What is an SMC shower base and is it a good choice?

An SMC shower base is a shower pan molded from sheet molding compound, the material Ella's Bubbles uses for its low-profile and barrier-free linear-drain bases. The SMC line has two bases that differ only at the entry: the 1 inch low-profile reversible base, whose linear drain can sit at the left or right end depending on how you set it, and the barrier-free linear-drain base, which has no step at the entry and belongs to the roll-in family. Whether it is a good choice comes down to the entry height you need and where your drain can go, and Which end can the linear drain face on the reversible SMC shower base? covers the drain decision in detail.

What Sheet Molding Compound Means for the Base

Ella's SMC bases are molded from sheet molding compound. The practical result is a pan that arrives as one formed part, with its entry profile and its linear drain channel set in the mold rather than assembled on site. On the reversible base, nothing about the pan changes between a left layout and a right layout. The same part is turned to put the drain at the end you want, which is why its printed ADA size of 35 by 59 inches is the same regardless of which end the drain faces.

SMC also shows up elsewhere in the Ella shower line, and it pays to keep the pieces straight when you inquire. The SMC subway-tile-look wall panels are sheet molding compound kits in 6-piece or 12-piece form, sized at 36 by 60 by 96 inches, and Ella lists SMC seamless showers among its shower options. These are different products from the acrylic wall kits and from the tongue-and-groove grout-free tiles, so name the one you mean. Where can I buy acrylic shower wall panels for my Ella bathroom? lays out each wall format so the base and the walls you order match.

The Two SMC Bases Beside the Rest of the Ella Range

Ella makes bases for three kinds of entry: a flat roll-in approach, a low threshold you step over, and a raised step-in. The SMC family covers the first two. The table below sets the two SMC bases next to the acrylic roll-in pans, the step-in threshold and the custom base, using only the figures Ella publishes for each.

The differences come down to two decisions. The first is the entry: the reversible SMC base is for someone who can step over a 1 inch threshold, while the SMC barrier-free base and the acrylic roll-in pans are for a flat approach. The second is when the drain side gets fixed. On the standard acrylic bases the handing is a separate order choice, and on a custom base the drain is placed to your drawing. The reversible SMC base gives you both ends from one part, with the choice made on the floor at installation rather than at order. What is a roll-in shower for wheelchair users? explains what a curb-less entry asks of the installation, including the collapsible rubber dam that keeps water in a roll-in shower and the rule that the base threshold must never be drilled, because drilling the threshold voids the base warranty.

Setting the Drain End Before Anyone Cuts the Floor

Because the drain end on the reversible base is your choice, the floor opening has to match the layout you settle on. Ella's installation guide for the SMC bases calls for a 5 by 5 inch opening in the floor for a 2 inch PVC waste pipe, positioned according to the product rough-in specifications for the exact drain location, and it asks you to dry fit before you cut. The order that avoids a wrong hole is:

1. Decide which end the linear drain will face. Usually that is the end nearest the existing waste line, or the end that suits the entry.
2. Read the rough-in specification for that layout and mark the drain location on the rough floor.
3. Dry fit the base in the pocket in that layout and confirm the drain body lines up with your mark.
4. Only then cut the 5 by 5 inch opening and bring the 2 inch PVC waste pipe to it.

If the drain needs to sit somewhere the reversible base cannot put it, a custom base with the drain left, right or center is the route, as long as the drain sits at least 9 inches from each wall.

Is an SMC Base a Good Choice for Your Bathroom?

The published material does not rank one base material above another, so the honest way to answer is to match the base to the job. An SMC base is a good fit when you want a low 1 inch threshold rather than a curb, when you want the freedom to settle the drain end on site, and when you are planning the walls and the base together. The SMC subway-tile-look panels are sized for a 36 by 60 inch footprint, so measure the alcove width, the depth and the height from the base to the ceiling before you order either piece.

It is not the right pick when a flat wheelchair approach is the priority and one of the 30 by 60, 32 by 60 or 36 by 60 inch roll-in pans fits your alcove, or when you need a center drain. Whatever base you choose, Ella's wall panels come down over the base edge so water runs onto the pan rather than behind it, and an 8 inch wide L-shaped plastic filler piece with brackets closes a gap between the base and an adjoining wall or fixture; it can be trimmed if it is too large. Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces lists the full set of bases, walls and fillers, and Is acrylic a good material for shower walls compared to tile? explains why an Ella base is never tiled over. To confirm which SMC base and wall kit suit your space, reach out to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with your alcove measurements and the side your waste line is on.

Related Guides

• Installing the SMC Low-Profile Shower Bases: 1 Inch Reversible Linear Drain and Barrier-Free Linear-Drain Bases
• Shower Bases and Wall Panels
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases

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