What are acrylic shower walls and how do they work in a shower?

Acrylic shower walls are large acrylic panels that form the wall surface of a shower, used in place of a tiled wall. Ella's Bubbles offers them as three-piece acrylic wall systems, one back wall and two side walls, in white, CNC and digital print finishes. They work by attaching above the shower base and coming down over its edges, so water runs down the wall and onto the pan instead of behind it. The full family of bases, walls and matching pieces is introduced in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces, and this page explains what the wall panels are, how they do their job, and how they are bought.

What an Acrylic Wall System Is Made of

An Ella acrylic wall system is three large panels. The back wall panel covers the long wall of the shower, and a side wall panel covers each end. Because each wall is a single large sheet, the shower has very few joints compared with a wall made of many small pieces.

The published sizes are generous. Large acrylic back walls are available at 98 by 60 inches, and side walls at 36 to 38 inches wide by 96 to 98 inches high. Ella's acrylic wall panels come 98 inches high in a plain white finish, and the three-piece systems are offered in three looks:

• White. A plain white acrylic three-piece panel kit.
• CNC. A pattern engraved into the acrylic by CNC routing.
• Digital print. A printed finish, which includes a marble-look three-piece panel kit.

ADA accessories are available to go with the wall systems, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door are selected alongside the walls.

How Acrylic Walls Keep Water Where It Belongs

A shower built from an Ella base and wall panels works as one system, and each part has a simple role. The base is the finished floor. It arrives with its slope, threshold and drain molded in, and it carries the water that lands on it down the molded slope to the drain. The wall panels attach above the base to form the sides of the enclosure.

The important detail is where the two meet. The base meets the walls along its edges, and the wall finish comes down over that edge. Water that hits the wall runs down the panel, passes over the edge of the base and lands on the pan, where the slope takes it to the drain. It runs onto the pan and not behind it. That overlap is the whole principle, and it is the same idea whether the wall finish is an Ella panel or another material. How the base handles its side of the job is explained in What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Does It Work?

Two more points complete the picture. The open side of the shower is finished with a curtain rod, a glass door or a screen, depending on the package you select. The enclosure stays open to your bathroom ceiling.

Wall Options at a Glance

What the differences mean for you: the acrylic system uses three large panels sized to the base, so the choice is mostly about the finish you like. The cultured marble surround is built from more, smaller panels, which suits a remodel where each piece is fitted to the room. Tile is possible above an Ella base, but it is your tile installer's work and the joint with the base needs planning in advance.

Buying Walls with a Base, or on Their Own

Ella shower products are sold per item and not as a single bundle. A complete shower is put together from the pieces you need: the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, and accessories. The base is sold on its own, and the wall system is its own item on your order.

Because a wall system is sized to the base, the base dimensions are the first thing to have ready when you ask about walls. This matters most if you already have a base in place. Give your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 the exact size of the base so the panels are matched to it before your order is placed.

If you are looking for the barrier-free base to go under the walls, Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base comes in three standard sizes: 30 x 60 inches, 32 x 60 inches and 36 x 60 inches. All three are ADA curb-less roll-in pans that a wheelchair can roll straight into. Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately lists what ships with the base and what is separate. When no standard size fits, a rectangular base can be made up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, as described in Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers?

Acrylic Panels Compared with Cultured Marble and Tile

Acrylic is not the only wall finish that can sit above an Ella base. Ella also presents cultured marble travertine shower walls, and the video on this page shows them. Those panels are made from a natural quartz and granite composite with a gel coat surface. They come as multi-piece surrounds of eight, six or four panels that can be carried and installed by one person. The video shows that they can be glued over drywall, plaster, painted walls, cement board or even existing tiles, and that the factory finished edges can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit.

Tiled walls are the third route. The base itself is never tiled, a point covered in Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? If you want a tiled look, it belongs on the walls above the base. Confirm the wall detail with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 and with your tile installer before work begins, so the joint between tile and base is sealed correctly.

What to Have Ready Before You Order

1. Measure the finished opening, not the framing.
2. Note the size of your base and where the drain sits, left, right or center.
3. Choose the wall finish: white, CNC or digital print.
4. List the accessories you want, such as grab bars or a shower door.
5. Share the list with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support.

On installation day the division of work is simple. Your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it.

Watch: Transform Your Shower with Cultured Marble Wall Surround | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Is acrylic a good material for shower walls compared to tile?
• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels
• How do you install or attach Ella shower wall panels and surrounds?

Related Videos

Common Questions