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                                 PRESS RELEASE


      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                          CONTACT:

      VALHI, INC.                             JOSEPH S. COMPOFELICE
      THREE LINCOLN CENTRE                    EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
      5430 LBJ FREEWAY                        (713) 423-3303
      DALLAS, TEXAS   75240-2697
      (972)  233-1700


                     VALHI AGREES TO SELL MEDITE OPERATIONS

           Dallas, Texas ... September  18, 1996 ... Valhi, Inc.
      (NYSE:VHI) announced that it has signed Letters of Intent
      involving the sale of its building products business operated by
      Medite Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Valcor, Inc.,
      which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Valhi.

           The proposed sale will be accomplished in three separate
      transactions whereby the Company will sell: (1) approximately
      170,000 acres of timber and timberlands to Rogue Resources, LLC,
      an Oregon based partnership of forest product operators; (2) the
      Medford Oregon based medium density fibreboard manufacturing
      facility along with a veneer and sawmill conversion facility to
      Sierra Pine, a California limited partnership; and (3) the Irish
      medium density fibreboard operations to Willamette Industries,
      Inc. (NASDAQ:WMTT).  The transactions are subject to, among other
      things, completion of due diligence, execution of definitive
      agreements and certain regulatory approvals.

           The total cash consideration will be approximately $230
      million, subject to certain adjustments, plus the assumption of
      $20 million of foreign debt.  The transactions are expected to
      close in the fourth quarter of 1996, at which time the Company
      expects to report a pretax gain on the dispositions in excess of
      $100 million.  Approximately $53 million of the cash proceeds will
      be used to pay off Medite bank debt in the U.S.

           Valhi, Inc. is a major producer of chemicals, refined sugar,
      building products and other products.