A knee wall is a short wall your contractor builds to cover the long back side of a walk-in tub that is placed away from a bathroom wall. Ella tubs are finished for front and end exposure only, and no Ella model has a factory cover for its back, so a knee wall, sometimes called a pony wall, half wall or framed back, is what makes a freestanding or open-room placement possible.

How It Works

Every Ella tub has a finished front apron with removable access panels and comes with one reversible end panel; a second end panel is available so both ends can be exposed. The long back side is left unfinished because it is designed to sit against a wall. When the layout puts that side in the open, the contractor frames a short wall to the finished tub height, closes it in with a waterproof surface, and seals the joint with a tile flange and silicone the same way an alcove is finished. The tub then reads as built-in, even in the middle of the room.

With a knee wall, a tub can sit in a corner, against a single back wall with both ends open, or in the middle of a large bathroom. Where both ends are exposed, a second end panel finishes the installation; see end panel and extension panel replacements for that part.

Which Ella Models Have It

A knee wall is a site-built element, not a factory feature, so it is not tied to a model. It applies to any Ella tub whose back will not sit against an existing wall. The articles freestanding and exposed-side installations and bathroom layout planning describe the layouts that call for one. One firm limit from the owner's manual: Ella tubs are not intended for outdoor use, so a deck or patio placement is not an option.

What to Know as an Owner

Plan the knee wall around service access. The front apron access panels must stay reachable whatever the layout, since the pumps, heater and drain connections live behind them; planning service access panels explains what your installer must leave open. Confirm the finished height of your model before framing so the wall lands at the deck, and finish the wall and any tiled side with a tile flange and silicone at every joint.

Run the dedicated GFCI circuits and the plumbing before the knee wall closes, complete the pre-install water test, and keep the door swing and any walkway clearances in mind if the tub is in the open. The full pre-install list is in the walk-in tub installation requirements checklist. If you contact support at ellasbubbles.com/support, have your serial number, a photo of the layout, and a note on which sides of the tub are exposed so the team can advise on panels and access.

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