Showers, Panels & Accessories

These articles cover Ella's shower screens and doors, including the popular four-fold tempered glass screen, sliding doors, and the Tidy screen. Find details on installation for various models, how to address issues like shattered glass, damaged hardware, or water spraying from gaskets. Learn about screen fit for different tubs, mounting options, and how to replace parts like end caps, seals, rollers, or tracks. Guides explain how screens fold, their dimensions, and proper placement on the tub deck.

• Installing Glass Shower Screens: Four-Fold and LayDown ScreensInstalling a glass shower screen on an Ella walk-in tub comes down to two families: the four-fold tempered glass screen that folds accordion style on top of the tub deck, and the fixed panel glass screen and door made for the LayDown tubs. Both keep shower spray inside the tub while preserving easy entry, and both depend on one thing above all: setting the height and level so the bottom gasket brushes the deck…
• Installing Framed Sliding Shower Doors and the Tidy Two-Panel Bath ScreenInstalling Ella's framed sliding shower doors and the Tidy two-panel bath screen comes down to four things: every model is reversible for left or right opening, every one mounts on a siliconed wall profile fixed with solid-wall plugs, the glass is hung and adjusted from inside the enclosure, and the finished job needs 24 hours after the final silicone before the first shower. Match your door to its manual by the…
• Glass Door and Screen Options Beyond the 4-Fold: Sliding Doors, the Tidy Screen, the LayDown Bi-Fold and the Primo DoorThe four-fold tempered glass screen is the best-known way to close in an Ella walk-in tub for showering, but it is not the only glass door and screen option Ella's Bubbles publishes. Depending on the tub and the opening, there is also the Duo framed sliding door, framed thick-glass sliders such as the Primo in 48 and 60 inch widths, the Tidy two-panel bath screen, and the bi-fold screen made for the LayDown tubs.…
• Common Questions About Showering Add-Ons and Accessories: 4-Fold Screen Fit, Full-Length Screens, Rain Heads, Two-Seat Shower Heads, Slide Bars, Samples, Windows and Swivel Tray FitThese are the questions the team hears most often about showering add-ons and accessories, answered briefly with a link to the article that goes deeper. In short: the 4-fold screen fits seated Ella tubs, including the Ultimate; there is no full-length screen; the rain shower column is optional on tubs with an Ella deck-mount faucet; two-seat tubs with two faucets get two hand showers and can take two columns; wall…
• The Four-Fold Bath Screen Printed Manual: Parts Supplied, Loose Fittings, Tools and the Eleven Numbered StepsThis page walks through the printed installation manual for the Ella four-fold bath screen, document code C0660-A00-01: the pre-start checks, safety notes, parts and loose fittings with quantities, tools required, and the eleven numbered steps in order. The manual states that the instructions suit both right and left hand fixing and that all product is supplied without the bath. For where the screen sits on the…
• What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub?The 4-fold shower screen, also called the folding glass screen, accordion screen or four-panel bath screen, is a 44 by 42 inch tempered glass screen in a chrome ionized aluminum frame that mounts to the side wall beside your walk-in tub and keeps shower spray inside. Its four panels fold flat against the wall when not in use, and by removing one section it converts to a 32 inch wide 3-fold screen. The screen…
• Why Does My Shower Screen Gasket Have a Gap and Spray Water?When the gasket on the screen has a gap and sprays water, the cause is almost always the height and level of the screen rather than the gasket itself. On the 4 fold screen the bottom gasket must brush the tub deck lightly and evenly along its full length, with the rubber lip angled inward toward the tub: too high leaves a gap that leaks, too low damages the gasket and leaves it looking mangled. The first thing to…
• Replacing or Reattaching the End Cap and Horizontal Seal on a Folding Shower ScreenThe end cap on a folding shower screen fits onto the end of the horizontal seal, and the printed installation manual covers attaching it in steps 4 and 5. If the cap has come off, you can usually refit it by following those steps without new parts. If it is cracked or lost, a replacement end cap kit is available through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Because the horizontal seal is often trimmed…
• Shattered or Cracked Shower Glass Panel: How Replacement WorksIf a glass shower screen or door panel on your Ella shower or tub has shattered or cracked, the fix is a complete replacement panel rather than a repair. Start by sending clear photos to the support team at ellasbubbles.com/support. The team will confirm which panel you need and whether the hardware is also damaged, tell you whether the damage falls under the warranty, and arrange the replacement with you. Ella…
• Missing or Broken Shower Door Hardware: Rollers, Tracks, Knobs and Frame PartsYes, small shower door hardware can be replaced. Roller wheels and bearings, the top track, door knobs and the bottom aluminum frame are all parts the support team can locate and ship, and you receive a tracking number when the package leaves. The exception is the LayDown tub screen, where separate parts are limited and some pieces ship attached to the glass. Start with photos of what is missing or broken and your…
• Where Should the 4-Fold Shower Screen Sit on the Tub Deck?Water is getting past the door because the 4-fold shower screen is sitting too far out on the tub deck. The screen must be mounted on the inside edge of the deck, the inner lip closest to the bathing well, especially where it passes over the door. When it sits farther out, water that bounces off the bather or the panels is funneled into the gap between the door and the tub on the hinge side, and the tub will leak…
• Four-Fold Glass Shower Screen: Damaged Hardware, the Return Window and Why Panels Cannot Be AddedIf a slide, roller or frame piece on your four-fold glass shower screen is damaged or will not slide, replacement hardware ships from the Ella warehouse once you open a ticket with photos and your serial number. The screen itself follows the standard 30-day return policy for uninstalled products in original packaging, so it cannot be returned once that window has passed or once it has been installed. Individual…
• Can I Add a Hand Shower Slide Bar or Rain Shower Column After My Tub Is Installed?A hand shower slide bar can be added at any time, including long after the tub is installed, because it mounts to the wall and works with the hand shower you already have. A rain shower column is different. It replaces the hand shower holder on the tub deck and is connected from behind the tub, so it is best ordered and installed together with the tub. Adding a column to a finished installation is possible only if…
• Folding Glass Shower Screen: Which Side It Mounts On, How Much Room It Takes Folded, and Confirming StockElla's folding tempered glass shower screens mount to the bathroom wall at one end of the tub and stack out of the way when open. Folded, the panels lean outward, away from the tub, and stand roughly 4 to 6 inches out from the wall, so the stack is never behind your head or shoulders while you bathe. The bifold screen is made for the LayDown tubs and is stocked as a left-hand or right-hand screen to match the…
• Does the Ella Shower Stall Come With a Door, and What Size Door Fits the Opening?Ella shower stalls and shower kits ship without a door. You add a curtain, a sliding door or a pivot door of your choice. The side walls have wood built into the fiberglass, so a door frame or pivot hinges can be screwed straight into the stall without hunting for a stud behind it. Ella offers one door of its own, the Ella Duo sliding door, for the larger stall with its 55 3/4-inch inside opening. For the smaller…
• Which Glass Shower Screen Fits Your Ella Tub and Where It MountsThe glass shower screen that fits an Ella tub depends on the tub type, and every Ella screen is designed for a three-wall alcove installation. Seated walk-in tubs use the 4-fold tempered glass shower screen, which closes off the open front of the alcove while you shower and folds back out of the way when you are done. The LayDown tubs use a separate bi-fold glass screen made for those tubs, and that bi-fold screen…
• Choosing a Shower Door for the Ella Liberty Three-Piece Shower: Opening Size, Mounting and SealingElla offers one door of its own for this opening, the Ella Duo framed sliding door, and the Liberty three-piece low-threshold shower also accepts any third-party door sized to the opening. Measured from the threshold, the interior opening of the Liberty is 55.75 inches wide and 73 inches high, and the specification drawing for the unit confirms both figures. The Liberty accommodates any style of shower door, and…
• Does the Ella Shower Door Have a Bottom Track or Is It Trackless?It depends on which door you are looking at. Ella's framed sliding shower doors are true framed doors with a track along the bottom, not barn-door style hangers. The Primo 8mm frameless sliding door is the exception: it has no bottom rail at all, only a low water retainer gasket along the bottom edge that expands about 3/8 of an inch to keep water in the shower. Framed sliding doors: track on the bottom The…
• What Is a Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub, and Do You Need One?A shower screen on an Ella walk-in tub is a set of hinged glass panels that mounts on the tub deck and folds open across the tub, so spray from the jets or the hand shower lands back in the bathing well instead of on the floor. It is an accessory rather than part of the tub, and the standard version is the 4-fold glass screen, which can be converted to a 3-fold screen when the tub sits in an alcove with an…
• Can a Shower Screen Cover the Full Length of My Walk-In Tub?No. The 4-fold tempered glass shower screen measures 44 inches long by 42 inches high, and it is the screen offered for seated Ella walk-in tubs, so it does not run the full length of a 52 inch or 60 inch tub. Ella's Bubbles does not offer a full-length or full-height glass enclosure. For coverage along the whole tub, a regular shower curtain from any home and hardware store is the answer, and Is There a Lock on…
• Does the 4-Fold Shower Screen Work With the Swivel Tray Installed?Yes. The 4-fold glass shower screen and the swivel tray can be used on the same tub, and the team confirms the screen fits seated tubs such as the Ultimate that come with the tray. Because the tray mounts in a threaded fitting near the door and the screen crosses the door on its way from the back wall to the front, the two need to be planned together so the tray can swing clear of the glass. What Is the Swivel…
• How Do You Fit a Folding Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub?The folding shower screen mounts to the side wall beside your walk-in tub, on the wall side away from any extension panel, with its wall channel set level and at a height where the inward-angled rubber gasket brushes the tub deck lightly and evenly. Get those three things right, the side, the level and the gasket height, and the screen stays dry; the screen itself is described in What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen…
• What is a shower screen, and does a walk-in tub need one?A shower screen is a hinged glass panel that mounts to the wall beside a walk-in tub and keeps shower spray inside the tub instead of on the bathroom floor. On an Ella walk-in tub it is an accessory rather than standard equipment, so no tub needs one to work, but it is the piece to add when you shower in the tub and would rather have folding glass than a curtain. Ella's version is the four-panel folding screen…
• How do you install a sliding shower door on an Ella shower stall?A sliding shower door is fitted after the Ella shower stall has been assembled and sealed, and the door maker's instructions govern how its frame goes together. What is specific to an Ella stall is everything around those instructions: measuring the finished opening, screwing the track and side jambs into the wood-backed side walls, sealing every fastener and joint, and keeping every screw out of the threshold.…
• What is the difference between the Ella Duo and Primo sliding shower doors?The Ella Duo is a framed two-panel sliding door with a bottom track, built for the 55 3/4 inch opening of Ella's 60 inch shower stalls and offered in chrome, brushed nickel or black. The Primo is Ella's thick-glass frameless slider with no bottom rail at all, published in 48 by 78 and 60 by 78 inch sizes with a standard-glass version at 60 by 72 inches, so it suits different openings and gives a different look at…
• How Do I Replace the Bottom Gasket on an Ella Glass Shower Door?How you replace the bottom gasket depends on which Ella glass door you have. On the 4-fold shower screen the bottom gasket is a replaceable rubber strip that slides into the channel along the bottom of the screen, is anchored with a knot at the wall end and end caps at the open end, and is trimmed to length, exactly as the installation video shows. The Primo 8mm frameless door has a low water retainer gasket…
• What is a shower screen, and how is it different from a door?A shower screen is a set of hinged glass panels that mounts in a channel on the bathroom wall and rests on the deck of a walk-in tub to keep spray inside the tub while you use the hand shower or a rain shower head. It is not the tub's entry door, which is hinged to the tub and sealed against the water in the bathing well, and it is not a framed sliding shower door, which rides on rollers along a track. Where the…
• How Do You Install a Folding Glass Shower Screen Over a Walk-In Tub?A folding glass shower screen mounts to the side wall beside the tub, not to the tub itself. Its wall channel is set level, at a height where the rubber gasket along the bottom of the glass brushes the tub deck lightly and evenly. The horizontal seal is then trimmed to length and finished with its end cap. The screen is described in What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub? . This page covers the…
• Do Ella glass shower doors come in frosted glass or non-chrome frame finishes?Ella's glass shower doors are published with clear tempered glass, and the framed Ella Duo sliding door is the one offered beyond chrome, in chrome, brushed nickel or black. No frosted glass shower door appears in Ella's published door listings. Frosted glass in the Ella lineup is found on walk-in tub doors instead. What is the difference between the Ella Duo and Primo sliding shower doors? compares the two…

These guides cover Ella's Bubbles shower bases and stalls, including custom-size acrylic shower bases with specific drain placement rules and threshold options. Articles explain the construction of AcrylX, SMC, and cultured marble bases, their weight capacities, and how to install various models like the one-piece AcrylX shower stall or multi-piece gel coat units. Find details on wall patterns, filler pieces, and the collapsible rubber dam for barrier-free roll-in showers, along with comparisons of different shower stall types.

