Textured Paint

Dear NH,
I have a drywall ceiling above my patio deck that had a plaster-like texture. The texture was all falling off, so I scraped it clean and painted it with a white outside paint. I have found white texture paint and would like to put some texture back on the ceiling. The problem is that this paint is for interior use only. Can you put interior paint outside if it is going over a coat of exterior paint? I can't find any ready-made ceiling texture paint for outdoors.
TD from California, MD

TD,
Most of the textured surfaces you see outdoors are stucco, a Portland cement-based texture coating that is suitable for inside or outside use. The plaster-like texture paints, though, are not rugged enough to withstand outside exposure. Exterior paints have certain qualities that allow them to stand the rigors of the weather... chemically-enhanced mildew resistance, moisture resistance and sunlight resistance. Texture paints tend to give a soft surface with some porosity and virtually no mildew resistance.

Since stucco is not designed to adhere to drywall, I wouldn't recommend using it for your application. However, all is not lost. Apply your interior texture paint... but once it is completely dry apply a coat or two of exterior paint right over the top of it! You will still have the attractive texture, but the exterior paint will act as a barrier to the limited exposure to the weather your ceiling will have. Then you have all bases covered... and the ceiling!
NH

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