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You may need to replace drywall because of smoke damage. If the drywall is covered in soot, you may be able to clean it, but it will require a lot of time and effort. You could spend hours cleaning the drywall only to find there is more damage and it needs to be replaced anyway. It’s usually easier and safer to remove the smoke-damaged drywall and replace it.

You should do a little bit of sanding between adding coats of mud. Knock down any ridges or significantly imperfect areas through sanding, which should help you apply the next coat of mud smoothly. If your first coat of mud is pretty smooth after it dries, a quick sanding is all you’ll need. Don’t forget to wipe away any dust after each sanding process.

Drywall does not necessarily need to be glued to the ceiling, especially when it is properly screwed or nailed into place. Drywall is typically attached to the ceiling joists using screws or nails, ensuring a secure and stable drywall installation. 

However, in certain situations where additional adhesion is required, construction adhesive can be applied in combination with screws or nails. This is often done for ceilings with specific acoustic or insulation requirements. It's essential to follow local building codes and best practices to determine if adhesive use is necessary for your specific project.

Certain drywall textures, like sand and sometimes popcorn, can be smoothed by applying skim coats, sanding the walls, or chipping away the texture. However, it’s worth considering removing the texture and starting with a blank canvas. Smoothing textured walls requires a lot of sandpaper and elbow grease and can take longer than just outright removing the texture.