A tile flange is a thin waterproof strip glued to the edge of a walk-in tub with 100 percent silicone so the wall tile or wall panels can overlap it and shed water back into the tub instead of behind it. Ella walk-in tubs have a flat deck edge with no built-in lip, so the flange, also called a tiling flange, a glue-up flange or a flange band, is added at installation. It is the small detail that keeps a tiled alcove dry for years.

How It Works

Any 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch rust-proof, waterproof strip will do the job: acrylic, thin stainless steel or fiberglass, about 5 inches tall, glued to the tub edge with 100 percent silicone and overlapping the tub edge by about 2 inches. Ella's own Flexible Glue-Up Tile Flange kit, listed as FlangeBand, is a 124 inch strip of 4 inch wide flexible membrane with a 1 1/4 inch adhesive strip, a spreading spatula, an alignment guide and alcohol wipes. Because the membrane is flexible, it follows the small movement between the tub and the wall that a rigid plastic lip cannot. The wall finish then overlaps the flange and the deck, and every joint is caulked with silicone. The kit walkthrough is in The Glue-Up Tile Flange Kit, and the wall sequence is in Tile Flange, Caulking and Finishing the Walls.

Which Ella Models Have It

No Ella walk-in tub ships with a tile flange, by design. The 124 inch kit suits most Ella tubs in a standard three-wall 60 inch alcove, and longer strips are listed for larger models such as the Big4One, TransferXXL, LayDown72, Escape and Big4Two. The one exception to note is the ShaK, which is not designed to be tiled in directly; talk with technical support before planning tile around a ShaK. Wall panels and surrounds are covered in Wall Panels and Surrounds for Walk-In Tubs.

What to Know as an Owner

The flange ships separately by parcel carrier, not in the crate with the tub, so do not report it missing on delivery day. When you request one through where you purchased the tub or the team at (800) 480-6850, include your tub model so the right length ships; support records the flange under the part code EB-FLANGE. Wall finishing should only begin after the pre-installation water test and the leveling check, because fixing a leak behind finished tile is far more disruptive. Keep the caulk line between the tub and the wall in good condition and re-caulk if it cracks or pulls away. For a ticket, have your model, whether the tub is already installed, the alcove layout and a photo of the tub edge where it meets the wall.

Common Questions