. The tongue-and-groove wall tiles and the Palisade vinyl tiles are glued to an approved substrate after 24 hours of acclimation, with silicone in every seam in a wet area and 10 percent spare tile held back. This article is the installation guide; the panel-and-surround product overview and the tile flange article are separate.

SMC 12-Piece Shower Wall Kit (36 X 60 X 96)

The kit is eight side panels (24 inches high by 36 inches long) and four back panels (24 by 60), stacking four rows to a 96 inch wall, and it fits bases from 30 x 60 to 36 x 60 inches. Each panel has an overlapping flange so there are no grout lines.

1. Clean and dry the substrate (drywall, cement board or existing wall), patch holes, make sure the back-to-side corner is plumb and square, and mark the 96 inch height.
2. Confirm panel sizes and trim with a fine-tooth saw only if needed, keeping the flange edges.
3. Bottom row, back wall first: dry-fit the panel to the alcove and base, then run a continuous bead of 100 percent silicone around the perimeter with vertical beads every 8 to 12 inches, press it in, level the bottom edge and hold it with painter's tape if needed. Add the adjacent back panels with overlapping flanges, level and tightly butted.
4. Bottom row, side walls: the side panel overlaps the back panel's flange at the inside corner; silicone, press, level, repeat on the other side. Let the row set before going up.
5. Rows two, three and four: overlap the flange of the panel below, silicone all perimeter and vertical surfaces, press, check level and alignment, wipe excess, and continue to 96 inches, trimming the top row as needed.
6. Keep panels flush while curing with clamps, braces or painter's tape and check them periodically.
7. Finish inside corners with white caulk, fill perimeter and top-row gaps, inspect every seam and allow the recommended cure before using the shower.

Acrylic 3-Panel Shower Wall Kit (40 X 60 X 105 and 40 X 60 X 98)

The kit is a 60 inch wide back panel and two 40 inch side panels of multilayer acrylic about 1/8 inch thick, rolled and shipped in a 24 x 24 x 61 inch box. Panels are cut to fit and the edges finished with molding (not included) or caulk. Store them flat, install above 65 degrees, and never install on a damaged wall. The earlier 36 x 97 side and 60 x 97 back surround kit installs the same way.

1. Substrate: moisture-resistant drywall, marine-grade plywood or cement board, sealed with a water- or oil-based primer/sealer (two coats on plaster, concrete or after removing wallpaper). Solid ceramic tile can stay if firmly attached; plastic tile must come off. Walls must be plumb and square within 1/8 inch.
2. Where a base is used, fasten the base flange to the studs, run backer board above it, and let the panels overlap the flange and rest on the base. Add a filler board where old tile stops short of the panel height. On an SMC base that flange is the cut-to-length aluminum strip.
3. Square the base to the walls; if it is out, draw a level line around the alcove, measure down to the base and trim the panel bottoms to match so grout lines stay level.
4. Cut by scoring: tape the line, run a scoring knife along a straight edge 6 to 10 passes, then snap over the table edge. Round the corners of every accessory cutout to prevent stress cracks, and cut recessed accessory holes after the panel is on the wall. A recessed SMC niche is framed and waterproofed before the panels go up.
5. Dry-fit the back panel and secure it temporarily, then the side panels. Never force a panel against a bowed wall.
6. Adhesive: 100 percent clear silicone only, in 1 1/4 inch dots 8 to 10 inches apart across the whole panel. No nails, hammers or screws. Industrial-grade hot-melt glue may be added to hold panels in place of bracing, never a craft glue gun.
7. Press the panel to the wall, tap from top to bottom with a rubber mallet to remove air and align with the neighbor.
8. Brace with bars or wooden supports, adding blocks between the front-to-back and back-wall braces, and leave the bracing (or the painter's tape holding lighter areas) in place for 24 hours.
9. Caulk with the color-matched silicone, inspect for gaps and clean stray silicone with denatured alcohol without disturbing the joints.

Tongue-And-Groove Grout-Free Wall Tiles (12 X 24)

These 12 x 24 inch tiles have an SPC (stone and plastic composite) core, a PVC decorative layer and a UV coating, are about 5/32 inch thick with a V-bevel on all four edges, and lock together tongue into groove.

The video shows the rhythm: the tiles go over new or existing surfaces, measure and score then snap to size, adhesive on the back, a thin bead of silicone at each joint for a watertight seal, set and snap into place, row after row until the enclosure is done. Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Grout-less Tongue & Groove PVC Carrara Tile Installation with chapters and a full transcript.

• Substrates: existing ceramic tile with no preparation; drywall, cement board, OSB or plywood after priming. Not raw or poured concrete or block basement walls. In a shower or tub area that is not already tiled, a waterproof substrate is required per local code.
• Acclimate: unpack the tiles and lay them flat in the room 24 hours before installation.
• Adhesive: PVC panel adhesive in a 10.3 oz caulk tube; the guide lists Loctite Power Grab Ultimate (white), Liquid Nails Fuze It, Titebond Titegrab Ultimate and Manus 75-AM HV. Bead about 1/16 inch around the perimeter in a grid, staying at least 3/4 inch from the edges so it cannot squeeze onto the face.
• Layout: dry-lay first and avoid placing identical stone patterns side by side. Draw a level line, start in a corner, install floor to ceiling with the groove facing up, and press firmly along the full length.
• Sealing: silicone in every seam in wet areas, silicone along the bottom row regardless of flooring, and silicone inside and outside the edges. Use the matching corner and end profiles for a clean finish.
• Spares: keep at least 10 percent of the tiles, stored flat, for future repairs. Do not hang heavy fixtures on the tiles; drill through into the wall behind.

Palisade Carrara Vinyl Tiles (14.8 X 25.6)

The same substrate rules apply. Lay out every box first because color can vary from lot to lot, and call (800) 480-6850 before installing if the variation looks unreasonable. Cut by scoring and snapping with a utility knife (sand the edge) or with a 60-tooth or finer saw blade with the surface protected; drill a 1/2 inch hole and jigsaw the openings for outlets. In a direct-water environment run a 1/8 inch bead of sealant in every tongue-and-groove connection. Set the first row, let it set up, then continue in running bond or stack bond. Attach hooks and fittings through the tile into the framing, never to the tile alone.

Custom Engraved Walls

This short has no written transcript. It shows the CNC-engraved acrylic panels, which install exactly like the flat 3-panel kit above: sealed substrate, silicone dots, dry-fit, mallet, and 24 hours of bracing. Printed sizes for every kit are in wall kit sizes at a glance. Watch: Upgrade Your Bathroom With Custom Engraved Shower Walls on its own page.

Related Guides

• How to Get the Installation Guide, Spec Sheet and Manual for Your Ella Shower Wall Kit or Enclosure
• How Shower Wall Edges Are Finished: 2-Inch Bends on White CNC Walls and Trim Options
• Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers?
• Mounting Grab Bars on Ella Shower Walls: Reinforced Backing, Finding the Zones, and Which Screws to Use
• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels
• Ordering a Replacement Wall Panel for an Ella Shower

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model, serial number or wall construction, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support.