Settle a debate for me

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Simon
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Settle a debate for me

Post by Simon »

Yes, quarantine has taken me to this level.

Walk into your kitchen and pick any cupboard door and open it. And if you don't have a functional kitchen right now just imagine it in your head.
Do that and then scroll down.
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Which side were the hinges of the door as you faced it?
Which hand did you open it with?
And are you left or right handed?

If your answers are all Left or all Right then you're DIWr.

I'm just about to hang the doors on my new office furniture. To my mind if you're right-handed you should have the hinges on the left and open the door with the left hand, because if you are putting in or taking out something heavy from the cupboard you want to do that with your dominant hand (right) because it's stronger. The door is light and can be opened with your left hand.

And vice versa.

My wife says this is wrong and that you should have the hinge on the right and use the right hand to open it. She's a Right-right-right believer.

I fear this may run and run.
Last edited by Simon on Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jobbo
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Jobbo »

The hinges should be where they are most logical, same with any door. If you have a pair of cupboards, the hinges should be on the outer edges, for instance.

Obviously I went to check our kitchen and the wall units on one side open as I describe above, but the other side they both hinge on the left hand side. There is some logic to that because you have to lean past the built-in high level oven to reach them. Maybe kitchen units aren't so relevant to your office furniture though?
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Simon
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Simon »

Well for anyone who's familiar with it, my new furniture is all 'Besta' by Ikea. 3x180cm towers all next to each other, so 3 doors high and 3 doors wide, for 9 doors in total in a square. They don't have handles, you just push the corner of the door and they spring open.
Ikea.png
Ikea.png (161.99 KiB) Viewed 2174 times
If they're on the left then the when the doors open they'll have the light from the window in the cupboard making it easier to see inside. I just can't shake the feeling that it'll feel wrong to press on the right corner of the door with my left hand to open the door when I'm right handed?
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integrale_evo
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by integrale_evo »

Why would you press the right sid weigh your left hand?

I'm right handed but can quite happily open a door with either hand without ever having to think about it or plan ahead 😂
Cheers, Harry
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Jobbo
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Jobbo »

With 3 doors across, you can't do it symmetrically so just whatever works in the room I guess. Opening so that the light from the window isn't blocked by the open door is the right way.

Put one on the other way and see, maybe the middle one. You'll quickly get used to pressing the centre of each door to open them :lol:
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Pete_
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Pete_ »

You're overthinking this. :lol:
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Rich B
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Rich B »

There’s literally no “correct” answer for this. I have lots of cupboards in a line so have them hinged as pairs (as the handles don’t give any clue.)
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evostick
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by evostick »

Handedness is a load of bollocks. Was taught to be right-handed at school but I've always used both and the older I get the more I lead with the left.
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Mito Man
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Mito Man »

integrale_evo wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:05 pm Why would you press the right sid weigh your left hand?

I'm right handed but can quite happily open a door with either hand without ever having to think about it or plan ahead 😂
This, I’m a man of many talents but now I can add “able to open a door without ever having to think about it to my list.”

Line up ladies.
How about not having a sig at all?
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Simon
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Simon »

Well I can't 'try it one way' as once I screw the hinges in they'll open up the holes and look crap if I then switch it over to the other side. I'm thinking I'll put the hinges on the left for light reasons as mentioned above.

Although I suspect I am overthinking this.
Rich B wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:07 pm There’s literally no “correct” answer for this.
This is the internet, there is always a correct and incorrect way to do things!
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Mito Man
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Mito Man »

Correct way is whatever your wife says as otherwise she will complain about it at every opportunity whenever she opens the bloody door.
How about not having a sig at all?
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Simon
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Simon »

My office. ;)
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Rich B
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Rich B »

The correct answer is probably as simple as “hinges positioned nearest the wall.” So you don’t open a door into a corner.
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mik
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by mik »

When you get advanced driver training, they want you to use your left hand to close the drivers door more securely.

So just fit your kitchen out with car doors.
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Orange Cola
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Orange Cola »

mik wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:11 pm When you get advanced driver training, they want you to use your left hand to close the drivers door more securely.
That smacks of IAM.
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mik
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by mik »

It was a retired Police Class1 driver first, then a Rospa dude later.
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Nefarious
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Re: Settle a debate for me

Post by Nefarious »

Rich B wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:13 pm The correct answer is probably as simple as “hinges positioned nearest the wall.” So you don’t open a door into a corner.
Mr. B speaketh with correctness.

Your initial post is completely correct and your wife is completely wrong, but you're having the wrong argument.

A wall of units should have as many "doubles" as possible, so you always start and finish with a hinge (even number of units are multiples of doubles, odd numbers are multiples of doubles plus a single at the end with its hinge to the wall.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough"
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