• Installing Ella Shower Bases, the Flexible Shower Dam, and Shower WallsInstalling an Ella shower base and the flexible shower dam is a job for your own licensed contractor, with the technical support team available to help at every step. The accessible shower line includes barrier-free roll-in shower bases, low-threshold acrylic bases, cultured marble bases, multi piece shower wall systems, and the flexible collapsible dam that keeps water inside a barrier-free stall while letting…
• Ella Shower Kits and Bases: Multi-Piece Showers, Roll-In Bases, and Cultured MarbleElla shower kits and bases cover the whole accessible shower, not just walk-in tubs: low-threshold and barrier-free multi-piece showers, one-piece AcrylX shower stalls, roll-in and barrier-free shower bases and pans that ship with a collapsible rubber dam, SMC low-profile bases, shower wall surrounds, and, in the past, cultured marble bases and wall panels. Complete one-piece and multi-piece shower kits are…
• Installing an Ella One-Piece AcrylX Shower Stall: Alcove Prep, Drain Opening, Fastening and First UseInstalling an Ella one-piece shower stall means setting the AcrylX unit into a framed alcove that matches the rough-in diagram exactly, over a 6 inch floor opening for the 2 inch drain, and fastening it through its nailing flange at every stud and every 8 inches vertically. Because it is one piece, the unit has to be brought into the bathroom before the door framing is finished. This article covers the stall…
• Installing the 60 x 33 Three-Piece Low-Threshold Shower With Molded Seat (Liberty 24 and 36)Three-piece shower installation for the 60 x 33 inch low-threshold unit with molded seat needs a framing pocket 60 to 60 1/4 inches wide and 33 1/4 inches deep; the base is leveled, shimmed and screwed to the studs before either wall goes on, the seat-side wall goes in first and the valve wall last, and the drain and all seams are checked before the wallboard closes the plumbing in. This article follows the…
• Installing Multi-Piece Gel Coat Showers: Barrier-Free Roll-In (BF) and Low-Threshold (SH) UnitsInstalling a multi-piece gel coat shower from Ella's Bubbles follows one of two manuals. Barrier-free roll-in (BF) units need a framing pocket 1/4 inch larger than the shower, a floor within 1/8 inch of level, a 6 inch drain core with a 10 x 10 x 1/2 inch recess, and two installers. Low-threshold (SH) units rest on wood support wedges that are mandatory, are joined with silicone at every seam, fastened with 6d…
• Installing the SMC Low-Profile Shower Bases: 1 Inch Reversible Linear Drain and Barrier-Free Linear-Drain BasesSMC shower base installation follows the same sequence for both Ella SMC (sheet molding compound) bases: cut a 5 x 5 inch floor opening for a 2 inch PVC waste pipe, set the base with its front edge in full contact with the rough floor, level it in two directions, and secure it to the studs through a tile flange before the wallboard and tile come down over it. The 1 inch low-profile reversible base ships with a…
• Ella Shower Stalls Compared: One-Piece AcrylX E-Series, Three-Piece 60x33 Molded Seat, and the Legacy ESM Gel Coat StallsThe difference between a one-piece and a three-piece Ella shower stall comes down to how it reaches the bathroom. One-piece stalls are molded as a single unit with an integral base and seamless walls, which makes them a natural fit for new construction where the stall can be brought in before walls are closed. Three-piece kits ship as a base plus two wall sections that assemble from the front, which is what you…
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble BasesElla's Bubbles shower base sizes and thresholds fall into four families, and the differences that matter most are the threshold height, the drain style, whether a tile flange is built in, and weight. AcrylX barrier-free bases have a beveled entry between 3/4 inch and 1 1/8 inch depending on size. SMC bases have a 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch threshold with an integrated linear drain. The 36 by 60 molded-seat base has a 5…
• Custom-Size Shower Bases: Size Ranges, Threshold Options, Drain Placement Rules, Construction, and How to Request OneYes, Ella's Bubbles can build a custom-size acrylic shower base; a 46 by 46 inch pan with a low step-in threshold and a drain placed where your plumbing needs it is a typical request. Custom bases are built to your length and width, with a drain in a left, right, center, or custom position. Availability of the custom program has changed over time, so the first step is always to confirm with your Ella dealer or the…
• What Is a Collapsible Rubber Dam on a Roll-In Shower?A collapsible rubber dam, also called a water retainer, flexible shower dam or collapsible threshold, is the self-adhesive rubber strip that comes standard with Ella roll-in barrier-free shower bases. It sits across the open entry of the stall to keep water inside while a wheelchair or walker rolls right over it, flattening under the wheels and springing back once they pass. It gives a barrier-free shower the…
• What If My Shower Stall Wall Is Out of Square or the Base Is Damaged?If your shower stall wall is out of square, or the base has a hole, a crack or a coating coming off, the first thing to check is timing and support. Ella shower bases carry a 30 year limited warranty that asks for a defect to be reported within 10 days of discovering it; stalls carry their own printed terms, so report just as promptly. Freight damage, including concealed damage, must be reported within 48 hours of…
• Shower Bases and Wall PanelsElla's Bubbles manufactures its own custom shower bases and shower wall panel systems, along with acrylic wall surrounds designed for walk-in tubs. Shower bases come in standard sizes as well as fully custom dimensions, and wall panels are built to a consistent 98 inch height in a few different finish styles. If you are planning a shower or walk-in tub installation, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850…
• Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler PiecesElla's Bubbles offers a range of shower base and wall options, including 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in bases in left and right configurations, three-inch step-in thresholds, wheelchair rolling bases, SMC seamless showers, and three-piece acrylic wall systems. An 8 inch wide L-shaped filler piece is also available to close a gap between a shower base and an adjoining wall or fixture. Details on sizing…
• Why the Three-Piece Shower Arrives as One Unit and Where the Shipping Bolts AreThe three-piece low-threshold shower ships from Ella's Bubbles fully preassembled, so it arrives looking like a single molded unit. That is by design. Bolting the sections together protects them in transit, and the seams are hard to see until the shower is completely out of its packaging. Before installation, remove the shipping bolts on the back of the shower, then follow the installation instructions published…
• What the Ella Acrylic Shower Base Is Made Of and How It Is InstalledElla's acrylic shower bases are vacuum-molded from an acrylic-capped ABS sheet and reinforced underneath with high-density foam. The result is a base that is light to carry yet rigid enough to sit directly on a subfloor or a concrete floor without a mortar bed. The base cannot be trimmed on site, so it must be ordered in the exact size and drain location you need, and a licensed local contractor sets it and…
• Will a One-Piece Ella Shower Fit Through My Doorways? The 33-Inch Clearance Rule and New ConstructionA one-piece Ella shower unit arrives as a single molded piece and needs at least 33 inches of clear opening at every doorway and hallway on the path to the bathroom. It does not fit through an average finished doorway or hallway, which is why the one-piece stall is intended mostly for new construction, where it can be set in place before the framing and doors are finished. If your home is already built and the…
• How Close to the Wall Can the Drain Be on a Custom Shower Base, and Can It Be Centered?On a custom-size Ella shower base, the drain must sit at least 9 inches from the back wall and at least 9 inches from the nearest side wall, measured from the outside edge of the base. This limit comes from the molds used to form the base, so it applies to every custom size and threshold option. Within that limit the drain can be centered or offset, and the team confirms the exact drain measurements with you in…
• How Much Weight Can the Molded Shower Seat and Shower Base Hold?Ella's molded shower seat is not given an official weight rating, but Ella states it will hold up to 250 pounds. The shower base is not formally rated either. Ella has quoted the base at up to 300 pounds, and in some answers the seat and pan together at 250 pounds, so treat 250 pounds as the safe planning figure and confirm the figure for your exact model with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. If a…
• Do Ella Shower Stall Walls Come Smooth, or Only With the Molded Tile Pattern?Ella molded shower stalls come only with the tile pattern formed into the walls. There is no smooth-wall version of the stall, and the pattern cannot be left off at the factory because it is part of the molded surface rather than a printed or applied finish. If you want a plain wall surface, look at a separate shower base paired with one of Ella's wall kits instead, and confirm the available finishes with your…
• What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make?The largest custom shower base Ella's Bubbles makes is 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, in a rectangle only, with a left, right or center drain set at least 9 inches from each wall. Standard sizes, wall panels and zero threshold options are covered in Shower Bases and Wall Panels . This page focuses on the limits of a made-to-order base so you can check your space before your contractor cuts the floor. Start…
• Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold SeparatelyElla's wheelchair accessible roll-in shower base comes in three standard sizes: 30 x 60 inches, 32 x 60 inches, and 36 x 60 inches. All three are ADA curb-less roll-in pans that a wheelchair can roll straight into, and the drain position is specified when you order. Sizes outside the standard three can be made to order. Pricing is not published in this knowledge base. For current pricing and availability on any…
• Is a 3/4-Inch Shower Base Threshold ADA Compliant for a Commercial Building?ADA standards generally limit the threshold in a roll-in shower compartment to a maximum of 1/2 inch. The Accessible Caregiver Shower Base is listed with a 3/4-inch threshold, which sits above that figure, so it is normally not the right choice where a commercial or public project must meet the roll-in requirement. Ella's Bubbles offers barrier-free bases for those projects, and custom sizes can be made. Confirm…
• How Much Does the Ella Shower Kit or the Shower Base Alone Weigh?The 3-piece Ella shower kit with the shower door weighs 276 pounds in total. The shower base on its own weighs approximately 80 pounds, so the wall panels and the glass door account for the rest of the kit weight. These are the figures to use when planning how many people you need on delivery day and how the pieces will move through the house. Total kit weight When the shower is supplied as a 3-piece kit with a…
• Are Ella Shower Stalls ADA Compliant? What the Answer Means for Home and Commercial ProjectsElla shower stalls are not ADA compliant. Ella gives that answer directly whenever a shopper asks whether a stall is ADA compliant or ADA approved, and it applies to the stall as a complete unit. Ella showers are built as accessible residential showers with a low step-in and factory grab bars, but they are not certified to the ADA standard for accessible shower compartments. That distinction matters most for…
• Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers?Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own acrylic shower pans, in three standard roll-in sizes and in custom rectangular sizes up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with the drain placed left, right or center to your order. The bases are finished acrylic, so they need no tile, and they are sold through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. The size and drain limits are explained in What Is the Largest…
• What standard sizes do shower pans come in?Ella's Bubbles shower pans come in three standard sizes: 30 by 60 inches, 32 by 60 inches, and 36 by 60 inches. Each is a finished acrylic base with a left or right drain, and the roll-in versions of all three are described in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately . When none of the three fits, a rectangular custom base can be made from 30 by 30 inches up to 44…
• What is a roll-in shower for wheelchair users?A roll-in shower is a barrier-free shower built on a curb-less base, so a wheelchair or walker rolls straight from the bathroom floor into the stall with no threshold to step or roll over. Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in shower bases are ADA curb-less pans in 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inch sizes, and a collapsible rubber dam across the entry keeps the water inside without a curb. Sizes, drain positions…
• What Is the Difference Between a Roll-In Shower and a Walk-In Shower?The difference is the threshold at the entry. A roll-in shower uses a barrier-free, curb-less base that sits flush with the bathroom floor with no lip to step or roll over, so a wheelchair can roll straight in, while a walk-in shower has a raised entry, such as a step-in threshold, that the bather steps over. Ella's Bubbles makes both kinds of base, both use the same wall systems and accessories, and the full line…
