@Gail W. wrote in an earlier post:

I have made an offer on a house where there has been a very heavy smoker living for a number of years. The originally white popcorn ceiling is now yellow over the entire surface. There is so much nicotine on the ceiling that it is running black streaks down the wall. The people at the local hardware store where I usually buy my paint have recommended the Zinsser B.I.N. saying its the only primer that will block the nicotine stain, and as you stated it is very expensive. Would I be able to paint the ceiling with dewaxed shellac to cover the smoke stain ,(and smell) without cleaning? or would you recommend removing the popcorn and cleaning with TSP detergent?

I asked Gail to repost in the DIY forum, not realizing the post was already in the DIY forum. But this really deserves its own separate discussion, mostly because I'm about to lay out some pretty controversial realities as I see them.

I think what should be stated first out is that the normal flipper quick-fix solution would be to B-I-N prime that ceiling up, paint it reel gud, and sell the joint. This is not appropriate for a long-term buy-and-hold, because the quick-fix solution will begin to fail rather quickly (give it a year or two) and after maybe five years we're talking some spectacular-spectacular failure. Any disagreement on that?