Who installs acrylic shower walls and shower pans in my bathroom?

A local licensed contractor, usually a plumber or a remodeling contractor, installs both the shower pan and the acrylic or cultured marble wall panels around it. Ella's Bubbles molds the base to size, makes the wall panels, ships them as finished pieces, and supports your contractor by phone and email, but it does not send technicians or perform installations. Who Installs an Ella Shower Pan or Shower Base? covers the pan side of the job, and this page adds what installing the wall panels involves and how to line up and brief the person doing both.

Why One Contractor Handles Both

The pan and the walls are installed in sequence, not as two separate trades. The base is set first, on a floor prepared so the drain line lands where the drain sits on the pan you ordered, and the walls are finished above it with a wall system sized to that base. Because the drain connection is plumbing work and the wall panels bond to the existing wall surface, a licensed plumber or a remodeling contractor who does bathrooms can carry the whole job. Labor is arranged and paid for between you and the contractor. Ella's part is to build the pieces to your dimensions and to answer your contractor's questions during the work, with manuals and live video help. Hire a licensed, experienced local contractor, and if you do not have one, the team can refer installers from its nationwide network.

What Installing the Wall Panels Involves

The first video on this page shows the cultured marble travertine shower walls. The panels are made from natural quartz and granite composite with a gel coat surface, and they come as eight, six or four panel surrounds for a bathroom remodel. They can be carried and installed by one person. The panels glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, cement board or even existing tile, so the contractor does not need to strip the room to the studs to fit them. The edges are factory finished for seamless panel joining, and they can be trimmed and cut on site for a custom fit, which is how the surround is matched to the exact width and height of your alcove. Ella also makes shower wall panels at 98 inches high in a plain white finish. The wall surround is the component that is cut on site; the base never is.

On the wall side, your contractor:

• Confirms the base is set and the drain is connected, since the walls land on top of the pan.
• Checks the surface the panels will bond to, whether drywall, plaster, paint, cement board or tile.
• Trims and cuts the factory finished panel edges to fit the alcove.
• Glues the panels in place and joins the edges.
• Mounts any grab bars or shower door ordered with the shower, since shower products are sold per item.

What Installing the Pan Involves

Because every Ella base comes out of a mold, nothing is formed, lined, tiled or grouted in the bathroom. The pan carries the drain and the threshold, and on some shower models a molded seat, so the contractor's work is to prepare the floor and the plumbing, set the finished piece, connect its drain to the house drain line, and on a roll-in or barrier-free base fit the self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam that ships with it. Acrylic bases are finished and ready to use once installed. The second video shows the cultured marble bases, available in three sizes, molded solid with a glossy gel coat finish and an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor. They are heavy and require at least two people to install, so tell your contractor which material you ordered before delivery day. Who Installs a Shower Pan or Shower Base in My Bathroom? walks through the same steps alongside the ordering limits.

Decisions to Settle Before the Contractor Cuts the Floor

• Size. Standard acrylic bases are 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and the same three footprints come as wheelchair accessible curb-less roll-in pans. A custom base is a rectangle only, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with a minimum of 30 by 30 inches. Angled or curved edges are not offered.
• Drain position. Left, right or center, and on a custom base at least 9 inches from each wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base. Tell the team where the existing drain line sits in the floor so it can confirm which drain position matches your size.
• Layout. Custom bases are made for three-wall alcoves and for corner installations, and the team asks which you have so the drain and edges are placed correctly.
• Threshold. 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.
• Material. Acrylic or cultured marble, since the marble base needs two people to set.
• Walls. An Ella wall system sized to the base, or another wall covering your contractor supplies.

Pass these to your contractor in writing. The pan is ordered to size rather than cut, so the measurements have to be right before anything is opened up. Where Can I Buy a Shower Base for a Bathroom Remodel? explains what to have ready when you order, and Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? covers the roll-in sizes and the rubber dam.

What Ella Does, and What It Leaves to Your Contractor

Ella's Bubbles manufactures the base and the wall panels and sells them through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. 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. Ella does not install, does not send technicians, and does not set the labor. What it does provide is technical support for your contractor, so a question that comes up during the job goes to the team at (800) 480-6850 or a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Accessories for a tub-and-shower combination, such as the slide bar, rain shower and glass screens, are listed in Showers, Shower Screens, and Accessories for Your Ella Walk-in Tub.

Watch: Cultured Marble Reversible Shower Base with Low Threshold for Safer Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What are acrylic shower walls, and how do they hold up?
• How do you install or attach Ella shower wall panels and surrounds?
• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels

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