• What is AcrylX and how does it compare to acrylic?AcrylX is the applied acrylic finish used on Ella's made-in-the-USA shower stalls, multi-piece shower kits and barrier-free roll-in bases. The stalls and kits are fiberglass reinforced with the AcrylX finish on the surface and Armorcore reinforced walls behind it, so you get an acrylic bathing surface on a rigid fiberglass shell. The construction of each stall is compared in Ella Shower Stalls Compared: One-Piece…
• What Sizes Do Ella Shower Bases and Shower Pans Come In?Ella's Bubbles makes its own acrylic shower bases in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, with the drain position 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. Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately covers the standard roll-in pans in detail.…
• What is a roll-in shower and how does it work?A roll-in shower is a barrier-free shower stall with no curb at the entry, so a wheelchair or walker rolls straight from the bathroom floor onto the shower base. Ella's Bubbles builds its roll-in showers from a curb-less base, a wall system sized to that base, and a collapsible rubber dam across the open entry that keeps water in without a step. The three standard base sizes and the drain choices are listed in…
• What sizes do shower pans come in, from smallest to largest?Ella's Bubbles shower pans run from a 30 by 30 inch custom minimum up to a 44 inch wide by 80 inch long custom maximum, with three standard sizes in between: 30 by 60, 32 by 60, and 36 by 60 inches. The standard sizes are the simplest choice because the drain sits in a set position for each one, and a custom build fills any space a standard pan will not. The full custom ranges and how to request one are in…
• How Do I Measure for a New or Replacement Shower Pan or Base?Measure three things: the alcove where the base will sit, taken both between the studs and at the finished walls, the height of the space if wall panels will go above the base, and the location of the existing drain measured from the center of the pipe to the framing behind it and to the nearer side wall. Note the threshold height you want as well. Compare those figures with the Specification drawing for the base…
• What are standard shower pan sizes and how deep are they?Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own acrylic shower bases in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain. The depth of a shower pan is really the height of its step-in edge, and Ella offers low-threshold pans as well as barrier-free bases that sit flush with the surrounding floor. If none of the standard footprints fits your room, the limits for a made-to-order base…
• Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts?Ella's Bubbles builds custom-size acrylic shower bases for spaces that a standard pan will not fit, as long as the pan is a rectangle. A custom base is made to your length and width for a three-wall alcove or a corner installation, with a left, right or center drain, within the limits described in What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make? . Angled or curved edges are not offered, so the…
• What is a roll-in shower and who is it designed for?A roll-in shower is a barrier-free shower built on a curb-less base, so there is no threshold to step or roll over and a wheelchair can roll straight into the stall. Ella's Bubbles makes wheelchair accessible roll-in shower bases in three standard sizes, 30 x 60, 32 x 60 and 36 x 60 inches, with the drain position chosen when you order, as described in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and…
• Where Can I Buy a Fiberglass or Acrylic Shower Pan or Base From Ella?Ella shower pans and bases are available through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and the complete one-piece and multi-piece shower kits are also carried by Home Depot. The stand-alone Ella shower base is acrylic, molded with the slope, threshold and drain built in, and it ships as the finished walking surface. Ella's low-threshold and barrier-free multi-piece showers are made in the USA from…
• What is a roll-in shower and who should get one?A roll-in shower is a shower built on a curb-less base, so a wheelchair or shower chair rolls straight in with no lip to step or roll over. Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base comes in three standard sizes with the drain position specified when you order, and it is the right choice when the person bathing stays seated in a wheelchair or shower chair. Should I choose a walk-in tub or a roll-in shower?…
• What is included in a basic DIY walk-in shower kit?A basic Ella walk-in shower kit includes three things: the shower stall itself, the set of grab bars listed for that kit, and the drain. It does not include a shower head, a hand shower, a mixing valve or valve trim, and the wall arrives solid with no valve cutout, so those fixtures are bought separately and fitted on site. What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower Kit, and What You Still Need to Buy lists the…
• Can I Get a Custom Size Shower Base Made for My Space?Yes. Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own acrylic shower bases and will build a rectangular base to your length and width when none of the three standard sizes fits, with the drain placed left, right or center to your order. The standard footprints and the custom limits are summarized in What Sizes Do Ella Shower Bases and Shower Pans Come In? , and this page walks through how to tell whether your space needs a…
• How Do You Build a Handicap Accessible Walk-In Shower at Home?A handicap accessible walk-in shower starts with the entry: choose a base that a wheelchair or walker can cross without a step, then size the wall panels and place the drain around your existing rough-in. Ella's Bubbles manufactures zero threshold and wheelchair accessible roll-in shower bases along with 98 inch wall panels, and the design-then-measure sequence in How do I build or install a walk-in shower at…
• What is a shower pan and what does it actually do?A shower pan, also called a shower base, is the waterproof floor of a shower: a one-piece molded tray with the slope, the threshold and the drain opening built in, so water runs to the drain instead of into the subfloor. Ella's Bubbles makes its own pans in finished acrylic, in three standard sizes and in custom rectangles, and they are ready to use once set, with no tile over the top. The pan arrives as the…
• What is the difference between a walk-in shower and a shower stall?A walk-in shower describes how you get in: a shower with a low edge you step over rather than a tub wall to climb, such as Ella's three-inch step-in threshold base. A shower stall, sometimes called a stall shower, describes the enclosure itself: the base and walls sold as one complete unit, one-piece or multi-piece, that forms the shower compartment. The terms overlap, because an Ella stall with a low threshold…
• 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…
• What Is a Three-Piece Shower and How Is It Installed?A three-piece Ella shower is a shower stall that ships as separate sections rather than as one molded unit, which is what lets it pass through the finished doorways and hallways of an existing home. Installing it is a job for your licensed contractor: the sections are set in the alcove following the kit's installation manual, the drain that ships with the kit is connected to the house waste line, the valve and…
• What Are the Standard Shower Base Sizes Ella's Bubbles Offers?Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own shower bases in three standard sizes: 30x60, 32x60 and 36x60 inches, each available with a left or right drain. All three share the same 60 inch length and differ only in width, and every one is a curb-less roll-in pan that a wheelchair can roll straight into. The full family of bases, walls and surrounds is introduced in Shower Bases and Wall Panels ; this page focuses on the…
• How do you build a custom shower pan or base?With an Ella's Bubbles shower, you do not build a custom shower pan in the bathroom. The factory molds a rectangular acrylic base to your length and width, with the drain placed left, right or center, so your part of the job is measuring the space, choosing a threshold style and confirming the order, as Can I Get a Custom Size Shower Base Made for My Space? explains. A local licensed contractor then sets the…
• What is a shower dam and when do you need one?A shower dam is a flexible, collapsible rubber strip fixed across the open entry of a curb-less shower base so the stall holds water without a raised curb. You need one when the shower is a roll-in shower, because a wheelchair, walker or shower chair has to roll straight in with nothing to cross, and the dam flattens under the wheels and springs back once they pass. Ella ships the dam as standard equipment with…
• How Deep Is a Shower Pan and Does Depth Matter?On an Ella acrylic shower base, depth means the height of the step-in edge, not how much water the pan can hold. That height runs from flush with the floor on a barrier-free base to a low threshold that the published examples put at 2, 3 or 4 inches, and drainage comes from the slope molded into the floor rather than from depth. The standard footprints are compared in What are standard shower pan sizes and how…
• What is a shower pan and what does it actually do?A shower pan is the molded floor of a shower: the tray you stand on that catches the water, slopes it to the drain and keeps it from running out into the room. Ella's Bubbles calls the same part a shower base, and shoppers also search for it as a shower receptor. Ella makes its pans in finished acrylic with the slope, threshold and drain molded in, in three standard sizes and in custom rectangles, as listed in…
• Can shower pans be cut to size or ordered custom?Ella's Bubbles shower pans are built to size at the factory, so the answer to an odd space is a custom order rather than a saw. When none of the three standard sizes fits, Ella makes a rectangular acrylic base to your length and width, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with a left, right or center drain. Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? covers who builds these bases and how…
• Which Ella Shower Pan Is Best for Wheelchair Accessibility?For a bather who uses a wheelchair, the best Ella shower pan is a barrier-free roll-in base: a curb-less acrylic pan that sits flush with the bathroom floor so the chair rolls straight in with no lip to cross. Ella's Bubbles makes it in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and in custom rectangular sizes when the opening does not match a stock size. What…
• What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Is It Used?An acrylic shower base, also called a shower pan, is the molded floor of a shower: a one-piece acrylic surface with the slope toward the drain, the entry threshold and the drain opening all formed in at the factory. Because it is a finished walking surface as shipped, your contractor sets it in place, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it, and nothing is laid on top. Can You Tile Over an Ella…
• What Are the Standard Shower Base Sizes Ella's Bubbles Makes?Ella's Bubbles makes its own acrylic shower bases in three standard sizes, 30x60, 32x60 and 36x60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and it offers wheelchair accessible roll-in pans in the same three footprints along with made-to-order rectangular bases for spaces a standard size will not fit. The full lineup of bases, wall panels and surrounds is introduced in Shower Bases and Wall Panels . This page…
• What is a shower base, and why choose an acrylic one?A shower base, also called a shower pan, is the molded floor of a shower. It is the single piece that carries the drain opening, sets the threshold you step or roll over and slopes the water toward the drain, and the rest of the enclosure is built up from it. Ella's Bubbles makes its bases in finished acrylic, so the pan is the walking surface as shipped and needs nothing laid on top of it. Shower Bases and Wall…
• Where can I buy accessible shower pans and bases?Accessible shower pans and bases from Ella's Bubbles are ordered through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and you can review the current shower lines on the shower and accessories pages at ellasbubbles.com before you decide. Ella manufactures its own acrylic pans in three standard roll-in sizes and in custom rectangular sizes, with the drain placed left, right or center to your order, so buying one…
• What Are the Standard Shower Base Sizes Ella Offers?Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own acrylic shower bases in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each available with a left or right drain, and all three are curb-less roll-in pans. A space that none of those footprints fits is served by a custom rectangular base, made up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long with the drain placed left, right or center. The walls and surrounds that pair with…
• Where Can I Buy a Shower Base for a Bathroom Remodel?Ella's Bubbles manufactures its own shower bases, and you order one through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, in three standard sizes, in custom rectangular sizes, or in cultured marble. The base arrives as a finished piece that your contractor sets and connects, and it is often paired with a multi-piece Ella wall kit rather than bought on its own, as Shower Bases and Wall Panels describes. This…
