Does being right or lft-handed determine which way round a room you go when painting ?

[woodieallen]

This is something I've always wondered.

 

[Geoff_S]

I’m right handed. The thought of painting anti clockwise makes my head hurt!

 

[Tris]

Depends which hemisphere

 

[flying haggis]

Never thought about it before, but as I am right handed I would go clockwise.

 

[HappyHacker]

We now have a study that shows left handed people do not paint rooms!

 

[Yojevol]

That depends on where the clock is, floor or ceiling

 

[TRITON]

Yes, but does it effect in which direction you stir your tea ?

 

[imageel]

Being more or less ambidextrous I don't even think about it -I can hand plane with similar dexterity (or ineptitude) in either direction...
But then again maybe I'm in a permanently confused or perplexed state of mind.....

 

[imageel]

Forgot to add - natively I am predominantly left handed but years of having to cope with things like scissors/can openers have encouraged my learning to perform these acts using my 'dark' side ...

 

[Ed Weber]

I start behind the door and work my way around, which ever way it happens to be.

 

[Just4Fun]

When papering a room I always start from the main light source (usually the biggest window) and work away from it in both directions, meeting on the opposite wall. This way any overlap of the wallpaper casts minimum shadow so is less likely to be visible. When painting a room I tend to do the same thing but have no good reason for doing it that way.

 

[ajs]

Hadn't really thought about it before but the main bulk of a wall is always clockwise, for the average height room I'll use a two or three step ladder, it easier to drag it to the right than push to the left. Cutting in is always locally left to right, better to drag brush than cut it, that means clockwise for the ceiling but anticlockwise for skirting where I'm in more of an "upside down" configuration. I tend to do both cutting ins three or feet at a time just before the main body of the wall.

 

[Spectric]

I don't think it has any effect on the actual painting but could when it comes to cutting in, for me it is left to right or right to left depending on location and light.

 

[niall Y]

Being right handed I tend to work from right to left. This however does not mean I start in one spot and work around the room in an orderly fashion. Other things will influence how I tackle the job. including if there are large items of furniture left in the room, which have to be moved back and forth. In this case I apply each subsequent coat in a slightly different order to keep furniture moving to a minimum,

 

[graham88]

I don't think I work in any particular way, it's more to do with door/window locations and how much furniture needs moving to access said walls. I thoroughly detest painting so it's something I only really do when it is needed.

 

[deema]

You should start at the furthest point from the predominant light source and work towards it. Usually this is the corner closest to the door. So, you work both clockwise and anticlockwise. Same for papering.

 

[Inspector]

I'm a righty and I usually paint right to left mainly because with the paint tray on the floor I move away from it when right to left. I'm more likely to step in it if going left to right. I can work the other way if I need to.

Pete

 

[Dave Moore]

Hi,
Yes, if right handed you would normally paint from left to right, being left handed I paint the opposite way. When cutting in it’s easier to see what you are doing and steadying your hand. If right handed then writing left to right is easier as it flows easier and you are not covering your work. Many lefties turn their hand over like a hook to make it easier to write. No idea how righties write in Arabic when they write from right to left. When welding it is normal for righties to weld from left to right so you can see the metal you are laying and if doing a fillet weld you can often drag the rod by touching both edges. Wood screws are right hand thread to suit right handed people as the muscles are able to put more effort due to physiology.
Regards,
Dave

 

[mc281]

Being right handed I tend to work from right to left. This however does not mean I start in one spot and work around the room in an orderly fashion. Other things will influence how I tackle the job. including if there are large items of furniture left in the room, which have to be moved back and forth. In this case I apply each subsequent coat in a slightly different order to keep furniture moving to a minimum,

If I'm brush painting I go round the room anticlockwise (I'm RH), as laying off is easier dragging right to left into wet paint. If I'm rolling I go clockwise, as I can always see the roller leaving the wet edge without looking around the roller to see the RH.
If I know there's a lot of painting to do I try to always go on holiday!

 

[Yojevol]

Some other interesting(?) phenomena. Ask yourself these questions:-

• Which sock do you put on first
• Have you got one foot larger than the other
• Which leg do you lead with on climbing stairs or a ladder
• Which leg do you use to get up from a kneeling position
• If you shave which side do you start with

Any others you can think of?
Brian