What is an SMC shower base and how does it compare?

An SMC shower base is a shower pan molded from sheet molding compound, the material Ella uses for its linear-drain bases rather than the acrylic used for its standard roll-in pans. Ella makes two SMC bases: a 1 inch low-profile reversible base with a low threshold you step over, and a barrier-free linear-drain base with no step at the entry. The reversible model is the one most people ask about, and Which end can the linear drain face on the reversible SMC shower base? explains how one base serves a left or a right layout.

What SMC Means, and What It Is Not

SMC stands for sheet molding compound. Ella's SMC bases are molded from it, and the letters appear in the product name so you can tell them apart from the standard acrylic bases in the range. The same abbreviation appears on a different Ella product, and that is where most of the confusion starts. The SMC subway-tile-look wall panels are also sheet molding compound, and they come as a 6-piece or a 12-piece kit at 36 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall. They are a wall product, not a base, and they are a different product again from the tongue-and-groove grout-free shower wall tiles. When you ask about SMC, say whether you mean the base or the panels so the team pulls the right spec sheet. The acrylic 6-piece wall panel kit guide sets the SMC panels beside the acrylic wall kits.

The Two SMC Bases

The two SMC bases share the material and the linear drain. They differ at the entry.

• SMC 1 inch low-profile reversible base. It has a 1 inch profile, a low threshold you step over. It is reversible for a left or right layout: set it one way and the linear drain runs along the left end of the alcove, set it the other way and the drain runs along the right end. Nothing on the base changes between the two layouts, which is why its printed ADA size of 35 by 59 inches is the same whichever end the drain faces.
• SMC barrier-free linear-drain base. It has no step at the entry, so it belongs to the roll-in family. A wheelchair, walker or shower chair passes from the bathroom floor into the shower without being lifted, which is what defines a roll-in shower in What is a roll-in shower for wheelchair users?

The 1 inch base is for a bather who can step over a low lip and wants the drain end decided on the floor rather than at order. The barrier-free base is for a bather who needs a flat approach.

How the SMC Bases Compare with Ella's Other Bases

What the table means: the material decides very little about fit, and the entry and the drain decide almost everything. If you need a roll-in entry, both the acrylic roll-in pans and the SMC barrier-free base qualify, and the acrylic pans give you three widths to match the alcove. If you can step over a low lip, the SMC reversible base is the only stock Ella base whose drain end is chosen on the floor at installation rather than on the order, which protects you when the waste line turns out to be at the other end from what the drawings suggested. The three-inch step-in threshold is a taller lip for people who prefer a raised entry, and the custom base is the route when the drain has to sit somewhere the stock bases do not place it.

Setting an SMC Base: The Drain End Decides the Floor Opening

Because the reversible base gives you both ends, the floor opening has to match the layout you settle on. Ella's guide calls for a 5 by 5 inch opening in the floor for a 2 inch PVC waste pipe, positioned according to the product rough-in specifications for the exact drain location, and it asks you to dry fit before you cut.

1. Decide which end the linear drain will face, usually the end nearest the existing waste line or the end that suits the entry.
2. Read the rough-in specification for that layout and mark the drain location on the rough floor.
3. Dry fit the base in the pocket with that layout and confirm the drain body lines up with your mark before cutting the floor.

The roll-in family brings two more rules. Without a curb, a collapsible rubber dam across the entry holds the water in; it flattens under a wheel and springs back once the wheel passes. On tile floors the grout line beneath the dam must be caulked so water cannot travel under it, and the base threshold must never be drilled, because drilling the threshold voids the base warranty. Confirm with the team what ships with the SMC barrier-free base before your installer plans the entry. A local licensed plumber or contractor sets the base; Ella supplies the base and the drawings and does not send technicians.

Walls and Filler Pieces to Pair with an SMC Base

Ella sells shower products per item rather than as one bundle, so the walls are a separate choice. The acrylic 6-piece kit in Carrara White covers a 36 by 60 inch alcove to 92 inches with storage shelves on the left side and panels 1/8 inch thick. The acrylic 3-piece solid white glossy surround is 40 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 97 inches tall with a 1-inch bend at the panel edges. The SMC subway-tile-look panels cover the 36 by 60 inch footprint to 96 inches. Measure the alcove width and depth and the height from the base to the ceiling before you choose, because each kit is built for a specific footprint. Where the base leaves a gap to an adjoining wall or fixture, an 8 inch wide L-shaped plastic filler piece with brackets closes it and can be trimmed down if it is too large. Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces lists every base and wall option together, and Where can I buy acrylic shower wall panels for my Ella bathroom? explains how to order panels through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Related Guides

• Installing the SMC Low-Profile Shower Bases: 1 Inch Reversible Linear Drain and Barrier-Free Linear-Drain Bases
• What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Does It Compare?
• Shower Bases and Walls: Roll-In, Seat, Custom Sizes, Thresholds and Wall Systems

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