Q 1: Some people are reluctant to refill ink cartridges for their computer printers, is there any kind of problem with doing this?

Nine years ago when I first wrote a column about refilling computer printer cartridges, it was like finding a secret underground society which was doing it. At that time, we were brainwashed into thinking if didn’t buy brand new cartridges, we would ruin our machines.

We’ve gotten smarter and more eco-friendly at the same time. Stores selling re-furbished cartridges (for both ink and laser printers) have popped up all over city. You can bring in your old one and get refilled, buy one that’s been re-filled, or buy the inks and learn how to refill them yourselves.

Q 2: What should we know about getting cartridges refilled?

If you replace your  ink cartridge with a spare one, don’t just stick it in a drawer until you have a  moment to get it replenished, as inks dry out. If you are waiting a day or two to buy another one, put the cartridge along with a moist paper towel into a sealed plastic bag and put it in the fridge (in  the bag).

Q 3: When the printer warning light indicates  that you are about to run out of ink, how long can you keep using your cartridge?

The low level warning is set at a different level for every printer. Sometimes there is still between 3%-5% of ink left (or more!); There is a little bit of wiggle room. The real test is to look at the  print coming out. When it starts to deteriorate, you know you must, at that point, stop using the cartridge.

Don’t keep going until the well runs dry. Many cartridges have their print head right on the cartridge. The ink acts as coolant for that head. If the ink runs out you can damage the head by burning out some of  little ink nozzles. If this happens, it is no longer refillable and you must buy a new one.

Q 4: In relation to the replacement of cartridges, what should we think about before purchasing an computer printer?

Not all printer cartridges can be refilled by after-market dealers. Ink companies spend lots time figuring out chemical recipes for each printer. Some printers are not worth the money to develop a particular ink, so after-market cartridges may not be available.

No matter how good a printer deal looks in a flyer, before you buy, find out if that machine’s cartridge is refillable, otherwise you are stuck buying at full price from manufacturer.

Check to find out the page yield of a cartridge. Do the math to see which one is a smarter buy.

Q 5: Where can we go to buy them?

- Cartouche Encore, 4808 Pierrefonds Blvd.  Phone: 514-626-3455.  Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7, Sat 10-5. This shop is  run by a friendly husband and wife team. They sell new cartridges and refill old ink and laser ones. The company uses quality OCP inks from Germany, which come in about 170 different viscosities, in order to be able to match the needs of different printers. They test print them and replace broken cartridge components after performing a stress test.

- I-matek, 539 Lepine Ave. Dorval. This was the first store I found in the city re-filling cartridges. You can save 80% on the cost of  ink jet printer cartridges (Epson, Lexmark, Canon, HP, Brother) by learning how to fill them yourselves. Refilling costs less than $10. They will teach you how to do it and sell you kit. They can refill your ink or laser cartridges.  www.i-matek.ca

- Micro-Jet Technologies, 5484 Sherbrooke St. W. You can bring yours in or buy new already re-cycled laser & ink-jet cartridges (Brother, HP, Lexmark, Canon, Epson) or you can buy kits to do it yourself. They can special order any cartridge yo may need.

On CJAD 800AM, you can hear me on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour so those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them.  I will be on Tommy’s show at least once a month. If you miss  the show, you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Tues Sept 29th

The Premium Retail Group is offering a fist time  Tommy Hilfiger  Fall-Winter warehouse sale. It was rare to have these in the past. Years ago I tried a couple of times to get into the headquarters to find out if we could buy there but the doors were never open to the public.
Tommy Hilfiger brand makes clothing for the whole family so the sale includes the kid’s lines too and even oversize sizes. Expect to see jeans, skirts, shorts, shirts, polos (of course!) and more, all at up to 80% off.

Location: 4454 Rue Garand, Ville St-Laurent
corner: off of Transcanadienne  west service road
Dates Oct 1- Oct 18
Hours: Wed 11-5, Th & Fri 11-9, Sat & Sun 11-5
www.premiumretailgroup.com

Q1:  Floating wooden flooring has become the answer to everyone’s decorating do-over, what can you tell us about how to buy this?

This product took off with condo development where they needed a floor that could be laid over cement and still be viable with our huge climate variations considering humidity, electrical heating and air conditioning factored in. For these solutions, some need no glueing and others can be snapped together like lego.

Q2: What different kinds are there?

