What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Is It Used?

An acrylic shower base, also called a shower pan, is the molded floor of a shower: a one-piece acrylic surface with the slope toward the drain, the entry threshold and the drain opening all formed in at the factory. Because it is a finished walking surface as shipped, your contractor sets it in place, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it, and nothing is laid on top. Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? explains why tile stays off the pan. This page covers what the base is, the threshold styles and sizes Ella makes, and how the base fits into a finished shower.

What Is Built into the Base

Three things are molded into an Ella acrylic base before it leaves the factory. The floor is pitched so water runs to the drain rather than pooling. The threshold, whether a raised lip or a flush barrier-free edge, is part of the same molding. And the drain opening sits in a fixed position for that base, on the left, the right or, on custom pans, the center. The acrylic is the surface you walk on and see, and it is supported from underneath when the base is installed, which is what makes it feel solid. Tile needs a rigid, absorbent substrate that mortar can bond to. Acrylic is a smooth finished surface that does not accept thinset, so tile laid over it would not bond reliably and could trap water underneath with no path to the drain. Tiling would also bury the molded slope and threshold that the base relies on. If the base you are looking at does not match your design, the answer is a different base, not a covering.

Threshold Styles

Ella offers the same footprint with different entry heights, and the threshold is the first decision after size.

• Barrier-free roll-in bases have no curb to step or roll over. The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in base is available in left and right configurations and is ready to ship, and roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam that keeps water in while a wheelchair rolls across it.
• A three-inch step-in threshold is offered for bathers who prefer a slightly raised edge, and a custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches.
• Zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier-free entry.
• Wheelchair rolling bases for accessible installations and SMC seamless showers round out the range.

The full set of base and wall options, including the filler piece described below, is summarized in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

Sizes, Standard and Custom

Ella manufactures its own acrylic bases in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain. All three are ADA curb-less roll-in pans, and the drain sits in a set position for each size, which makes a standard base the simplest choice when one fits. When none of the three fits, a rectangular base can be made to order up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, for a three-wall alcove or a corner installation, with the drain placed left, right or center at least 9 inches from each wall. A 38 by 80 inch base with a left drain is within the limits, a 58 by 30 inch base with a center drain has been produced, and a request such as 53 by 76 inches cannot be made. Only rectangles are offered, so a pan with angled or curved edges is not available. The complete rules are in What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make?, and Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? covers the roll-in versions in detail.

How the Base Is Used in a Finished Shower

The base is the floor of the enclosure, and everything else is built around it. Wall panels attach above the base to form the sides, the open side is finished with a curtain rod, a glass door or a screen, and the enclosure stays open to the bathroom ceiling, because Ella does not make a dome, top panel or light for its showers, as Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers? explains. Where the base meets the walls, whatever wall finish you choose comes down over the base edge so water runs onto the pan rather than behind it. If you plan tiled walls instead of Ella wall panels, confirm that joint with your tile installer before work begins.

When a base does not reach an adjoining wall or fixture, an 8 inch wide L-shaped filler piece closes the gap. It is plastic, comes with brackets for installation, and can be trimmed down if it is too large for the space. Shower products are sold per item, so a complete shower is put together from the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Standard or custom, the pan is finished acrylic and is ready to use once installed.

What to Check Before You Order

1. Where the existing drain line sits in the floor, so the team can confirm which drain position matches your size.
2. Whether the space is a three-wall alcove or a two-wall corner, because the drain and edges are placed differently for each.
3. Which threshold style suits the bather and how it meets your plumbing rough-in.
4. Whether the installation is on a concrete slab with no access from below. If it is, or if the drain is in an unusual spot, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with a simple drawing showing the walls, the size you want and the existing drain, and the team confirms whether a base can be made to match and what drain hardware ships with it.

Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can help you choose the size and threshold so the base that arrives is the finished floor you want from the start.

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 I Measure for a New or Replacement Shower Pan or Base?

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