• Does an Ella Shower Base Need a Mortar Bed to Keep Its Warranty?No. An Ella acrylic shower base is built to sit directly on a flat, sound subfloor or on a concrete floor, and Ella's installation guidance says not to set it in a mortar or mud bed at all, so there is no mortar requirement to meet. The low-threshold one-piece and three-piece shower stalls are likewise leveled on wedge shims rather than mortar, and the only Ella showers set in a mortar bed are the barrier-free…
• What if my existing shower drain does not line up with the Ella base?If your existing shower drain does not line up with the drain molded into the Ella base you want, you have three ways forward: have a licensed plumber relocate the drain line, choose a different Ella base whose molded drain position matches your line, or order a custom-size base with the drain placed to suit your plumbing. The drain opening on a given model cannot be moved on request, as Can I Choose a Left…
• Should I use a prefab shower pan or build a custom one?For an Ella shower the answer is a factory-molded acrylic pan, either one of the three standard sizes or a custom-size rectangle made to your measurements, because the base arrives with its slope, threshold and drain molded in and is the finished floor as shipped. Building a pan on site only comes into play when the footprint cannot be a rectangle, since Ella does not make angled or curved bases. Who makes custom…
• How do you install a three-piece fiberglass shower unit?An Ella three-piece shower is installed as three separate sections that are dry-fitted first, set against sound, plumb walls over a level floor, cut where supply lines or a valve must pass through, and then fastened and sealed in the order given in the installation document packed with the unit. The walls behind it do not have to come down to the studs; as Installing the Freedom 3-Piece Shower Stall Over Existing…
• What is a shower base, and what makes an acrylic one different?A shower base is the floor of a shower: the molded pan you stand on, the part that carries the drain and the threshold you step or roll over, and the platform the wall panels sit on. An acrylic shower base is one made from a finished acrylic shell with its slope, threshold and drain molded in, so it is the walking surface exactly as shipped and needs no tile, mortar or membrane on top. Ella's Bubbles manufactures…
• Which Do-It-Yourself Walk-In Shower Kits Does Ella's Bubbles Offer?Ella's Bubbles builds its do-it-yourself walk-in shower lineup from three kinds of pieces: shower stall kits that ship with the stall, the grab bars listed for that kit and the drain; acrylic shower bases in three standard roll-in sizes and in custom rectangular sizes; and wall panel systems in acrylic, SMC and cultured marble that go over the room's existing surfaces. Every one of them leaves the shower valve…
• Which end can the linear drain face on the reversible SMC shower base?The Ella SMC 1 inch low-profile reversible shower base is reversible for a left or right layout, so its linear drain can sit at the left end or the right end of the alcove depending on how you set the base. The exact drain location for either layout comes from the product rough-in specifications, and the published guide asks you to dry fit before you cut the floor. The full setting sequence is in Installing the…
• Is the legacy ESM gel coat shower stall still available or replaced?Ella's published documents treat the ESM series as the legacy gel coat line, and the stalls that followed it are the fiberglass units finished in AcrylX with Armorcore reinforced walls that the July 2022 specification manual documents. The knowledge base does not print a discontinuation date for the ESM stalls, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 whether any ESM unit is still stocked before you…
• How Do You Build a Custom Shower From Base to Walls?You build a custom Ella's Bubbles shower in a set order. Design it online, have a contractor measure the room, choose the base and its threshold, then add the wall system, the front and the accessories. Ella's Bubbles manufactures the components and a local licensed contractor installs them. The overall sequence is outlined in How do I build or install a walk-in shower at home? . This page goes deeper on the…
• What Is an Acrylic Shower Base and How Does It Work?An acrylic shower base is the finished floor of the shower: one molded acrylic pan that arrives with its slope, threshold and drain molded in, so it is the walking surface as shipped and needs no tile on top. It works by carrying the water that lands on it down the molded slope to the drain, while the wall finish comes down over the edges of the base so water runs onto the pan rather than behind it. The base…
• What Is a Stall Shower and How Does It Differ From Others?In the Ella lineup, a stall shower is a complete molded shower, base and walls together, that arrives either as a single molded unit or as sections assembled on site, with its grab bar set and its drain in the carton. What sets it apart from other ways to bathe is how it arrives and what it leaves to your plumber: the stall ships without a shower head, hand shower or valve, and the wall arrives without a valve…
• What Is a Shower Stall, and How Is It Different From a Tub Shower?In the Ella line, a shower stall is a stand-alone showering enclosure. It is a molded unit with its own floor, walls and drain, and you step in and shower with no bathtub involved. A tub shower is a bathtub that also has a shower fitting, which for Ella means a walk-in tub equipped with a hand shower or the add-on shower column kit. What ships with a stall is listed in What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower…
• 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…
• Can Ella Make L-Shaped, Neo-Angle, or Other Non-Rectangular Shower Bases?No. Every Ella's Bubbles shower base is a rectangle, so an L-shaped pan, a neo-angle corner pan, a curved front or any other non-rectangular footprint is not something the factory makes. What Ella does make is a custom rectangle built to your length and width for a three-wall alcove or a two-wall corner, as described in Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts? , so the useful question for an angled…

These guides cover Ella's Bubbles shower wall panels and kits, including how wall edges are finished with 2-inch bends or trim options. Articles explain how to obtain installation guides, spec sheets, and manuals for various shower wall kits and enclosures. You can find details on wall kit sizes, including SMC subway kits, acrylic surrounds, 3-panel kits, wall liners, cultured marble, and grout-free tiles. Installation methods for the SMC 12-piece wall kit, acrylic tub surrounds, 3-panel kits, and tongue-and-groove wall tiles are also provided.

• Wall Panels and Surrounds for Walk-In Tubs: Acrylic 3-Panel Kits, Cultured Marble, and PVC TilesWall panels and surrounds for walk-in tubs from Ella's Bubbles come in four families: an acrylic 3-panel wall kit, SMC subway-pattern wall kits, cultured marble wall panels, and grout-free tongue-and-groove PVC wall tiles. None of these is a tub-specific surround molded to one model. They are wall systems that you cut and fit to your space, so the key rule is that whatever you choose must match the tub footprint…
• Wall Kit Sizes at a Glance: SMC Subway Kits, Acrylic Surrounds, 3-Panel Kits, Wall Liners, Cultured Marble and Grout-Free TilesElla's Bubbles wall kit sizes fall into six systems, and the right one depends on the height you need, whether you are covering old tile, and how the panels have to reach the bathroom: SMC subway panel kits at 96, 72 or 48 inches high, acrylic 3-panel kits at 98 or 105 inches, the acrylic tub surround at 52 inches, acrylic wall liner packages at 98 1/2 inches, multi-piece cultured marble surrounds and grout-free…
• Installing the SMC 12-Piece Wall Kit, Acrylic Tub Surrounds, the 3-Panel Kit, Tongue-and-Groove Wall Tiles and Palisade Vinyl TilesShower wall kit installation on an Ella shower goes one of three ways. The SMC 12-piece kit is four rows of 24 inch panels set bottom row first on 100 percent silicone with overlapping flanges. The acrylic 3-panel kit is glued only, never screwed or nailed, dry-fitted first and braced or taped for 24 hours while the silicone cures. The tongue-and-groove wall tiles and the Palisade vinyl tiles are glued to an…
• How to Get the Installation Guide, Spec Sheet and Manual for Your Ella Shower Wall Kit or EnclosureEvery Ella shower wall kit and enclosure has an installation guide, a spec sheet with the dimensions, and a user manual, and support will send them to you as attachments once they know which shower you have. If you bought the shower through The Home Depot, the fastest route is the product page itself: scroll to Product Description, open Additional Resources, and you will find the Warranty, Installation Guide…
• How Shower Wall Edges Are Finished: 2-Inch Bends on White CNC Walls and Trim OptionsElla's acrylic shower wall panels arrive with their two outside vertical edges cut clean and finished, but they are not wrapped or rolled. To dress the exposed edge where a panel meets the shower base or an open wall, you have two options. The white CNC walls can be made with a 2-inch bend along the edge if you request it when you order. Any panel can be finished with a trim strip, either requested for the…
• How to Get Pricing and Order Ella Grout-Free Shower Wall Tiles: Measuring Your Walls and Estimating BoxesElla's grout-free shower wall tiles are sold by the box, not by the wall or by the square foot, and per-box pricing is not listed in this knowledge base. To get pricing, contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with the tile you want, the size of each wall you plan to cover and your complete delivery address, since shipping is figured from where the boxes are going. This article explains which wall…
• Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC PanelsElla offers acrylic wall panels in two formats. The Acrylic Shower Wall Panels 6-Piece Kit in Carrara White measures 36 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 92 inches tall and has storage shelves on its left side, while the Acrylic Solid White Glossy 3-Piece Shower Wall Surround measures 40 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 97 inches tall with a 1-inch bend at the panel edges. Prices are not published in this knowledge…
• What Is the Hole at the Edge of My Shower Wall Panel and How Do I Close It?The small hole at the edge of the shower wall panel, near the flange where the back panel meets the base, does not need a fitting, fastener or plug. Nothing in the installation attaches to it, so you can simply close it. Fill it with the same caulk you use to seal the shower seams, or cover the panel edge with finish corner trim where the panel meets the drywall. Either method closes the hole cleanly and keeps…
• Cultured Marble Shower Wall Panels: Stock Sizes, Cutting to Fit, and Finishing the EdgesElla's cultured marble shower wall panels are molded in stock sizes rather than made to your exact wall dimensions, so trimming a panel on site is a normal part of the installation. The largest panel is 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall, side panels are molded 30, 32, 34 and 36 inches wide, and every panel can be cut with a masonry blade in a circular saw. Cut edges are then finished with caulk, or covered with a…
• Drilling an Ella Acrylic Shower Wall for Accessories, and Whether Third-Party Window Kits Will FitYou can add accessories to an Ella acrylic shower wall with a standard drill, as long as you run it at low speed and use a bit made for acrylic. Speed builds heat and stress in acrylic, and either one can crack the panel around the hole. Third-party add-ons such as a window trim kit may work with an Ella stall, but Ella cannot guarantee that another manufacturer's kit will fit or seal, so treat those projects as…
• Where can I buy acrylic shower wall panels for my Ella bathroom?Ella's Bubbles offers acrylic shower wall panels as complete kits, and they are ordered through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, either together with a shower base or walk-in tub or for a bathroom you already have. If you already own an Ella product, where you purchased can also look up the matching panels. The two acrylic formats are the 6-piece Carrara White kit and the solid white glossy 3-piece…
• Where Can I Buy Cultured Marble Shower Walls, and Is Acrylic Better?Ella's Bubbles cultured marble shower wall panels are ordered through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and you can review the current wall lines on the shower and accessories pages at ellasbubbles.com before you decide. Whether cultured marble or acrylic is the better choice depends on the look you want, how the panels need to reach your bathroom, and how you plan to cut and finish them. The stock…
• How do you install and seal tongue and groove PVC shower wall tiles?Ella's grout-free tongue and groove PVC wall tiles are installed over a clean new or existing wall surface, one tile at a time: measure, score and snap the tile to size, apply adhesive to the back, run a thin bead of silicone at the joint, then set the tile and snap it into the one before it. The tiles acclimate in the bathroom for 24 hours first, they go onto an approved substrate, every seam in a wet area is…
