Hi there. I ended up using Ugly Tub?, Inc. for my interior tub reglazing, uglytub.net. They did a really beautiful job. I take baths almost daily, and it has held up very nicely over the last three years. Honestly, it looks exactly the same as the day it was done. You can see the final result in my flickr photostream at the link in my original post. I didn't use the original faucet, and needed to retrofit the existing holes to fit the new overflow. They used bondo to fill in the old holes from the original faucet, and then glazed over it. It is seemless - you can not tell where the original faucet was. The technician also skimmed bondo over the side "lip" edge of the tub, which had quite a few nicks and dings in it from 100 years of use. With the glaze over it, it looks and feels brand new. I am extremely pleased with the end result. There is nothing quite like sinking into a deep, clawfoot tub. Good luck with your tub renovation!

The contractor-routered edges can work beautifully with natural stone tiles. Second-best would be through-body porcelains, but spend some time in a tile store first so you won't be surprised by what you get. A through-body porcelain has a body ceramic that's close to the surface color. CLOSE - not always exact, because sometimes they put on a glaze or surface treatment that changes the appearance. If you router off the edge, the rounded section you see won't be an exact match for the top. Most often, you'll see a similarly-colored subtly-dotted base. Some people are perfectly happy with this look. Some aren't. (I'm in the NOT group.) Even the ceramics and porcelains that come with 'matching trim pieces' can have this same issue though. Sometimes the surface design or glaze just disappears! They call this matching? I don't! Sometimes they continue the glaze all the way around the edge. THAT matches. If I want a finished edge, I have learned to closely inspect the trim pieces. I will NOT buy them sight unseen, even if it holds up a job. They're just too important to getting a great look.

Yes, the red will show. If the cut edges are all going into inside corners, then you'd be ok because you'd caulk the corner. But if they're on the face, even butting into the bullnose, you'll see red, because the grout dips down a little in the crack (it's not flush with the tile). I only tiled once with red-based ceramic tile. Never again. I now only buy through-body colored tile.

I have laid 5 tile floors and have lived with them for 57 years. When we're handling something that is super precious to us, we are naturally very careful with it. What you might break is an everyday drinking glass or two, easily replaced if even missed. Only tile breakage I ever had was when I got a new dishwasher put in. You can roll out a refrigerator and tile under it, but not so with a dishwasher, so the tile stopped where the dishwasher began. Only change I'd make is if I got a new dishwasher put in I'd insist they remove and reinstall using brown board, or at least thick cardboard to try to protect the edges of the tile. Since we lost our manufacturing to overseas, there definitely is a question about how good a glaze is, and don't assume if it's American-made (or if it cost more) it will be good. Those days are gone. So it's a good idea to do your homework and read a lot of customer ratings on tile before you purchase. You do want porcelain, as it's tougher than ceramic. I've been reading a lot of reviews on porcelain floor tile that is chipping along the edges though, a problem I never had with my older porcelain floors.