I have popcorn ceilings that I primed with oil paint based on the advise of the day (1985). Fast forward to 2017 and the ceilings must go. The oil primer did its job and has turned the ceilings into rock. I was wondering about the different methods available to go after this job. I had one quote say they use a sanding system. Another said he would skim coat over the popcorn to make it smooth, He also said the sanding system leaves a lot of dust even though it claims to trap a lot of the dust. He said skimming would save time and money. I guess another option would be to take down the ceilings and put up new board but I'm going to avoid that one until it is a last option. My question is, are there any other methods that people are using to get rid of popcorn ceilings that have been painted with oil paint? Also, are there advantages and disadvantages to those methods? Thanks

Hello! My wife and I just bought a house and about half of the interior walls have popcorn texture on them and we would really like to remove it. I see a lot about using skim coat. Is there a reason we cannot just sand it down with a sander that has a vacuum hose? We don't need it perfectly smooth, just want the majority of the texture gone. Our house has been thoroughly tested for lead paint and it does not have any.