• PVC or Acrylic Panels vs Tile: Which Shower Wall Is Better?For a shower or walk-in tub wall, Ella's Bubbles grout-free PVC tiles and acrylic panels are glue-up systems with no grout lines to seal, and they can go straight over drywall or even over the tile that is already on the wall, while tile needs a rigid, absorbent substrate that mortar can bond to and a properly sealed joint at the base. Ella's published documents describe its own wall systems in detail but do not…
• What Are Acrylic Shower Walls, and Are They Worth It?Acrylic shower walls are large, smooth wall panels with an acrylic bathing surface that glue to the wall in a few pieces instead of being built up from individual tiles, and Ella's Bubbles sells them as a 3-piece surround, a 6-piece kit, large individual panels, and as the AcrylX applied finish on its one-piece stalls. Whether they are worth it comes down to fit, finish, edge detail and upkeep rather than a single…
• How Do You Replace Old Shower Walls With New Panels?Old shower walls are replaced with Ella panels in one of two ways: cultured marble surround panels that are glued directly over the existing wall surface, including old tile, or acrylic wall panels that are sized for the shower footprint and paired with an Ella base. The right route depends on whether your base is staying and on the size of the finished opening, so start with the measuring steps in Will a Walk-In…
• How do you install a shower wall panel kit from Ella's Bubbles?An Ella shower wall panel kit goes up in the same basic order whichever wall family you bought: set and water test the base or tub first, fit the glue-up flange at the wet edge, prepare a clean, dry, approved wall surface, cut each panel to fit, glue it to the wall, and seal every joint in the wet area with silicone. What changes between kits is the panel itself, because the cultured marble surrounds, the SMC…
• How do I seal shower wall panels to keep water out?Seal every joint water can reach with silicone: the seam between one panel and the next, the edge where the panels meet the tub deck or shower base, and any edge you cut on site. Ella's wall systems are glue-up panels that arrive with the surface already sealed, so keeping water out comes down to those seams and edges rather than to grout. The step-by-step method for the tongue and groove tiles, where a thin bead…
• What Are Acrylic Shower Walls and How Do They Work?Acrylic shower walls are large molded panels, made of acrylic or of an applied acrylic finish over a reinforced fiberglass shell, that form the sides of a shower enclosure above the base. Ella's Bubbles offers them as single large panels and as three-piece wall systems alongside its acrylic shower bases, as What Products Does Ella's Bubbles Offer? outlines. This page explains what the panels are made of, the…
• What should I use to waterproof the walls of my shower?For an Ella shower, the walls are kept waterproof by three layers working together rather than by a single product: a finished wall surface, either factory-finished wall panels or tile, that comes down over a flexible glue-up flange bonded to the edge of the base with 100 percent silicone, and a bead of silicone at every joint. The flange is the piece most people have not seen before, and What is a shower flange…
• Who installs Ella acrylic shower walls, and how do I find them?Ella's Bubbles does not install shower walls and does not send technicians, so the person who installs your acrylic shower walls is a local licensed plumber or contractor of your choosing. Ella's Bubbles supplies the wall panels, bases and accessories through your Ella dealer, and its technical support team is available at (800) 480-6850 to answer your contractor's questions about the unit while the job is under…
• How Do I Install a Shower Wall Panel Kit From Ella's Bubbles?An Ella shower wall panel kit goes up only after the shower base or walk-in tub has been set, leveled and water tested, and after the glue up flange has been bonded to the edge of the fixture, because the panels must run down over that flange so water drains back into the base. From there the job is measuring each wall, trimming the panels to fit, gluing them to the wall and sealing every joint with silicone, all…
• What are acrylic shower walls, and how do they hold up?Acrylic shower walls are finished wall panels with a glossy sanitary acrylic surface that attach above a shower base to form the sides of the enclosure, taking the place of tile and grout. Ella's Bubbles makes them as a three-piece kit, one back panel 60 inches wide and two side panels 40 inches wide in a 98 or 105 inch height, in white, CNC and digital print finishes, and they hold up with nothing more than warm…
• Can SMC subway wall panels be cut to fit a shorter ceiling or window?Ella's published wall guidance treats the SMC subway kits, like every Ella wall family, as a wall system that you cut and fit to your space rather than a surround molded to one tub, and the SMC line is sold in three printed heights, so a lower ceiling is usually handled by ordering the right kit rather than by trimming a taller one. The published documents do not include an SMC-specific cutting procedure; the…
• What are the best shower wall inserts for a walk-in tub surround?The best shower wall insert for a walk-in tub surround is the one whose footprint matches your alcove and whose height fits between the tub rim and the ceiling, because Ella's wall kits are sized to specific alcoves rather than cut down on site. Ella's Bubbles offers acrylic kits in a marble-look 6-piece set and a glossy white 3-piece surround, SMC subway-tile-look panels, and cultured marble travertine surrounds…
• Which Silicone or Adhesive Do Ella SMC and Acrylic Wall Kits Use?Ella's published wall guidance names 100 percent silicone as the product that bonds and seals the SMC subway panels and the glue-up tile flange, while the acrylic 3-panel and 6-panel kits go up with a glue-only method of silicone dots braced for 24 hours, and the tongue and groove PVC tiles take adhesive on the back plus a thin bead of silicone at every joint. No brand of silicone or panel adhesive is named in the…
• Can PVC Board or PVC Panels Be Used for Shower Walls?Yes. Ella's Bubbles offers PVC groutless shower tiles made for shower and bath enclosures. They fit together with a tongue and groove connection, glue over new or existing surfaces, and take a thin bead of silicone at every joint for a watertight seal. The full glue-up method is in Installing the SMC 12-Piece Wall Kit, Acrylic Tub Surrounds, the 3-Panel Kit, Tongue-and-Groove Wall Tiles and Palisade Vinyl Tiles .…
• How Many Wall Tiles or Panels Come in an Ella Box or Kit?The answer depends on which Ella wall product you choose. Only the grout-free tiles are sold by the box, while the panel systems are sold as kits with a fixed number of pieces. The large gray marble panel tile comes in packs of 8 that cover about 21 square feet, the interlocking click tile is boxed to cover about 16 square feet per box, and the panel kits run from 3 pieces up to 12 pieces. The measuring method and…
• How Do You Install Cultured Marble Shower Walls in a Bathroom?Ella's cultured marble shower walls are glue-up panels, so installation comes down to a short list of jobs: measure each wall, order the stock panel that is equal to or slightly larger, let the material acclimate, trim it with a masonry blade in a circular saw, glue it to a sound, clean and dry wall, and seal every seam and edge with silicone before the trim goes on. The panel sizes and the cutting method are…
• Is acrylic a good material for shower walls compared to tile?Yes, acrylic is a good shower wall material, especially where easy care and accessibility matter. Ella's acrylic walls are large molded panels with a smooth finished surface, reinforced behind so that grab bars and seats can be mounted anywhere on the wall. Tile is still possible on the walls above an Ella base, but it is site-built work that depends on your tile installer and on a correctly sealed joint where the…
• What Color Are Ella Wall Panels, and Do They Match the Tub?Ella wall panels are white based. The molded shower stalls, the shower bases and their wall panels are offered in white only, and the acrylic wall kits come in Carrara White or a solid white gloss. There is no ceiling panel in any color, because Ella does not make one, as explained in Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers? . The panels that actually arrive with a walk-in tub are its end…
• What Is Armorcore Reinforcement on Ella Shower Stall Walls and Why Does It Matter?Armorcore is the name Ella's Bubbles uses for the reinforcement built into the walls of its AcrylX shower stalls and multi-piece shower kits. It sits behind the AcrylX acrylic surface on a fiberglass reinforced shell, and the product pages describe it as reinforced walls on all sides, which is what lets grab bars and seats anchor into the wall itself. The finish that goes over it is explained in What is AcrylX…

These guides cover Ella's fast-fill faucets, shower heads, and related accessories. Articles explain the 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucet sets, the waterfall faucet, and the shower column kit, including installation. Find information on hand shower diverters, barrel extension hoses, and how to fix a slide bar holder that will not hold the hand shower up. Learn why a shower column may drip after shutoff or why water sprays out of the tub when using the hand shower.

• Installing the Shower Column Kit on Your Walk-in TubShower column kit installation on an Ella walk-in tub means mounting a chrome or brushed nickel column into the hand shower hole on the tub deck, connecting it to the diverter of your Ella 2-piece or 5-piece fast fill faucet with the included 1/2 inch braided supply line, and anchoring the riser to the wall with a short or long pipe connector. Because that supply line runs to the faucet behind the tub, the deck…
• Ella Fast-Fill Faucets: 2-Piece vs 5-Piece, Finishes, and the Waterfall OptionElla fast-fill faucets come in two deck-mount sets, and every tub is drilled at order time for one of them: the 2-piece single-lever set rated up to 16 GPM at 60 PSI, or the 5-piece set with separate hot and cold levers rated up to 18 GPM. Both include a 5-setting pull-out hand shower (1.9 GPM) on a 5 ft braided hose and two 3/4 in by 5 ft supply lines; shut-off valves are not included. Real fill speed depends on…
• The Waterfall Wall-Mount Faucet: Installation Overview, Slider Bar, Finishes and Fill ExpectationsWaterfall faucet installation is wall work: the Ella Waterfall Bathtub Faucet is a wall-mounted brass faucet with a 24 inch slider bar and a hand-held shower, roughed into the wall by a licensed plumber before the walls close. It comes in matte black, chrome and brushed nickel, and on the demonstration tub it filled the bath in under 5 minutes. This article explains what is in the package, how the installation…
• What Is a Fast-Fill Faucet on a Walk-In Tub?A fast-fill faucet on an Ella walk-in tub is one of Ella's deck-mounted faucet sets built to fill the tub as quickly as your home's plumbing allows: the 2-piece single-lever set, designed for 16 GPM at 60 PSI, and the 5-piece set with separate hot and cold levers, designed for 18 GPM. Owners also call it the Ella Fast-Fill, the deck faucet or the tub filler, and both sets come with a pull-out hand shower and two…
• What Is a Hand Shower Diverter on a Walk-In Tub?A hand shower diverter on an Ella walk-in tub is the control on the faucet that switches water between the spout and the pull-out hand shower. On the 2-piece fast-fill faucet it is a button under the spout, and on the 5-piece faucet it is the middle lever between the hot and cold handles. Owners also call it the diverter valve, the diverter button or the shower switch. How it works On the 2-piece set, turn the…
• What Is a Barrel Extension Hose (Leak Elimination Kit) on a Walk-In Tub?A barrel extension hose on an Ella walk-in tub is a 5 foot extension hose with a stainless steel barrel connector that plugs the deck insert hole so a pull-out hand shower can be wall-mounted without water leaking behind the tub. Ella also calls it the wall attachment and water leak elimination kit, and owners call it the hose extension with barrel fitting or simply the leak kit. How it works The pull-out hand…
• What Is the Shower Column Kit on a Walk-In Tub?The shower column kit is Ella's overhead rain shower option for a walk-in tub. The column installs at the tub deck and is braced to the bathroom wall with adjustable connector rods so it stays rigid in use. The most common question about the kit today concerns those rods: the kit now ships with two shorter connector rods, one adjustable from 2 to 3 inches and one from 3 to 4 inches, which is a change from the…
• What Is the Waterfall Faucet on an Ella Tub?The waterfall faucet is Ella's wall-mounted brass bathtub faucet, sold as a complete set with a 24 inch slider bar and a hand shower and offered in matte black, chrome and brushed nickel. Unlike the deck-mounted 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets, the spout, its double-handle hot and cold control and the slide bar all mount on the wall and are roughed in by a licensed plumber before the walls close, and water…
• Why Does Water Spray Out of the Tub When I Use the Hand Shower?If water sprays out of the tub when you use the hand shower, the reason is usually simple: a walk-in tub is open on top, so a hand shower aimed toward the room, or jets running above the waterline, sends spray onto the bathroom floor. The first thing to check is where the spray is pointed and whether a splash guard is fitted. Ella's published splash guards are the 4 fold glass screen for seated tubs and the…
