How can I smooth this wall?

Hi!

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-textured-walls-flat-46086.html

Wow, that's really textured. . I think it will be very hard to smooth out. I hope skim coating works. I think it's be cheaper to redrywall if you do it yourself.

Spray with vinegar water wait about 20 minutes scrape with mud scrapper. Do it in patches. Our ceiling was like this. It took a while but reuse, reduce and recycle!

If your house was constructed before 1978, there is a chance the paint has lead in it. If that is the case, call a professional.

If it has been painted wetting it with anything will not soften it for removal. Either skim coat it or put up new drywall.

I had these texturing on all my ceilings. They were awful. I scraped every one of them and then primed and painted them.

I had a kitchen wall like this. I took my electric hand sander and sanded it down until it was barely textured. Looked good after I painted it.

You could try a THICK skim coat and then treat it as knockdown plaster. It will never be smooth unless you tear it out and replace(and that is assuming you are working with drywall and NOT lathe and plaster) but it will look less dated.

That would be very difficult to remove you are better off to put new drywall up. I would put it overtop of the old wall it would increase the insulation factor.

The texture is made from joint compound usually and is sprayed on just like popcorn ceiling. Just doesn't contain the popcorn particles. The paint prevents liquids from penetrating and loosening the texture. It may be possible to dig into it and scrape some of it off enough to spray it and see if that will penetrate behind the texture and loosen it. I'm not sure any of us that kind of time. They do make 1/4" thick drywall just to cover things like this. That would be my choice.

Late to the game on this, but start with a rough brick anrub the wall with it. It should knock down most of texture that sticks out. Then use the electric sander.