What Is an SMC Shower Base and Is It Durable?

SMC stands for sheet molding compound, and in the Ella line it names a family of molded shower products rather than one item: the SMC 1 inch low-profile reversible base, the SMC barrier-free linear-drain base, the SMC seamless showers, the SMC subway-tile-look wall kits, and the SMC niches and soap dishes. The two SMC bases differ mainly at the entry, since the low-profile base has a 1 inch lip you step over and the linear-drain base has no step at all. The published pages in this knowledge base do not print a durability rating, thickness or weight for the SMC bases, so review the full range in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces and then ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the spec sheet on the exact base you are considering.

What SMC Is and Where Ella Uses It

If you searched for an SMC shower tray or shower pan, the Ella pages call the same part a base or a pan. The letters are simply the material name, sheet molding compound, and the material shows up in several places in the shower catalog, so it helps to know which product someone means before you ask about it.

• The SMC 1 inch low-profile reversible base, whose 1 inch profile is a low threshold you step over.
• The SMC barrier-free linear-drain base, which has no step at the entry and belongs to the roll-in family.
• SMC seamless showers, listed alongside the acrylic wall systems and the wheelchair rolling bases.
• SMC subway-tile-look wall panels, sold as a 6-piece or 12-piece kit at 36 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall. These are a different product from the tongue-and-groove grout-free tiles.
• SMC niches and soap dishes, which appear on the shower accessories spec sheet next to the seats, benches and grab bar sets.

Because the same material name covers bases, walls and accessories, name the exact item when you inquire. Asking for the SMC base when you mean the SMC wall kit sends the team looking at the wrong spec sheet.

The Two SMC Bases and How the Entry Differs

The most useful way to place the SMC bases is next to the other Ella base styles, because the real choice is about the threshold and the drain, not the material name.

What the table means in a real bathroom: if a wheelchair or walker has to cross the entry, only the no-step options fit, and that includes the SMC linear-drain base and the curb-less pans with the rubber dam. If the bather walks in, the 1 inch SMC lip and the three-inch threshold are the two raised choices, and the 1 inch version is the lower of the two. How the roll-in family keeps water off the floor without a curb, and why the dam matters, is explained in What is a roll-in shower for wheelchair users?.

Is an SMC Base Durable? What Is and Is Not Published

This knowledge base does not print a load rating, a thickness, a weight or a wear test for either SMC base, and this page will not invent one. What the sources do publish are the rules that protect the base you buy. The base threshold must never be drilled, because drilling the threshold voids the base warranty. On a roll-in base the collapsible rubber dam is a self-adhesive strip pressed down snugly against the wall and floor with end caps and a thin bead of silicone along both lower edges, and on tile floors the grout line beneath it must be caulked so water cannot travel under it. Those rules are what keep a base sound over time, whichever material it is molded from.

For a durability figure on the specific base, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the spec sheet and installation document, and ask directly whether a load rating is printed. The shower accessories sheet shows how the team handles this elsewhere: seats and benches carry printed capacities such as 452 pounds for the folding bench and 600 pounds for the fold-up chair, while the teak seat prints none and the guidance is to ask. The same honest answer applies to the bases.

Building the Rest of the Shower Around an SMC Base

Ella sells shower products per item rather than as one bundle, so a base is only the first piece. The SMC subway-tile-look wall kits and the acrylic 6-piece Carrara White kit are both sized for a 36 by 60 inch alcove footprint, while the 3-piece solid white acrylic surround fits 40 by 60 inches and stands 97 inches tall, so confirm ceiling height and alcove depth before choosing the walls. The kit differences are laid out in Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels. If the base leaves a gap to an adjoining wall or fixture, the 8 inch wide L-shaped filler piece is a plastic accessory that ships with brackets and can be trimmed down to size.

Doors, seats, grab bar sets and the SMC niches and soap dishes are chosen separately, with their sizes and finishes collected in Shower Doors, Seats, Benches, Grab Bar Sets, Niches, Soap Dishes and Acrylic Trim: Sizes, Capacities and Finishes. Where to order the matching walls is covered in Where can I buy acrylic shower wall panels for an Ella shower?.

What to Have Ready When You Ask

1. The alcove width and depth, measured at the top, middle and bottom, and the height from the floor to the ceiling.
2. Whether the bather will step in or roll in, which decides between the 1 inch SMC lip, the three-inch threshold and the no-step bases.
3. Which side the drain must sit on, since the roll-in pans come in left and right configurations.
4. Which wall kit you plan to pair with the base, so the footprint matches.
5. Any window, valve or niche the walls must be cut around, and whether you need the L-shaped filler piece.

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

Common Questions