Wood laminated floating floors (photos of wood), wood engineered floating floors (for condos, basements) and real wood planks. Even good old wooden strips have been upgraded in that the wood is pre-finished and no longer need to be sanded and varnished after being installed. Remember when you used to have to move out for days?

Floating fiber floor which could have on its surface ( instead of a photo of wood), a digital photo of anything. Your floor could look like metal, cork, or have wild colorful 70’s designs. The finish withstands wear and tear. It needs no glue to install, so its great for apartments and is waterproof for kitchens and basements. Fiberglas gives it its stability.

Q3: What qualities affect the price of the wood floors?

- what kind of wood is it - maple, Brazilian redwood, etc.
- what grade of wood is it - select, rustic, etc.
- what is the thickness of top layer of wood - could be 1/4″ or ½”
- how long are the pieces of the planked flooring - 18″ are called shorts
- what is the core made of -  can be wood dust laminate or plywood
- has it been dried properly for our climate - those made in other countries may not hold up properly

don’t forget:  Provincial and Federal government grants are available until February

Q4: This is pretty confusing so where can we go to get good advice, good service and pricing?

The stores selected today are all family owned business which have been operating for 30 to 60 years, where service is number one (that’s what has kept them around all these years) and prices are always competitive. Feel free to ask questions and you too will become part of the generations that shop here.

Tapis Lanctot 148 Boyer, St-Isidore (Chateauguay) St-Regis, Hours: Regular plus Sun 11-5. Phone: 514-875-1954.
Other location: Longueuil, 2025 ch. Chambly (450-647-1571). www.lanctot.qc.ca

Don’t be put off by the location - it’s only 15 minutes across the Mercier bridge, and the sheer volume (100,000 sq. ft.) of merchandise is worth the ride. The Lanctots have been around for 125 years selling floating and hardwood floors (look for the bargain bins starting at $.89) including condo solutions, ceramic tiles (starting at $1.25), about 500 area rugs, carpeting, vinyl flooring (lots of  remnants too). They’re known for choice and service, and their prices are low all year round.
Other vendors are inside their building selling wallpaper, paint, bedding, blinds, furniture, kitchen cabinets, plumbing, windows and doors.

Million Tapis et Tuiles, 15 Bernard Ave. E. at St. Laurent Blvd. Phone: 514-273-9983. Hours:  Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For shop at home call 514-273-9983.
Other locations: Laval, 175 de la Concorde e. (450-663-9870); Ville St-Pierre, 170 St-Jacques (514-365-1652).   www.millioncarpets.com

Since 1937, this 3rd generation company has been selling flooring. An unbelievable 21 family members are working in the business, which now offers  wood floors, floating fiber floors (great for apartments), carpeting (in any width), rugs (width to 4 metres) and tiles.
Grandpa Skoda Joseph started out working in the coal room of Congoleum, and convinced them to sell him their seconds. He then installed Stephen Skoda at the tender age of 14 in a store on Bleury, and without knowing English or French, Stephen managed to make a go of it.
Besides making your selection from sample catalogues from every major mill in N. America, there are ends of rolls and ends-of-lines. The prices are usually discounted. They’ve been in business a long time, so there are many satisfied customers.

Normandy Carpets,  950  boul. St-Jean, Pointe Claire at boul. Brunswick. Phone: 514-426-7847  Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 (seasonal)

For designer products, this boutique-like carpet showroom is known by word of mouth - and that’s a good sign. For 40 years, this family-run business has been selling quality carpeting from major Canadian, American and European mills. They also carry wood floors, wood laminates, runners, area rugs and exclusive designer lines, and can do custom bordering and create designer rugs.
Since they buy in volume for their commercial sales, they can meet and beat the prices of their competitors. Once you’ve entered, expect the friendly staff to give you an education on flooring.

It used to be known as offal. But since some people thought offal was awful, the term variety meats is now used for the lesser known parts of the animal that people from many countries eat and heartily enjoy. At Boucherine Levinoff, a local Montreal company who have their own slaughterhouse, you can get fresh heart, tongue, tripe, oxtail, kidney, lung, liver, etc.

This wholesaler, open since 1951 and now with the 2nd generation at the helm, always has fresh beef, chicken, pork, and handmade Italian sausages. Freezer orders can be prepared at decent prices.

Their new upscale shop-at-home service is for certified Angus prime cuts (T-bone, rib roast, NY cut strip steak, rib steak or tenderloin); if you order $100 worth, there’s no delivery charge.