• Why Does My Shower Column Drip After I Shut It Off?A shower column that drips after shutoff is releasing water that was still under pressure inside the column pipe, and that is normal: the rain head is the lowest open path for the leftover water in the riser. It stays small if you leave the column diverter pointing down to the hand shower whenever the tub is not in use. The first thing to check is whether you see a brief trickle from the rain head, which is…
• Slide Bar Holder Will Not Hold the Hand Shower Up: Fixes and Replacement OptionsWhen the holder on the hand shower slide bar stops gripping and creeps down the bar, the small sliding piece has lost its tension. Tightening it usually helps for a short while, but once the slider is worn it will not hold. The lasting fix is a replacement holder, or the complete slide bar kit, sent as a part under the lifetime parts warranty. To get the right part the first time, note whether the whole assembly…
• Does a Walk-In Tub Come With a Shower Head? Riser, Column and Rain-System Options for a Standing ShowerShoppers comparing walk-in tubs often ask whether the tub comes with a shower head, whether a riser or column can be added so the tub doubles as a stand-up shower, and whether a separate rain shower system can share the space in a new build. The short answers: every Ella tub with the 5-piece fast-fill faucet includes a pull-out hand shower; the Ella rain shower column is offered only for certain models and is…
• Installing the Ella Fast-Fill Faucet on a Tub That Is Not an EllaYes, the Ella fast-fill faucet sets are available on their own, and people do ask about fitting one to a tub that is not an Ella. What Ella cannot do is confirm that the set will fit another brand's tub. The team has not seen that tub's deck, hole layout or plumbing, so whether it works is a decision for you and your contractor, made against the published specifications for the faucet. Order the set through your…
• Can you add a shower to a walk-in tub?Yes. Ella's Shower Column Kit adds a rain head and a hand shower to an Ella walk-in tub fitted with an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece fast fill faucet, and its diverter selects the rain head or the hand shower one at a time. Pair it with the 4-fold glass screen so a seated or standing shower stays in the tub. Why Does Water Spray Out of the Tub When I Use the Hand Shower? covers the screen and the spray control. How…
• What Is the Best Walk-In Tub and Shower Combo?There is no single best walk-in tub and shower combo, because every Ella walk-in tub with an Ella deck-mount fast-fill faucet can be used as a shower. The 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucet sets include an extendable multi-function hand shower for seated rinsing, and the optional shower column kit adds a height-adjustable overhead rain shower for a standing or seated shower. The best combo is the tub that fits…
• Can you take a shower in a walk-in tub?Yes, you can shower in an Ella walk-in tub. The Ella 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucet sets come with a hand shower on the tub deck, so you can rinse while seated on the built-in seat, and a shower column kit can be added when you want a shower head above the tub. Ella's Bubbles also builds walk-in showers for anyone who prefers a shower-based bathing option, as described in Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A…
• Which Handheld Shower Head Is Best for an Ella Walk-In Tub?The handheld shower head that works best on an Ella walk-in tub is the one built for it. Every Ella fast-fill faucet set includes an extendable, multi-function hand shower with five spray settings on a 5 foot retractable hose, so seated showering is built in from day one. If you ever need a new head, order a matched handset rather than a generic one, because hoses and handsets are matched to your faucet set. Our…
• Are Walk-In Tub Faucets Available in Finishes Other Than Chrome?Yes. The Ella Fast-Fill faucet set is offered in chrome and brushed nickel, and black and gold are offered on some sets, with the 5-piece set listed in all four finishes. Only the faucet pieces change finish; the tub's therapy buttons, dials and other controls stay chrome whatever faucet you choose. Specifications and ordering details are in Buying a Fast-Fill Faucet Set or Valve Body on Its Own: Specs, Finishes…
• Which waterfall faucet is best for a walk-in bathtub?For an Ella walk-in tub, the waterfall faucet to consider is the Ella Waterfall Bathtub Faucet, a wall-mounted brass faucet with a 24 inch slider bar and an extendable four-setting hand shower, offered in matte black, chrome and brushed nickel. Ella offers one waterfall faucet, so the buying decision is not one waterfall brand against another but whether a wall-mounted waterfall suits your bathroom better than the…
• What is a shower slide bar and how does it work?A shower slide bar is a vertical bar mounted on the wall beside a tub or shower, with a holder that slides up and down the bar and locks at the height you choose. You hang a hand shower in that holder, so the same hand shower can be parked high for a standing rinse or low for hands-free use while seated. On an Ella walk-in tub it is an accessory kit, a 24 inch bar with a 5 foot hose and a coupling kit, that works…
• How Do I Use the Hand Shower in My Ella Walk-In Tub?Using the hand shower in an Ella walk-in tub takes three moves: start the water at the faucet, switch the diverter so the water goes to the hand shower instead of the spout, and pull the wand out on its 5 foot retractable hose. Every Ella fast-fill faucet set includes this extendable multi-function hand shower with five spray settings, so seated showering is built in from the day the tub is installed. Which…
• Can you add a shower head to an Ella walk-in tub?Yes, you can add a shower to an Ella walk-in tub. The Ella Shower Column Kit fits walk-in tubs with deck mounted faucets, connects to the Ella 2 piece or 5 piece fast fill faucet set, and gives you a large overhead rain shower plus a multi-function hand shower, with the faucet's diverter choosing one or the other. Ella ships the kit and a local licensed plumber fits it, and if spray on the bathroom floor is the…
• Will a Hardware Store Hand Shower Hose or Head Fit an Ella Faucet?The team asks that you not put a generic hardware store hand shower head on an Ella fast-fill faucet, because hoses and handsets are matched to your faucet set, and the same goes for the 5 foot hose that carries the head. Both parts are available as matched replacements through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and the wand can be swapped on its own without touching the hose, deck mount or faucet.…
• Can you add a shower to a walk-in tub?Yes. Every Ella walk-in tub with the 5-piece fast-fill faucet already includes a pull-out hand shower for seated rinsing, and an overhead shower for standing or sitting can be added with a wall-mounted slide bar, the Ella rain shower column on the models where it is offered, or a wall or ceiling shower on its own valve fitted by a licensed plumber. Does a Walk-In Tub Come With a Shower Head? Riser, Column and…
• What is a slide bar in a shower and how is it used?A slide bar in a shower is a wall-mounted vertical bar with a holder that slides up and down it, so a hand-held shower can be parked at any height and used hands-free. On an Ella walk-in tub the slide bar kit is a 24-inch bar with a sliding holder, a 5-foot hand shower hose and a coupling kit that seals the hand shower connection, and it gives the tub's pull-out hand shower a second home on the wall at standing or…
• Which Ella walk-in tubs can be ordered with the waterfall faucet?The waterfall faucet is a listed option for the LayDown and HomeCare tubs. The LayDown 30x60 never ships with a factory faucet and needs a wall-mounted faucet of this kind, the LayDown 32x72 is faucet-ready and can take either a deck-mount Ella faucet or the wall-mounted waterfall, and the HomeCare 32x60 lists the waterfall as an option. Every other seated Ella tub normally ships with a deck-mounted 2-piece or…
• Where Can I Buy Tub and Shower Combo Faucet Fixtures?The faucet and shower fixtures that turn an Ella walk-in tub into a tub and shower combo are chosen with the tub itself, through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. They are the 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet set, which includes an extendable multi-function hand shower, and the optional shower column kit that adds an overhead rain shower. Where can I buy a walk-in tub shower combo with…
• Should I Choose a Shower Slide Bar or a Fixed Shower Arm?The choice comes down to how you bathe. A slide bar holds the hand shower on the wall at any height you pick, so it serves a seated rinse and a standing rinse alike. A fixed shower arm keeps one shower head in one overhead position for people who shower standing. Many bathrooms end up with both, and Can I Add a Hand Shower Slide Bar or Rain Shower Column After My Tub Is Installed? explains how each one is added…
• What is a slide bar in a shower and who needs one?A shower slide bar is a wall-mounted bar with a holder that slides up and down, so a hand shower can be parked at any height between seated level and standing level. The Ella slide bar kit is a 24-inch wall-mounted bar with a sliding holder, a 5-foot hand shower hose and a coupling kit, and it suits anyone who wants the hand shower within reach without holding it the whole time. It is a holder, not a support bar…
• Where Can I Find a Sleek Wall-Mounted Bathtub Faucet for My Tub?Ella's Bubbles makes its own wall-mounted bathtub faucet, the Ella Waterfall Bathtub Faucet. It is a brass set with a 24 inch slider bar and a hand shower, offered in matte black, chrome and brushed nickel. You can find it through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and the wall work is described in The Waterfall Wall-Mount Faucet: Installation Overview, Slider Bar, Finishes and Fill Expectations .…
• Can the Ella Zen Be Ordered With the 5-Piece Faucet Instead of Single-Lever?The Ella Zen and Zen60 are published with one faucet, the 2-piece single-lever fast-fill set, offered in chrome or brushed nickel. Their spec sheet lists no 5-piece option, and the only optional item it prints is the heated seat and backrest. If separate hot and cold handles matter to you, the tub that pairs this same platform with the 5-piece set is the Ella Standard, as mapped out in Which Ella walk-in tub…

These guides cover seats, grab bars, and accessories for Ella walk-in tubs and showers. Learn about installing shower niches, soap dishes, and various shower seats like folding benches or teak seats, ensuring proper anchoring. Articles explain the swivel tray, seat pillow risers, and seat cushions, detailing which tub models they fit. Find information on grab bar sets, including factory installation limitations and what to do if a grab bar is missing or the wrong size. Specifications for shower doors, benches, and acrylic trim are also provided.

• Swivel Tray, Seat Pillow Riser, and Seat Cushions: Which Tubs They FitElla's walk-in tub comfort accessories are the patented 360 degree removable swivel tray, seat pillow risers with or without a bidet cutout, seat cushions, and headrest pillows. Which one fits depends on the door family: the swivel tray is designed for the stainless inward-swing deck and is not compatible with the Ultra or the Transfer30, while the risers and pillows fit the Elite and most seated tubs. Check the…
• Installing SMC Shower Niches and Soap DishesShower niche installation with an Ella SMC niche means recessing it between two studs, packing out the flanges so they sit flush with the plasterboard, screwing it to the framing without over-tightening, waterproofing with a self-adhesive membrane and sealing compound, tiling over the flanges, and finishing with silicone that cures for 24 hours before the first shower. The SMC soap dishes are surface-mounted…
• Installing the Wall-Mounted Hand Shower Slider Bar and the Extension Coupler So Nothing Leaks Behind the TubThe Ella hand shower slider bar lets you park the tub's pull-out hand shower on the wall at any height, and it installs with two anchored brackets, a chrome column, a holder, and, most importantly, a coupler and extension line that seal the hand shower's deck receptacle. Skip the coupler and extension, stretch the factory hose to the wall, and water will drip through the deck hole and pool behind the tub. This…
• Installing Shower Seats, Folding Benches, the Fold-Up Chair, Teak Seat, Grab Bar Shelf and the Caregiver Curtain RodShower seat installation on an Ella shower always comes back to one rule: every wall-mounted seat, bench and shelf must anchor into studs or solid in-wall backing confirmed by a licensed contractor, and each product adds its own specifics. The bariatric corner seats need 2x6 backers and a bracket, the folding bench needs all four screws in every plate, the fold-up chair sits 18 to 19 inches high with silicone on…
• Shower Doors, Seats, Benches, Grab Bar Sets, Niches, Soap Dishes and Acrylic Trim: Sizes, Capacities and FinishesThis is the shower accessories spec sheet for an Ella's Bubbles shower: sliding shower doors, seats and benches with their rated load capacities, the SafeGrip 7-piece grab bar sets, SMC niches and soap dishes, and the acrylic trim pieces used with acrylic wall liners. Every figure is taken from the published specification sheet or installation document for that item; installation steps live in separate articles…
