Which Ella shower kits fit a 36x60 space with wheelchair access?

The Ella product built for a 36 by 60 inch opening with wheelchair access is the 36x60 wheelchair accessible roll-in shower base, an ADA curb-less acrylic pan with a left or right drain that ships with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam across the entry. Ella shower products are sold per item, so you complete the shower by adding a 98 inch high Ella wall system sized to the base, grab bars and a door or screen. What Are the Standard Shower Base Sizes Ella's Bubbles Makes? compares every base footprint; this page assembles the 36x60 wheelchair shower from those parts and explains which threshold choices work for a chair.

Base Options for a 36x60 Wheelchair Shower

For a bather who stays in a wheelchair, only the rows with no curb work: the roll-in bases and the SMC barrier-free base. The 1 inch SMC base and the 3 inch step-in base both leave an edge a wheel has to climb, so they suit bathers who can step. The 36x60 roll-in is the widest standard footprint Ella makes, which means a 36 inch deep opening is covered without a custom order. The custom program is the route when the opening is a different size or the drain has to sit in the center.

Completing the Shower Piece by Piece

Ella does not bundle the roll-in base with walls, so a complete 36x60 wheelchair shower is put together from these items.

• The roll-in base with its collapsible rubber dam. Roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with the self-adhesive dam, which holds water on the pan yet collapses when a wheel crosses it. The installer cleans the mounting surface with isopropyl alcohol first and caulks the grout line under the dam.
• A wall system sized to the base. Ella wall panels are made 98 inches high with a 60 inch back wall, in a plain white finish, a CNC routed design with light gray grout lines, or a digital print. Three-piece acrylic wall systems come in the same three finishes with ADA accessories available. Ask for the side panels matched to a 36 inch deep base, and confirm the finish by seeing samples through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.
• Grab bars, a shower door or screen, and a seat, each sold separately.
• The 8 inch wide L-shaped filler piece if the base leaves a gap to an adjoining wall or fixture. It is plastic, comes with brackets, and can be trimmed to fit.

Shower Bases and Wall Panels covers the wall systems and surrounds, and Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces describes the filler piece and the ready-to-ship 32x60 barrier-free base.

Drain Position on the 36x60 Base

On a standard 36x60 roll-in base the drain sits in a set position, left or right, so the first thing to check is where your existing drain line sits in the floor. Tell the team that location and it confirms which drain position matches your size. If the drain must be in the center, or anywhere other than the set position, the base becomes a custom order. Custom bases are rectangles only, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, and the drain must sit at least 9 inches from each wall; a drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible even on a custom pan. Custom bases are made for three-wall alcoves and corner installations, and the team asks which layout you have so the drain and edges land correctly. Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? sets out the full rules.

Complete Kits Versus Per-Item Assembly

Ella also makes barrier-free 5-piece and low-threshold 3-piece showers as complete modular kits: a pan and wall panels with a pin-and-slot system that lets the installer set every panel from the front, made in the USA from fiberglass with the AcrylX finish and Armorcore reinforced walls so grab bars and seats can be mounted anywhere. Complete one-piece and multi-piece kits, such as the Liberty, Freedom and Accessible Plus packages, are carried by Home Depot and made to order, so scheduling and missing parts for those kits go through Home Depot. Ella's guides do not list a 36x60 footprint for those kits, so if you want a complete kit rather than a base plus walls, confirm the available kit sizes before planning around one. Cultured marble bases have been on hold with no restock date. Ella Shower Kits and Bases explains each product family and where it is carried.

Whichever route you take, the acrylic base is a finished surface. It is ready to use once set and connected, and it is not tiled over.

Before You Order

• Measure the opening wall to wall at the back and at the front, and confirm it is a true 36 by 60 inch rectangle, since angled or curved pans are not offered.
• Locate the existing drain line in the floor and note whether it is left, right or center.
• Say whether the shower is a three-wall alcove or a corner installation.
• Decide on the wall finish and count the grab bars and any seat or door you need, because each is ordered as its own item.
• Have a licensed contractor set the base, mount the dam and walls, and connect the drain.

Related Guides

• Which Ella Shower Pan Is Best for Wheelchair Accessibility?
• What is a roll-in shower and who is it designed for?
• What Is the Difference Between a Roll-In Shower and a Walk-In Shower?

Related Videos

Common Questions