What Is a Shower Base and What Does It Do in a Shower?

A shower base, also called a shower pan, is the finished floor of a shower. It is a single molded piece that you stand on, with the slope, the threshold and the drain opening formed into it, so water that lands on the floor runs to the drain. On an Ella shower the base is the piece the whole enclosure is built around, and the styles available are listed in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

What a Shower Base Actually Is

It helps to think of the base as a finished product and not as a layer in a floor that still has to be built. An Ella acrylic shower base is a finished surface. It is the walking surface as shipped, and its slope, its threshold and its drain are molded in at the factory. Nothing is added on top of it once it is in place. Tile, thinset and waterproofing membrane are not applied over it, because the acrylic is already the floor you will use.

That is the main difference between a shower base and a tiled shower floor. A tiled floor is assembled on site, one piece at a time, over a substrate that has to be prepared. A shower base arrives with that work already done in one piece. Your contractor sets it, a licensed plumber connects the drain, and the walls are finished above it.

Acrylic is not the only material. Ella also presents cultured marble shower bases, and the video on this page shows them. They are available in three sizes, they are molded solid cultured marble with a glossy gel coat finish, and they have an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor. The video describes them as sturdy, durable and easily maintained. They are also heavy, and they need at least two people to install, which is worth telling your installer before delivery day.

The Jobs a Shower Base Does

A base looks simple, but it does several jobs at once. Each one is built into the molding, which is why the base matters so much to how the finished shower performs.

• It is the floor you stand on. The base is the walking surface of the shower from the first day, with no further finish required.
• It moves water to the drain. The slope is molded into the base, and the base relies on that slope and on the threshold to move water to the drain.
• It carries the drain. The drain opening is molded as part of the floor, so the base decides where the shower drains.
• It sets the entry. The threshold is part of the base, so the base decides whether you step over a low edge or roll straight in.
• It gives the walls a place to land. The base meets the walls along its edges, and the wall finish comes down over that edge so water runs onto the pan and not behind it.
• On some models it provides seating. Some Ella bases include a molded seat as part of the same piece.

Because all of this is molded in, a base that feels solid underfoot gets that feel from how the shell is supported from underneath. Adding a layer on top is not the way to stiffen it.

The Base Styles Ella Offers

Shower bases differ mostly in how you enter them. Ella's range covers both a stepped entry and a barrier-free entry, so the choice can follow the needs of the person using the shower.

• Barrier-free roll-in base. The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in shower base is available in left and right side configurations.
• Step-in threshold. For anyone who prefers a slightly raised entry instead of a barrier-free design, a three-inch step-in threshold is also offered.
• Wheelchair rolling bases. Ella makes wheelchair rolling shower bases for accessible installations.
• SMC seamless showers. These are offered alongside the acrylic bases.
• Cultured marble bases. These come in three sizes with the textured slip resistant floor shown in the video.

One small accessory belongs in this picture too. An L-shaped filler piece, 8 inches wide, closes a gap between a shower base and an adjoining wall or fixture. It is plastic, it comes with brackets for installation, and it can be trimmed down if it is too large for the space.

What Is Fixed Once the Base Is Made

Since the base is molded as one piece, two things cannot be changed afterward, and both are worth knowing before you choose.

The first is the drain. The drain position on an Ella shower is molded into the base at the factory and is fixed for each model. It is not an option you select when ordering. Most Ella stalls and bases are center drain, and some bases are molded with a left-hand drain only. If the drain in your floor does not line up, the answers are a different base whose drain location matches, a custom-size base, or having your plumber relocate the rough-in. The details are in Can I Choose a Left, Right, or Center Drain on an Ella Shower?

The second is the surface. The base is the finished floor, so it is not tiled over. Tile needs a rigid, absorbent substrate that mortar can bond to, and acrylic is a smooth finished surface that does not accept thinset. Tiling over the pan would also bury the molded slope and threshold. If you want a tiled look, plan it for the walls above the base, as explained in Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? If a base does not match your design, the better route is to choose a different base, not to cover the one you have.

How the Base Fits into the Whole Shower

An Ella shower kit is made up of the base, the wall panels and, if you choose one, a glass door or screen. The base carries the drain and the threshold. Wall panels attach above the base to form the sides of the enclosure. The open side is finished with a curtain rod, a glass door or a screen, depending on the package. The enclosure stays open to your bathroom ceiling, as described in Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers?

For your bathroom, that means the base is the first decision and the one everything else follows. A short check before the order is placed saves a great deal of trouble later:

1. Measure the center of your existing drain from the back wall and from each side wall.
2. Compare those measurements with the drain location on the Specification drawing for the base you are considering. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can provide the drawing.
3. Ask a licensed plumber whether the trap can be moved if the locations do not match.
4. Decide on the entry you want, a three-inch step-in threshold or a barrier-free roll-in.
5. Confirm the base and the wall finish together, so the joint where the walls meet the base is planned and sealed correctly.

A drain that does not line up is usually discovered only when the base is set on the floor, which is the hardest point to change course. Ella does not send technicians, so the drain connection is made by your local licensed plumber, and the support team at ellasbubbles.com/support is glad to answer questions about the base itself.

Watch: Cultured Marble Reversible Shower Base with Low Threshold for Safer Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What the Ella Acrylic Shower Base Is Made Of and How It Is Installed
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases
• How do you build a custom shower pan or base?

Common Questions