• What Is a Seat Pillow Riser on a Walk-In Tub?A seat pillow riser, also called a seat riser or riser cushion, is a moderately soft foam cushion, about 20 1/2 inches long by 13 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches high, that sits on the molded seat of a walk-in tub with suction cups to add height and comfort. It comes in a standard rectangle or in a U-shape with a bidet cutout, so the bidet air jets at the base of the seat still flow freely while you sit on it. How it…
• What Is the Swivel Tray on a Walk-In Tub?The swivel tray is Ella's patented removable 360 degree tray, also called the rotating bath tray or bath caddy, that gives you a dry spot for a drink, a book or bath items while you soak. It measures 8.5 by 8.5 inches with a 2 inch pin on one corner, mounts in a threaded fitting near the door on the stainless inward-swing deck, and rotates out of the way for entry and exit. The 8.5 by 8.5 inch swivel tray pins…
• Why Don't the Suction Cups on My Tub Pillow Hold?When the suction cups on the pillow do not hold, the cause is nearly always the surface rather than the pillow. A suction cup grips only a clean, dry, smooth surface, so a headrest that falls off after a couple of days usually sits on a spot with a film of soap, oil or cleaner, or over a jet, a texture line, a grout line or the edge of the seat. The first thing to check is where the cups are placed and whether…
• What Are My Options If My Swivel Tray Broke or Does Not Fit?If your swivel tray broke, or it will not fit your tub, the good news is that the tray and its mounting flange are replaceable accessories, and the first thing to check is whether your model takes the tray at all. The patented 360 degree swivel tray is designed for the stainless inward swing door deck: it is standard on the Elite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate and on the two seat Companion and Escape, it is not…
• What If My Grab Bar Is the Wrong Size or Was Not in the Box?If your grab bar is the wrong size or was not in the box, start by checking what your model includes and where it was packed. Most Ella walk-in tubs include a chrome stainless steel grab bar, and many include both a deck mount bar and a wall mount bar, but the Petite and Companion include a deck mount bar only and the Tub4Two and the LayDown tubs do not come with a grab bar at all. The deck bar ships loose in a…
• Is There a Seat Belt for the Walk-In Tub?Yes, there is a seat belt for the walk-in tub. Ella offers a seat belt accessory whose bracket mounts below the seat with drilled fasteners, which is the first thing to know before ordering: it cannot be installed without drilling, and adhesive such as super glue is not acceptable for a part that has to hold a bather in place. Because drilling into the tub is permanent, the team confirms the bracket location for…
• Is There a Cup Holder for My Walk-In Tub, and Which Tubs Fit the Swivel Tray?Ella does not offer a cup holder accessory for its walk-in tubs. The only tray accessory is the swivel tray, and it is made only for tubs with the inward-swing stainless steel door. If your tub has an outward-swing door, the swivel tray cannot be added, and an aftermarket bath caddy from a home goods or online retailer is the practical option. Which tubs the swivel tray fits The swivel tray is designed for the…
• Can Ella Factory-Install a Grab Bar From Another Supplier?Ella's Bubbles does not factory-install grab bars supplied by a customer, dealer, or third party. Your Ella walk-in tub ships with the chrome deck-mount grab bar that was matched to your model, and the factory will not mount a bar it has not tested against the acrylic shell. If you would like a different finish, such as black, the swap is something your installer can do on site using the holes already in the tub…
• Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers?Ella does not offer a dome, a ceiling top panel or a light fixture for its showers. An Ella shower kit is made up of the acrylic base, the wall panels and, if you choose one, a glass door or screen, and the enclosure stays open to your bathroom ceiling. Lighting comes from the fixtures already in the room or from a new fixture your electrician installs, not from a part supplied by Ella. What an Ella shower kit…
• The 24 Inch Grab Bar Does Not Fit the Back Wall of My One-Piece ShowerIf the horizontal grab bar shown on the back wall of your one-piece Ella shower will not fit the space, contact support before drilling anywhere or returning the shower. One-piece showers have shipped with three 24 inch stainless steel grab bars with concealed flanges. On some one-piece sizes the back wall does not have enough clear width to mount a 24 inch bar horizontally where the product images and spec sheet…
• Removing Grab Bars, the Door Handle and Controls for Custom Plating or RefinishingYour tub ships fully assembled and tested, so the grab bars, door handle and other hardware travel with the tub rather than being sent ahead of it. Once the tub arrives, your contractor can remove the pieces you want plated and send them to a plating shop. Ella does not plate or refinish parts and cannot advise on the plating process, so remove one part first and confirm the process works before taking off the…
• Shower Seat Sizes and Options: Is a Larger Fold-Down Seat Available?Ella does not carry a deeper replacement for the standard fold-down shower seat that ships with its shower stalls. The closest alternative is a 16.5 by 16.5 inch fold-down seat, which is about 1 1/2 inches deeper than the standard seat but narrower. Ella also offers a teak fold-up seat, left-hand or right-hand folding bench seats, and two seat styles for standard bathtubs. If a seat that is both wider and deeper…
• Ordering the 5-Piece Shower Stall With Soap Ledges, a Bench, or Grab BarsThe Ella 5-piece shower stall can be ordered with soap ledges, a bench, and grab bars in either a 24-inch or 36-inch length. A molded-in seat is not offered on this unit, so if you want seating in the stall, the bench is the option to specify. Choose these options when you place the order with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, since soap ledges are an ordering option built into the wall panels rather…
• Can a Seat Belt Harness Be Added to an Installed Walk-In Tub?Yes. The seat belt bracket is fastened from inside the tub, so the harness can be added after installation without moving the tub. A contractor or a handy family member mounts the square four-hole bracket with a drill and a screwdriver, using measurements the team supplies for your model. The step-by-step drilling guide is in Installing the Seat Belt Harness: Bracket Location, Pilot Holes and Screws . Why the…
• Grab Bar Length, Diameter, Weight Rating and Wall SpacingElla stainless steel grab bars come in two lengths, 24 inches and 36 inches, and both are 1.25 inches in diameter. They exceed the 250 pound minimum load called for by ADA and ANSI accessibility guidelines, the bar diameter sits within the 1.25 to 1.5 inch range those guidelines specify, and the bar stands 1.5 inches off the wall so a hand can wrap fully around it. Two lengths, one diameter The only difference…
• Where and how should grab bars be installed around a walk-in tub?Extra grab bars around a bathtub belong on the walls, anchored into the framing, never drilled into the tub itself. Ella's guidance follows ADA practice: horizontal wall bars 33 to 36 inches above the tub floor, plus a vertical bar near the door, with every bar fastened into studs or solid in-wall backing that a licensed contractor has confirmed. The bar that ships with the tub is covered in What Is a Deck-Mount…
• Should I choose a shower slide bar or a grab bar?A shower slide bar and a grab bar do two different jobs, so the choice is usually both rather than one or the other. The slide bar is a wall-mounted holder that parks the hand shower at standing or seated height, while grab bars are the bars you hold for support and are mounted into reinforced backing by your installer. Can I Add a Hand Shower Slide Bar or Rain Shower Column After My Tub Is Installed? covers the…
• What Is the Ella Grab Bar and How Is It Used?An Ella grab bar is a fixed metal handhold mounted on a walk-in tub or an Ella shower so the bather has something solid to hold on to. Ella walk-in tubs come with grab bars on the sidewall inside the bathing well and a deck-mount grab bar on the rim, while Ella one-piece showers ship with three 24 inch stainless steel grab bars with concealed flanges. A bar has to carry a bather's weight, so the tub bars are…
• What Is a Shower Dam and When Do You Need One?A shower dam is the flexible, collapsible rubber strip that runs across the open entry of a barrier-free roll-in shower to keep water inside the stall while a wheelchair or walker rolls right over it. You need one when your shower base has no curb to hold water back, which is exactly the case with Ella's roll-in bases, and that is why the dam ships as standard with them. The strip itself and its installation are…
• What grab bars does Ella offer for its walk-in tubs?The grab bars Ella's Bubbles lists on its walk-in tub spec sheets are a chrome stainless steel deck-mount bar that bolts through the tub deck, a wall-mount bar, and, on the Standard and Zen only, a U-shape deck and wall-mount bar. Which of these come with a given tub is set by the model, every included bar is chrome, and replacement interior bars and add-on security grab bars are available beyond what is in the…
• Where should grab bars go in a shower or walk-in tub?In an Ella shower the grab bars go where the reinforced backing is built into the wall panels, fastened with the correct screws, and nowhere else. Around a walk-in tub, added bars belong on the walls, anchored into studs or solid in-wall backing, with horizontal bars 33 to 36 inches above the tub floor and a vertical bar near the door, and they are never drilled into the tub itself. The tub side of that guidance…
• Where Should Grab Bars Be Installed in a Shower?Grab bars in a shower belong on the walls at the points where a person reaches for support: horizontal bars at hand height along the walls you lean on while standing, plus a vertical bar at the spot where you step in and out, with every bar fastened into studs or solid in-wall backing rather than drywall alone. Ella's guidance for wall-mounted bars follows ADA practice, with horizontal bars 33 to 36 inches above…
• Can the Flexible Shower Dam Be Cut to Fit a Shorter Opening?Yes. The Ella flexible shower dam is cut to length on site as a normal step of its installation, so a shorter entry is handled by measuring, marking and trimming the strip rather than by ordering a different part. As What Is a Collapsible Rubber Dam on a Roll-In Shower? explains, the dam is the self-adhesive rubber strip that comes standard with roll-in barrier-free bases, and the installer cuts the excess about…
• How do I add backing behind an acrylic shower wall for a seat?Backing for a wall-mounted shower seat goes in before the wall finish is complete: 2x6 backer boards are set horizontally between the studs at seat height, level and centered where the bracket will land, and fastened to the framing with structural screws. Ella's rule for every wall-mounted seat, bench and shelf is that it must anchor into studs or solid in-wall backing confirmed by a licensed contractor, and the…
• Does the Ella Seat Pillow Riser Fit Every Walk-In Tub Model?The Ella seat pillow riser fits the Elite and most seated walk-in tubs, but the published guides do not list a confirmed fit for every single model, so the right riser is matched to your tub by model and serial number rather than assumed. The riser is a moderately soft foam cushion about 20 1/2 inches long by 13 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches high that holds to the molded seat with suction cups, and it comes as a…
• Where Can I Buy Grab Bars for a Shower or Walk-In Tub?If you are buying an Ella walk-in tub or an Ella walk-in shower kit, you do not need to shop for grab bars separately. The bars specified for that model ship in the crate or carton, and they are part of the order you place through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower Kit, and What You Still Need to Buy lists the grab bar set among the shower carton contents…
• Can the Liberty three-piece shower seat be on the left or right side?Yes. The Ella Liberty three-piece low-threshold shower comes in a left-seat version and a right-seat version, and the seat side is chosen when you order rather than decided by the installer. The two versions are identical except that the layout is mirrored, so one spec sheet covers both with the drawing flipped, as How to Get the Installation Guide, Spec Sheet and Manual for Your Ella Shower Wall Kit or…
• How Much Weight Can the Walk-In Tub Door and Grab Bar Hold?Ella stainless steel grab bars exceed the 250 pound minimum load called for by ADA and ANSI accessibility guidelines, so the grab bar is the part built to steady you as you step in. The door is different. Ella publishes no weight rating for it because it is not a support, and Ella's guidance is never to let anyone lean on the door. The bar figures are in Grab Bar Length, Diameter, Weight Rating and Wall Spacing .…

These guides cover installing the seat belt harness, including bracket location, pilot holes, and screws. Find every shower video here, from low-threshold and barrier-free installs to shower dams, bases, cultured marble walls, CNC wall kits, and grout-free PVC tile. Explore Ella bathroom furniture like Element ST20, ST30, ST36 vanity, and FL25. Every accessory video is collected here, covering swivel trays, 4-fold screens, shower columns, slide bars, waterfall faucets, pillows, heated seats, aromatherapy, extension panels, and tile flanges. Use the shower builder tool and review tub colors and hardware finishes.

