Hello - I'm installing hardwood flooring (3-11/4" x 3/4") in the upstairs hall/foyer of my second floor. As I'm trying to ensure that the stair nosing at the top step meets up with a full board, I was planning to start to lay the first board against the nosing itself, and work out from that point. The boards will run parallel to the stairs/nosing. Is this a good idea. I've read that I need to ensure that the stairs are square to the rest of the room, but if I were to start against a wall and work my way out towards the stairs, then I may not have a full board meet up with the nosing (and not have a tongue to fit into the grooved nosing). Just wanted to see if this is how a floor would commonly be installed in an upstairs hallway application. Thanks

Butt the flooring against the nosing and use spline glued into the nosing, then nailed or fastened through the spline for the start. Use some glue to hold the nosing down, too, so you could use less nails that show. The walls ought to work out whether you have a rip or a full board. You could make the floor parallel to the wall even if is a little off by planing some of the of flooring groove side on several rows of the flooring over the last couple of feet, to the right taper, next to the wall without bothering the T&G joint.