[COMPANY LOGO]

                VALHI, INC. COMPLETES SALE OF MEDITE TIMBERLANDS

           Dallas, Texas ... October 31, 1996 ... Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI)
      announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of
      approximately 170,000 acres of Oregon timber and timberlands to
      Rogue Resources, LLC, an Oregon based partnership of forest
      product operators, for approximately $118 million in cash
      proceeds.  The timber and timberlands are part of Valhi's building
      products business operated by Medite Corporation, a wholly owned
      subsidiary of Valcor, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of
      Valhi.  Medite used approximately $53 million of the proceeds to
      pay down Medite bank debt in the U.S., and the balance is
      available for general corporate purposes.

           The previously announced sale of substantially all of the
      balance of Valhi's buildings products business to Sierra Pine, a
      California limited partnership, for the sale of Medite's Medford,
      Oregon medium density fiberboard manufacturing facility and
      Willamette Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:WMTT) for the sale of Medite's
      Irish medium density fiberboard operations, respectively, are
      expected to close by the end of 1996.

           Valhi, Inc. is a major producer of titanium dioxide pigments,
      refined sugar and other products.