Sorry for the primitive floorplan!!
This is an older home - some walls are just not square!
The joists run from top of pic to bottom!



Is flooring ever started at the center of a room?
I would like to start at the hearth (its the focal point of the room) so that I have full width pieces there and not at the outside wall!

What planning should I be doing for measuring / keeping straight lines from wherever I start, up to and around interior walls, kitchen base cabinets, tiled entryways, etc??
Thanks, Frank

Pop a line, right across where you have ¾x3-5/8 Teak, written. Work to the top, around the entryway, and then spline and work to the bottom, of your srawing.

I'm not quite sure of what you mean by "spline" ? What is it?
Why wouldn't I work one way (to the top) and the just continue the other way to the bottom ??

Frank

you know what tongue and groove is right? on one side the tongue of the board sticks out, other side it has a groove. Spline is a piece to fit into that back groove and it sticks out like the tong on the other side. It about double the with of the tongue, it alows you to run the wood both directions.

if you work from the center you dont have to worry as much about matching up going around everything. working from one side you ay get lucky, but unless you really know what your doing it usually doesnt work out. working from one side to the other you need to constantly check every row to make sure your not varying from side to side. snap a line down the center and you eliminate 75% of the error margine and it makes for a much faster install.

When you put in a spline and run both directions, do you have to lay a sacrificial row and face-nail it to give the next rows something to hold against?

I usually snap a line use my feet on either side one the opposite side of the starter row im nailing and nail light. the trn around and nail doing the same light watching the line closely making ajustment as I go. / safe or easier way for most is flip a row upside dowm along the line, top nail the hell out of it, get atleast 5 rows one way, then pull out the flipped row, stick the spline in using glue and nail it back the other way to suck it back in. then you wont have top nail in the middle of the floor atleast.