Painting - painting over popcorn ceilings

We just bought a house that has popcorn covered ceilings that I'm planning to repaint. When I try to cut the edges with a brush, it removes some of the texture and the more i brush, more comes off. A roller seems to work ok. Any ideas? Is it impossible (or not worth it) to sand it smooth?

Popcorn ceilings can be tricky to paint without a spray rig. I would sugest thinning the paint to cut it in, work with plenty of paint in the brush, if it starts to take the texture off then just keep moving on down, letting the cut in dry and the paint will help it to adhere better to the ceiling, then cutting it in again with the thinned paint. Don't thin it too much, about 1 part water to 5 parts paint, and see how that works out. The texture can be removed but is a messy process, wetting with water and scraping, touching up, sanding and re-priming.

Another alternative would be getting one of those spray bottles that you add your own paint (Sherwin Williams) and spraying the cut in, you would have to sheild the wall or if you are going to repaint the walls sheilding will not be nesasary.

Hope this helps.