• Tub Colors and Hardware Finishes: White Only, Chrome Trim, and Faucet UpgradesWalk-in tub colors and hardware finishes at Ella's Bubbles are simple to summarize: every current Ella walk-in tub, LayDown tub, shower base and shower kit is white, the trim and fittings are chrome, and the faucet set is the one item you can order in another finish. Biscuit, bone, linen, almond and off-white are not offered as regular colors; the only off-white units mentioned recently were leftover clearance…
• Ella Bathroom Furniture: Element ST20 and ST30 Cabinets, the ST36 Vanity With Quartz Top and the FL25Alongside tubs and showers, Ella's Bubbles offers a small line of bathroom vanities and cabinets: the Element ST20 and ST30 modular floor cabinets, the Element ST36 standing vanity with a quartz top, and the Air FL25 wall-mount vanity with a cultured marble top. All four are built from MDF with an Arauco melamine coating in Ebony, Dark Walnut or White Oak, use push-to-open under-mount slides with no handles, and…
• Every Accessory Video in One Place: Swivel Tray, 4-Fold Screen, Shower Column, Slide Bar, Waterfall Faucet, Faucet Options, Pillows, Cushions, Heated Seat, Aromatherapy, Extension Panels and Tile FlangeEvery Ella's Bubbles accessory video is collected here in one place, grouped by accessory: the overview tours, the shower column kit, the wall-mounted slide bar, the faucets, the glass screens, the comfort items, the heated seat, aromatherapy, extension and end panels, and the glue-up tile flange. Each entry has a one-line caption drawn from the video itself and names the support article that goes deeper. Several…
• Every Shower Video in One Place: Low-Threshold and Barrier-Free Installs, the Shower Dam, Shower Bases, Cultured Marble Walls, CNC Wall Kits and Grout-Free PVC TileEvery Ella's Bubbles shower video is collected here in one place: the three-piece low-threshold install, the five-piece barrier-free tutorial in two parts, the collapsible shower dam, the shower bases, the cultured marble walls and base, the CNC engraved acrylic wall kits, and the grout-free PVC tile. Each entry has a caption drawn from the video itself and names the support article that goes deeper. The complete…
• Shower Builder ToolElla's Bubbles offers an online shower builder tool that lets you scroll through the available options and put together a custom shower design before your project moves forward. Once you have explored your design, a contractor will visit in person to measure your space and finalize the installation details for your new shower. How the Shower Builder Tool Works The shower builder tool is designed to help you…
• Installing the Seat Belt Harness: Bracket Location, Pilot Holes and ScrewsThe seat belt harness attaches to the tub with a square bracket that has four screw holes. The bracket is screwed to the back of the tub behind the bather, at a position the team marks out for your model on a measurement picture. Once the four holes are marked, you pre-drill small pilot holes and drive the mounting screws. The bracket is fastened from inside the tub, so the belt can be added after installation…
• Installation Instructions and Spec Drawings for One-Piece and Multi-Piece Shower UnitsInstallation instructions and specification drawings for Ella one-piece and multi-piece shower units are issued per model, and the team will email the set for your exact unit on request. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with the full model number from your order, including the size and the seat and drain side, and you will receive the spec drawing and the installation guide for that…
• How to Add a Second End Panel to Your Walk-In Tub Order or Buy One LaterEvery Ella walk-in tub includes one end panel, and you need a second one only when the tub sits against the back wall with both short ends open to the room. In a corner or a three-wall alcove the wall covers the other end, so the included panel is enough. A second panel can be added to your order before it ships or purchased later through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. When it is bought later it…
• Getting an Extension Panel When Your Alcove Is Wider Than Your TubIf your alcove is wider than the walk-in tub you are installing, an Ella extension panel closes the open end with a finished, L-shaped acrylic panel, so there is no need for a site-built filler on the visible side. Tubs shorter than 60 inches ship with one panel in the crate, while 60-inch tubs such as the Zen60 do not, because they are built to fill a standard 60-inch alcove. If your tub did not include a panel…
• Is There a Lock on the Walk-In Tub Door, and How Do I Stop Hand-Shower Splashing?Ella walk-in tubs do not have a door lock, and that is deliberate. A lock could keep a bather from getting out during a medical emergency, so the door is held closed by its latch mechanism and gasket and is simply not opened until the tub has drained. Splashing from the hand shower is a separate matter, and the answer there is the wall-mounted 4-fold tempered glass shower screen, or a plain shower curtain when you…
• Can I Add a Ceiling Light Above an Open-Top Ella Shower?Yes, but the fixture comes from your electrician, not from Ella. Ella showers are open-top enclosures with no dome, ceiling panel or light, so the bathroom ceiling above the shower is where a licensed electrician installs a fixture rated for wet or damp locations. What Ella does and does not supply for the top of the enclosure is covered in Does Ella Offer a Dome, Ceiling Panel or Light for Its Showers? . Why…
• What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower Kit, and What You Still Need to BuyAn Ella shower kit ships with the shower stall itself, the grab bar set listed for that kit, and the drain. It does not include a shower head, a hand shower, a mixing valve or valve trim, and the wall arrives without a valve cutout, so your plumber selects the valve and cuts the openings on site. Plan to buy the shower valve with its trim, the shower head and any hand shower separately before installation day.…
• How do I build or install a walk-in shower at home?Building a walk-in shower with Ella's Bubbles starts with a design, not a toolbox. You put the shower together online with the Shower Builder Tool , a contractor then visits your home to measure the space and finalize the installation details, and the base, wall panels and any screen are ordered as the pieces that contractor will install. Ella's Bubbles manufactures the shower components; a local licensed…
• Should I choose a walk-in tub or a roll-in shower?Choose a roll-in shower when the person bathing stays in a wheelchair or shower chair and needs to roll straight in with no lip to cross. Choose a walk-in tub when you want to sit and soak, add therapies, and still shower from the seat with the hand shower. Ella's broader comparison of tubs and low-threshold showers is in Walk-In Tub or Low-Threshold Shower? Comparing Ella Options for Mobility, Space and…
• Can You Use a Shower Curtain With a Walk-In Shower?Yes. An Ella walk-in shower is an open-top enclosure with one open side, and that side can be finished with a curtain rod, a glass door or a screen depending on the package you choose, as described in the dome, ceiling panel and light article . A plain shower curtain is also the usual answer when a walk-in tub is used as a standing shower. Ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 which curtain rod fits…
• Where Do I Buy an Extension Panel for My Walk-In Tub?Extension panels are bought through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and the first step is to check whether your tub already came with one: every Ella walk-in tub shorter than 60 inches ships with an extension panel so it fills a standard 60 inch alcove. Panels are cut for a specific model and door side, so have your model, serial number and door side ready before you call. The purchase path for a…
• Are do-it-yourself walk-in shower kits worth it for your bathroom?A do-it-yourself walk-in shower kit is worth it when you go in knowing what the kit does and what it leaves to a licensed trade. An Ella kit supplies the enclosure: the stall or base, the grab bars listed for that kit, and the drain, with wall panels built to a fixed footprint. It does not supply the valve, the trim, the shower head or the rough-in plumbing, and the wall arrives solid with no valve cutout, so the…
• What is the difference between a walk-in tub and a roll-in shower?The difference is at the entry and in what happens once you are inside. A roll-in shower is a curb-less base with a beveled entry as low as 3/4 inch that a wheelchair or shower chair rolls straight into, with a flexible dam holding the water in; a walk-in tub is a sealed enclosure you enter through a door, sit in on a molded seat, and fill for a soak of roughly 14 to 17 1/2 inches of water with therapies…
• What is the standard size of a basic shower stall?There is no single standard size for a basic shower stall; Ella's Bubbles builds its basic one-piece stalls in four footprints, 42 by 42, 48 by 37, 60 by 33 and 60 by 36 inches, at 77 or 80 inches high, and offers three-piece and five-piece kits for remodels where a one-piece unit cannot reach the bathroom. Which size counts as standard for your project depends on the alcove, on whether the stall must pass through…
• Which bathroom accessibility upgrades deliver the most value in a remodel?The bathroom accessibility upgrade that delivers the most value is the one that changes how the bather gets into the water, because it decides whether the room works at all: a curbless roll-in shower base for a person who stays in a wheelchair or shower chair, or a seated walk-in tub for a person who can step through a door and sit. Grab bars, a hand shower and comfort options such as a heated seat add safety and…
• How do you install or attach Ella shower wall panels and surrounds?Ella shower wall panels are put up by a local licensed contractor or plumber, not by Ella's Bubbles, and the attachment method depends on which wall line you bought. Ella's cultured marble surrounds glue directly over drywall, plaster, painted walls, Durock or even existing tile, and their factory-finished edges join seamlessly or can be trimmed for a custom fit. The acrylic and SMC kits are built for a specific…
• How Do I Fix a 4-Fold Shower Screen That Leaks or Will Not Fold Flat?A 4-fold shower screen that leaks is almost always sitting at the wrong height, out of level, or too far out on the tub deck, not suffering from a bad gasket. A screen that will not fold flat against the wall usually has a hinge connection that has loosened, lost its plastic retainer insert or its spacer, or it has been mounted on a side with no wall to fold against. Both problems are checked with the screen in…
• How do I set up a Handyman Special tub for shower-style use?You set up a Handyman Special the same way as any Ella walk-in tub, with one planning difference: the door is never relied on to hold water. A Handyman Special is sold for shower-style use because its door leak is a manufacturing defect that cannot be repaired, so the bathroom is planned as a walk-in shower with a shower screen, the door is used only for stepping in and out, and a shower column kit can be added to…
• Walk-in tub vs roll-in shower: which is better for my needs?Neither one is better for everyone, because the right choice follows the person who will bathe. A roll-in shower is the better fit when the bather stays seated in a wheelchair or shower chair and needs to roll straight in with nothing to cross, and a walk-in tub is the better fit when the bather can step through a low door, sit at chair height and wants to soak. What is a roll-in shower and who should get one?…
• Are There Walk-In Tub and Shower Combinations Available for Seniors?Yes. An Ella walk-in tub can work as a tub and shower combination, because the fast-fill faucet sets include a hand shower and a shower column kit can be added to the tub deck for overhead showering. Ella's Bubbles also offers acrylic shower walls and shower bases for anyone who decides a separate shower suits them better, as outlined in What Products Does Ella's Bubbles Offer? . This page lays out each way to…
• What is the difference between gel coat and AcrylX Ella shower finishes?Gel coat and AcrylX are two different surface layers, and both are laid over a fiberglass shell. Gel coat is the finish on Ella's legacy ESM series one-piece stalls and on the low-threshold gel coat multi-piece showers, and the documents for those units print a 3 year limited warranty. AcrylX is the long lasting applied acrylic finish on the current made-in-the-USA shower stalls, multi-piece kits and barrier-free…

• ▶2:19How to Cut Acrylic Shower Wall Panels Safely | Ella’s Bubbles Cutting GuideCustomers learn how to cut acrylic shower wall panels safely for Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs. This video provides a cutting guide for acrylic 3-panel wall kits.This video demonstrates…used in 9 guides
• ▶1:09CNC Engraved Patterns in Acrylic Wall KitsCNC engraved patterns are shown on acrylic wall kits, offering a decorative option for Ella's Bubbles shower installations. These wall kits provide a grout-free alternative for…used in 4 guides
• ▶0:20Upgrade Your Bathroom With Custom Engraved Shower WallsElla's new CNC-Engraved Acrylic Wall Kit transforms your bathroom with one-of-a-kind patterns. This kit features a 3-panel configuration, offering a sleek, durable, and…used in 2 guides
• ▶0:23Slip-Resistant, Strong Shower Bases - Built to LastElla's Bubbles SMC shower bases offer slip-resistant, reinforced strength for bathroom remodels. These durable bases are engineered for lightweight performance and extreme…used in 2 guides
• ▶1:02Installing a Waterfall Tub Faucet For Your Walk-In Tub (Is It Worth It?)Installing a Waterfall Tub Faucet for an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub involves wall-mounting a brass faucet with a 24-inch slider bar and hand-held shower. This faucet comes in matte…used in 4 guides
• ▶1:01The Luxurious Walk-In Tub Upgrade You Need - Waterfall FaucetThe Ella waterfall fast-fill faucet delivers water in a soothing cascade, filling your walk-in tub quickly. This faucet includes an extendable multi-function hand shower with four…3 chapters · used in 11 guides
• ▶0:52Ella's Bubbles: Grout-less Tongue & Groove PVC Carrara Tile InstallationElla's Bubbles PVC grout-less shower tiles offer a simple and stylish way to upgrade a shower or bath enclosure. The video demonstrates how to install these tongue and groove tiles…3 chapters · used in 14 guides
• ▶2:04The Ella Shower Dam , Keep Water In, Roll In With EaseThe Ella flexible shower dam is presented for barrier-free, wheelchair-accessible shower bases, showing how it keeps water in the shower stall while allowing easy roll-in access.The Ella…4 chapters · used in 20 guides
• ▶6:56Walk-In Tub Accessories to Enhance Your ExperienceElla's Bubbles walk-in tub accessories enhance the bathing experience with flexible installation options, convenient showering solutions, and added safety and comfort features. These…6 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶2:13Ellas Bubbles: Two Piece Fast-Fill Faucet Set Installation videoA technician installs a two-piece fast-fill faucet set on an Ella's walk-in tub. The video details how to secure the faucet, connect supply lines, and attach the hand shower.Installing…5 chapters · used in 7 guides
• ▶2:54Ella's Bubbles: Three Fold Shower Screen AssemblyA technician converts an Ella's Bubbles four-panel glass shower screen into a three-panel glass shower screen by removing one inside panel. This video demonstrates the process for…6 chapters · used in 9 guides
• ▶3:36Ella's Bubbles: 4 Fold Glass Door Installation VideoA technician demonstrates the installation of the Ella's Bubbles four-fold glass shower screen, covering unpacking, wall channel placement, gasket insertion, end cap and knob…5 chapters · used in 12 guides