Q1: Once Moving Day has passed, you now have to contemplate paint or wallpapering the new premises. Painting as a project is not difficult, but if you are going to plunge in and do it yourself, how should you go about this?

1)  In order for the paint to adhere as best as it possible could, it is a good idea to wash the walls with TSP (trisodium phosphate) first. This is a powdered product that is usually sold where paint is sold.
2) It is then important to rinse off all the TSP afterwards.
3) Most people are so eager to slap on the paint that they have no patience to put on a coat of primer. Primer is cheaper than paint. It is thicker, and its purpose is to cover defects and give the paint a smooth wall to attach to. Primer is needed if you are painting gyproc, if there are nail holes and cracks or if you are going from a  dark color to a light one.  Daniel Ghazal, Director of Marketing at Gotham Paint, reiterated that “Primer is the most important thing when painting, and it is even more important than the finishing product.” So put primer on the ceiling and the walls.
4) The first place you should paint is your ceiling, so the paint won’t splatter onto your walls after they are newly painted.
5) Finally, paint your walls.

Q2: When we see paint sales in flyers, how can we compare one kind to another to know if it is a good deal?

The first thing to remember is that those prices are usually for white paint. Deeper colors cost more, sometimes $3 to $10 more, because these ultra deep colors like mahogany or fuchsia require more expensive base and more tint.

Titanium is the most expensive ingredient in paint. Paint is made less expensive by adding more water and other cheaper fillers. You are not necessarily saving money by buying cheaper paint, because you get less coverage and you have to use more paint to cover your walls. Cheaper paint can also leave a chalky feel on the wall.

Be aware also that even if you are buying one of the better known paint brands, there are still multiple grades to choose from.

Look for the words “100% acrylic latex” for the best quality. It is the most washable, leaves no odor and dries fast. You might see the word latex, but don’t be fooled, because it can be added and mixed with other products, making it cheaper and resulting in a less durable finish (than the 100% acrylic latex), since it won’t adhere as well to the wall.

Q3 : What are your suggestions for where to buy paint, for good quality, or name brand?

Gotham Paint, 231 Rene A. Robert, Ste. Therese at Autoroute 640. Phone: (450) 435-1227. Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a family business which has been manufacturing paint under many brands for the past 42 years, so here you get experience and service and great prices. You can buy factory direct and get an excellent product which yields a better result than some name brands at twice the price. Interior latex acrylic (velour, semi-gloss or pearl) is only $26 for 3.78 litres, or you can buy it by the contractor’s pail of 18.9 litres for $90. Alkyde (oil) is available at $28 for 3.78 litres or $95 for 18.9 litres. They have ceiling paint, exterior latex, gray cement floor paint, industrial and more. They can also match your color with their computerized color matching system.    www.gothamindustries.com

City Paints, 200 Rachel St. East at Hotel de Ville St. Phone: (514) 288-8009. Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. New This is Montreal’s oldest paint store, open since 1898. Name brands sold here are Benjamin Moore and Sico, along with stains and varnishes and tons of brushes. They have both non-toxic paint with low VOC and no VOC. Yes, they’ve got the color matching computer these days, but it is the service, the good old-fashioned kind, that has kept people coming back for generations from all over the city. If it’s good enough for the Mulroneys, it’s good enough for you.    www.citypaints.ca

Circa 1850, 2122 St. Patrick St. at Island St., Point St. Charles. Phone: 514-932-0941. Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. When they opened in 1965 it was to sell paint, but nowadays the emphasis is on products for furniture refinishing. Circa 1850 stain and varnish were invented right here, and on the back wall you’ll find liquidated products and ends-of-lines of those and strippers in liquid and gel, marine quality varnish and rolls of steel wool in all grades. There is paint too, in both latex (semi-gloss and flat) and oil (high gloss) in contractor’s grade starting at $17.50 per gallon, Nu-Lustre high gloss epoxy finish, milk paint, Klenk bathtub paint, shellac flakes, Les Anciens Ebenistes waxes and environmentally friendly varnish and wood stains. Now there’s also modern and reproduction hardware, square nails, fiber seat replacements, turned legs and ask about their courses which teach how to do all this finishing.    www.antiquerssupply.com

Q:4 Decorating with wallpaper is hot right now, there are hardly any places to buy it, but we know you’re going to know where to go….

Empire  3455 avenue du Parc, Phone: 514-849-1297. Hours: Mon-Fri 8-7, Sat 9-5 This is the place to go for pre-pasted wallpaper from their roomful of ends-of-lines, discontinued styles or first runs at prices around $5.99 – $48.99 per double roll or 2-for-1 deals. They have a large selection of domestic and imported books to order from as well as Sico, Benjamin Moore and Pratt & Lambert paints. Hunter Douglas blinds, wood blinds, shutters, fabric and bedspreads can also be ordered.  Trendy designs are always in stock.