Q1: Today you want to let us know that although there might be oil spewing in the Gulf of Mexico, there will be no more oil spills possible in Montreal.

A: That’s right. We have reached the end of the line for oil or alkyd paint for painting inside our homes. With so many people getting ready for moving, and getting their new abode ready to live in, I just want  to let you know that as of the end of this year, paint stores will not be getting any more deliveries of oil based paint for painting inside or outside their homes. If they love the durability and wearability of this paint, they better get it now. The stores will be given two years to sell off whatever they have left on their shelves.

Q2: Why is it being taken off the market?

A: The reason is for reduced emissions in the air. The solvents in oil based paints take perhaps 30 days to dissipate into the atmosphere.

Q3: What if we had oil based paint on our walls or our shingles, what do we do now when we want to re-paint? And what do we do about areas that need the scrub-a-bility of oil paint?

A: You can go from oil to latex by sanding the walls, or using TSP (trisodium phosphate) cleaner and then using a primer in order for it to adhere properly. Paint companies, like Benjamin Moore has come up with en entirely new generation of paint. Theirs is called Aura which is tougher than conventional latex. It has a new molecular structure and is the biggest chemical change in paint since the  1950’s. You can scrub it to death.  Aura seals in an hour or two. No toxins being released as it seals so rapidly.

Q4: Where can we go to get this paint?

The outside of the Hub has an old-timey neighborhood feel and inside it reaffirms what shopping should be. Sure it’s a hardware store (some plumbing, gardening too) with personalized service but the raison d’etre these days is the bubbly decorating consultant who offers you a cappuccino and steers you through any decorating dilemmas (can even come to your house if needed). There’s Benjamin Moore paint, tons of wallpaper books, fabrics for curtains, blinds & shutters, Richelieu hardware, supplies to do the project, or even her little black book of experts to do it all for you.

Locations: 441 boul. Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield (514-695-3389); 3460 boul. des Sources (514-421-1454).
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs 8-8, Fri & Sat 8-5, Sun 12-5.
www. hubhardware.ca

City Paint is Montreal’s oldest paint store, open since 1898. Name brands sold here are Benjamin Moore and Mythic, along with stains and varnishes and tons of brushes. Yes, they’ve got the color matching computer, and low VOC, no VOC and the only VOC paint without toxins, 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.

Location: 200 rue Rachel est at Hotel de Ville
Phone: 514-288-8009
Hours: (Mar-Oct) Mon-Wed 7:30-5, Thurs & Fri 730-8,  Sat 9-4, Sun 11-4;  Nov-Feb) Mon-Fri 7:30-5, Sat 9-4
www.citypaints.ca

Q5: Is there any place we can go for the best price for paint?

Les Industries Gotham is a family business which has been manufacturing paint under many brands for the past 43 years. You can buy factory direct with friendly service and get an excellent product which yields a better result than some name brands at twice the price. Interior latex acrylic is only $27 for 3.78 litres, or you can buy it by the contractor’s pail of 18.9 litres for $95. 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.

Location: 231 Rene A. Robert, Ste. Therese
Phone:  450- 435-1227
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-4

Both Rona  and Reno Depot are having a 25% off sale on Sico Paint up until June 29th If you like Sherwin-Williams paint, I’ve come across one store in Pierrefonds (4798 boul. St-Jean Tel: 514-696-2000) which is offering 40% off until July 4th.

Q6: Any other comments?

– Stores will still be able to sell alkyd paint for industrial use – for outdoors,  metal, floors, rust.
– They are also coming out with hybrid paints that use oil resins in them but can be mixed with water.
– There are also O VOC paint to be used in baby’s rooms, or to be able to paint while pregnant or for people with immune deficiencies.