What Is an Acrylic Shower, and How Does It Compare to Tile?

An acrylic shower is a shower built from finished acrylic parts. It has a molded acrylic base that serves as the floor and large acrylic wall panels above it, in place of a floor and walls built up piece by piece from tile and mortar. Ella's Bubbles makes both parts, and the acrylic surface you see on day one is the finished surface. That is also why tile never goes on top of the base, as Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? explains. Tile can still be part of the room. It belongs on the walls above the base, not on the base.

What Makes a Shower an Acrylic Shower

Ella's Bubbles focuses on walk-in tubs and safety bathing equipment, and it also offers acrylic shower walls and shower bases, as described in What Products Does Ella's Bubbles Offer?. Those two parts are what make an acrylic shower.

• The base. Ella bases are finished acrylic with the slope, the threshold and the drain molded in. The base is the walking surface as shipped, so it is ready to use once it is set, and the shell is supported from underneath so it feels solid.
• The walls. The acrylic 3-panel kit has one back panel 60 inches wide and two side panels 40 inches wide, in a 98 or 105 inch height. The panels are a 0.118 inch thick ABS and PMMA composite with a glossy, warm-to-the-touch sanitary acrylic surface. Three-piece acrylic wall systems come in white, CNC and digital print finishes, with ADA accessories available.

Where the base meets the walls, the wall finish comes down over the edge of the base so water runs onto the pan rather than behind it. This is the same principle as the tile flange on a walk-in tub. It applies whether the walls above the base are acrylic panels or tile.

Acrylic, Cultured Marble and Tile Side by Side

Every option in the table except conventional tile arrives as a finished surface. Acrylic bases and panels, cultured marble panels and the groutless PVC tiles are all set in place or glued up, and the face you see is the final finish. Conventional tile is built on site over a substrate that mortar can grip, and acrylic is not that kind of substrate. Ella's published material does not rank one wall finish above another. The choice comes down to the look you want, how the pieces need to reach your bathroom, and how you plan to cut and finish them. Where Can I Buy Cultured Marble Shower Walls, and Is Acrylic Better? compares cultured marble and acrylic.

Where Tile Fits in an Acrylic Shower

Tile needs a rigid, absorbent substrate that mortar can bond to. Acrylic is a smooth finished surface that does not accept thinset. Tile laid over an acrylic base would not bond reliably, and it could trap water underneath with no path to the drain. It would also bury the molded slope and threshold that the base relies on to move water to the drain. For those reasons, tile, thinset and waterproofing membrane stay off the base.

The walls are a different story. If you want a tiled look, plan it for the walls above the base. If you are considering tiled walls with an Ella base instead of Ella wall panels, confirm the wall detail before work begins, so the joint between tile and base is sealed correctly. Check with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and with your tile installer.

There are also two ways to get a tile look without mortar. The wall systems come in CNC and digital print finishes. The video on this page shows Ella's PVC groutless shower tiles, which can be placed over new or existing surfaces and fit together with a tongue and groove connection. The video shows each tile being measured, scored and snapped to size. Adhesive goes on the back, a thin bead of silicone goes at each joint for a watertight seal, and each tile is snapped into place.

The Sizes an Acrylic Shower Comes in

The three standard bases share a 60 inch length and differ only in width: 30, 32 or 36 inches. The drain position is specified when you order. When a standard size will not fit, a rectangular base can be made to order up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long. Only rectangles are offered, and the drain can sit left, right or center but must be at least 9 inches from each wall. Custom bases are made for three-wall alcoves and for corner installations. A 36 by 36 inch corner base has been produced.

Thresholds come in several styles. There are curb-less roll-in pans and a 3 inch step-in threshold for those who prefer a slightly raised edge. There are also zero threshold bases that sit flush with the surrounding floor. The full list is in What Sizes Do Ella Shower Bases and Shower Pans Come In?.

On the wall side, there are large acrylic panels as well as the 3-panel kit. These include 98 by 60 inch back walls and 36 to 38 by 96 to 98 inch side walls. If a gap remains between the base and an adjoining wall or fixture, an 8 inch wide L-shaped plastic filler piece closes it. It comes with brackets and can be trimmed down. Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces lists these options together.

What to Check Before Your Order

Shower products are selected per item rather than as one bundle, so an acrylic shower is put together from the base and the panels you need.

1. Measure each wall at the top, middle and bottom, and use the largest figure.
2. Note any windows, valves or niches a panel must be cut around.
3. Find where your existing drain line sits in the floor, so the team can confirm which drain position matches your base size.
4. Note whether the shower sits in a three-wall alcove or a corner, so the drain and edges are placed correctly on a custom base.
5. Decide on the wall finish first, acrylic panels or tile, because the base is the finished floor either way.

If the base does not match your design, choose a different base rather than covering one. Availability of each wall line changes over time, so confirm the selection with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before your order is placed.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Grout-less Tongue & Groove PVC Carrara Tile Installation with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What the Ella Acrylic Shower Base Is Made Of and How It Is Installed
• What are acrylic shower walls, and how do they hold up?
• Shower Bases and Wall Panels

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