I have only refinished a floor once. But the one time that I have I ended up with bubbles in my finish. How do I avoid this the next time? Do I need to sand inbetween every finish and if I do with what grit paper? Not sure of the finish I used the first time (bought at the Home Depot rental center). Any help in the refinishing project would be greatlly appreciated.

Thanks
Bill

1) Always stir, never shake
2) Use high quality brushes or applicators
3) Don't over work the finish. Apply it and leave alone. Bubbles will flow out usually.
4) Keep doors and windows closed so there is no air blowing across the floor
5) Don't allow direct sunlight on the floors, which can overheat the finish, causing it to dry too quickly
6) Keep interior temperature at 75 degrees or less
7) after stiring, let the finish sit for about 10 minutes to allow any bubbles to lift out
8. Use quality finishes. HD products are typically not great stuff. Pros get their finishes from flooring distributors.
9) follow directions on the can/bottle to a "t"
10) Apply the finish at the correct spread rate, typically 500 sq.ft. per gallon.

Thanks, once again, Gary.

If Home Depot products are not good, what products are? What name brand finish should I look for? Time is an issue so am I correct that I want to use a waterbase poly or should I use an oil base poly?

Both have their pros and cons. Waterbased finishes dry faster, cure faster and have less fumes. And can be more durable than your typical OMU. However, don't lump them all together. Comparing HD products to what is available at the local flooring distributor is like comparing apples to oranges. Look for a local distributor that sells Bona finishes. TRAFFIC is considered by many to be the best. It's expensive however. If you want cheap from HD poly, here's the best one they carry, IMO. It's actually a fairly good oil-based poly. None of the waterbased finishes are very good.
http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/fast-poly.cfm