Location: 8610 8th Ave., Montreal Nord
Phone: 514-725-2405

Other location: 2021 Frontenac
Phone: 514-526-6500
Hours: Regular
www.levinoff.com

Q: You are going to tell us today about places where we can listen to music for free - and no it’s not on your iPod or MP3 player.

We’re very lucky here in Montreal to have such a diverse selection of classical musical productions - organ, jazz, wind instruments, choirs, strings, harpsicord, electro-acoustic, all for free!, For small fees ($10-$15) you can  enjoy opera and full orchestral performances too. They are all easy to get to by mass transit and there are hundreds throughout the Sept-June season.

Q: Let’s go though the different venues.

McGill Faculty of Music
Tel: 514-398-4547 or 514-398-5530
www.mcgill.ca/music for calendar

how: free by e-mail or $10 for monthly calendar by post
who: performers come from their bachelors, masters and doctorate programs. It could be just one person playing piano or up to an ensemble of fifteen.
when: started last week and goes til June
what: jazz combos, tuba ensembles, organ recital, etc.
where: Pollack Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall, Redpath Hall on McGill campus

University of Montreal
Faculty of Music
Tel: 514-343-6427
www.musique.umontreal.ca check here for calendar

what: classical, jazz, contemporary, piano, voice
when: season launching this week. On the evening of  Sept 26th at 7:30pm, two of their professors will present “Russian Jewels” on alto and piano - Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, alto and Paul Stewart on piano
where: Salle Claude-Champagne Champagne (others at Salle Serge-Garant, Salle Jean-Papineau-Couture)

Q: Besides the Universities, are there other places which offer this?

La Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur
Tel: 514-872-5338
100 Sherbrooke est at boul. St-Laurent

how: put yourself on e-mail list at chapelle@ville.montreal.qc.ca or ask for snail mail, or look in the newspaper for what’s happening in town this week
when: first free one is on Sat, Sept 26 at 2pm and it’s contemporary music
who: Denys Bouliane.
extra: Some of the performers even open up the floor for questions

Jay Li Trade Net has low priced sales for women’s clothes and home items. There’s women’s clothing with prices starting at: 2 or 3 piece sets $20, sweaters $11.50, pants and skirts $10, bathrobes $30, blouses and camisoles $11.50 and then the sale goes into household items: curtains $11.25, bamboo blankets $25.99, double sheets $17. If you spend $200, you get 10% off those already low prices.

Location: 4002 Bois Franc, Ville St-Laurent
Phone: 514-745-7578
Dates: Sept 17, 18,19 and Sept 24,25,26
Times: Th & Fri 11-6:30, Sat 10-3:30

Bargain fashionistas can now have the pleasure of shopping in one of the US’s famous chains, Forever 21.  The concept is to keep the prices really low for you to buy it now without wasting your time for repeat visits to check prices. They try to make the first price the right price. Then you can throw it away and come back and buy again when the next fashion wave hits.

Don Chang started the concept in 1984 in Lalaland - LA.  Since 1984 it has grown to 450 stores around the world offering mostly women, (and a small selection for men):  jewelry, tops, bottoms, skirts, jeans, hats, dresses, coats, undies, sweaters, makeup. Their own brands for day, play and eveningwear are: Forever 21, Heritage 1981, Twelve by Twelve, Love 21 and Faith 21 for fuller figured women.

Location: Complexe Les Ailes, Ste-Catherine St.
corner: University

Future opening:  Champlain Mall in November

The Bay is inviting everyone for free makeovers every Saturday. This week is the kick off and they will have extra help on hand for the rush of people. Might even start today. This is an opportunity to see how makeup can transform you and give you a whole new feeling about yourself. Just control yourself from buying everything they use on you and wait for their sales.

Location: All Bay stores in Montreal

The best monthly sales of bedding, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, carpets, etc., this sale up in the Chabanel area cannot be beat. Some of the prices this time: comforters (all sizes) $15, 4-pc twin set jacquard $35, 7-pc queen set $60, 4-pc.  queen cover set $35, pillow protectors 2/$9, twin mattress covers 2/$25, waterproof twin mattress cover $17, pillows $7-$10, curtains, $3, shower curtains $5, carpets $15,  mats $7/$10, dishcloths 3/$7, oven mitt set $5.

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Sept 11: 11-6;  Sat Sept 12: 8-1
www.liquideco.com