What is the best way to remove/cover swirl texture from a ceiling?

I just moved into a place with swirled plaster ceilings...they are pretty out dated and I would like to either remove the swirl or cover the swirl texture. Eventually the exposed or covered ceiling will be decorated with ';knockdown';. Can anyone sort of walk me through the complete process or direct me to a good resource. I've found a lot of info for removing popcorn, but not swirl.





Thanks,What is the best way to remove/cover swirl texture from a ceiling?
It depends on whether it's been painted or not. If it hasn't, wet and scrape. If it has, the best thing to do is knock the high spots down with a screen sander. Prime the surface with a coating that will bind to both your old surface and the new surface. Then go over top with a skim coat of plaster or, in your case, knock-down.