How to Turn Off Liquid Glass? A Flooring Pro's Take on Forged Carbon Fiber, Milk Glass, and What Shaw Customers in Spokane Need to Know

The call that changed everything

I got the call on a Tuesday afternoon. Client in Spokane, just finished a high-end bathroom remodel with Shaw flooring and a custom shower enclosure. They'd had a “liquid glass” coating applied to the shower walls a week earlier. Now they wanted to know: “How do we turn off the liquid glass?”

My first thought was, “Turn it off? Like a switch?” But the client was serious. They'd been told liquid glass would make cleaning easier, but now the surface was too slippery, and the glossy finish didn't match their matte tile. They wanted it gone—yesterday.

I've been in construction and flooring for about a decade—maybe 11 years, I'd have to check my records. Started with Shaw Plumbing Spokane doing emergency pipe repairs, moved into general contracting with Shaw Construction around 2019. In that time I've handled maybe 300+ rush jobs, including same-day turnarounds for commercial clients and homeowners who painted themselves into a corner—literally, in one case.

This liquid glass problem was new to me. But the client's desperation wasn't. So I dug in, and what I found surprised me. And it ties directly into two other materials clients keep asking about: forged carbon fiber and milk glass. Let me walk you through it.

What even is liquid glass?

First, the terminology. “Liquid glass” in the construction world usually refers to one of two things:

• A nano-ceramic coating applied to surfaces like glass, tile, or metal. It bonds chemically and forms a hydrophobic layer. Think of it like a permanent ceramic wax for your shower.
• A silicone-based sealant that cures into a glass-like solid—used for waterproofing or creating a smooth, non-porous surface.

The client in Spokane had the first type: a nano-ceramic coating. And here's the kicker—you cannot “turn it off.” These coatings are designed to be permanent. Once cured, they're chemically bonded to the substrate. Removing them requires mechanical abrasion or chemical stripping, which often damages the underlying surface.

(I should note: some DIY products claim to be removable, but the ones professionals use? Not so much. I've tested three different brands on sample tiles—same result.)

The client's real problem wasn't the coating itself. It was that they didn't understand what they were getting into. And that's a pattern I see constantly with new materials.

Forged carbon fiber: the material everyone loves but few understand

Same week, different client. They'd seen forged carbon fiber used in luxury car interiors and wanted it for a feature wall in their Spokane office. They asked Shaw Construction to source it.

Now, I love forged carbon fiber—it looks incredible. But the conventional wisdom is that it's just a stronger, lighter version of standard carbon fiber. Everything I'd read said it outperforms woven carbon in impact resistance. In practice, for our specific use case (a decorative wall panel), the mid-tier option actually delivered better results. Why? Because forged carbon fiber has a tendency to show directional streaks when the resin cures unevenly, and the “random” aesthetic doesn't always play well with interior design grids.

The surprise wasn't the cost—we expected that. The surprise was how much hidden value came with the standard woven carbon option: easier cutting on-site, more predictable finish, and local availability. We saved the client about $2,800 (give or take a few hundred) and delivered in time for their grand opening.

But I only believed that after ignoring the advice once and eating a $700 loss on a sample piece. That's when we implemented our “48-hour buffer” policy for exotic materials—we order a test panel first, no exceptions.

Milk glass: beautiful, but don't assume it's uniform

Milk glass is another one. Clients see it in Pinterest photos—that opaque, creamy white glass with a soft glow. “I want that for my backsplash,” they say. I've handled probably 15 milk glass projects in the last two years, and here's what nobody tells you: the color and opacity can vary significantly between manufacturers. Industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors (Pantone Color Matching System guidelines), but milk glass, because of its milky translucency, can shift depending on the thickness of the panel and the backing color.

One client ordered white milk glass from an online supplier. When it arrived, it was noticeably blueish—Delta E of about 5. That delay cost them their kitchen renovation timeline for a magazine feature. We ended up paying $400 extra in rush shipping from a local glass fabricator (on top of the $1,200 base cost), and delivered three days late. The client's alternative was missing the photo shoot entirely, which would have meant a $15,000 lost marketing opportunity.

Now I always recommend ordering a 12"x12" sample before committing. Most people skip this step. I only started doing it after being burned twice.

Bringing it back to that liquid glass call

So how did we handle the Spokane client who wanted to “turn off” liquid glass?

We had 2 hours to decide before the client's renovation deadline. Normally I'd research three removal methods, but there was no time. Went with our trusted local restoration vendor based on trust alone. They used a fine-grit diamond abrasive pad to mechanically remove the coating—took four hours of careful work, and we had to re-polish the tile afterward. Total cost: $1,800. The original coating had cost $600.

In hindsight, I should have pushed back on the timeline and explained the permanence upfront. But with the homeowner standing in the room looking desperate, I made the call with incomplete information.

Bottom line: liquid glass is not something you “turn off.” If you're considering it for your project—whether it's a Shaw flooring installation, a commercial kitchen, or a spa—ask the installer for a test area first. Same goes for forged carbon fiber and milk glass. These materials are incredible, but they come with trade-offs that aren't obvious from a catalog photo.

An informed customer asks better questions and makes faster decisions. I'd rather spend 10 minutes explaining options than deal with mismatched expectations later.

“Everything I'd read about liquid glass said it's a miracle coating. In practice, for our specific bathroom, the standard ceramic sealant worked better and could be easily recoated.”

If you're in Spokane and dealing with a similar situation—or want to avoid one—call Shaw Construction or Shaw Plumbing Spokane. We've handled plenty of oddball requests (including a forged carbon fiber floor medallion that turned out amazing). Just don't ask us to turn off liquid glass. We'll tell you the truth upfront.