FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    CONTACT: CHRIS WELLBORN, (214) 309-4007


      DAL-TILE INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO FILE SECONDARY OFFERING

Dallas, April 11 -- Dal-Tile International Inc. (NYSE:DTL) today announced that
it intends to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange
Commission for an underwritten offering of shares of its common stock. It is
currently anticipated that approximately 14,000,000 shares will be offered by
certain selling stockholders and that the underwriters will be granted an
over-allotment option. The selling stockholders will be certain unit holders of
DTI Investors LLC (an affiliate of AEA Investors Inc.), which currently holds
approximately 28,600,000 Dal-Tile shares. Following the offering, the remaining
shares will be subject to lock-up arrangements that are expected to expire in
the fourth quarter of 2001. Dal-Tile will not receive any proceeds from the sale
of the shares. The offering is expected to be completed in the second quarter of
2001. The timing of the filing of the registration statement and the
commencement of the offering are dependent on market conditions and other
factors and are subject to change.

Jacques Sardas, chairman, president and CEO of Dal-Tile, stated "AEA has been a
long time partner and investor in Dal-Tile and we have always valued and
appreciated their support. Their desire to obtain liquidity is understandable.
Looking ahead, the offering will result in an increased stock float and a
broader shareholder base, which we believe will benefit Dal-Tile."

Dal-Tile is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of ceramic tile
in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. Headquartered in
Dallas, Texas, the Company has approximately 7,600 employees at its facilities
in North America. The Company sells its products, marketed under the brand names
Daltile(R) and American Olean(R) through a network of Company-operated sales
centers, independent distributors and leading retail home centers nationwide.
Dal-Tile common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
DTL. Additional information on the company and its products is available on the
Worldwide Web at HTTP://WWW.DALTILE.COM.

This news release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy, nor will there be any sale of Dal-Tile common stock in any state in which
such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before registration or
qualification under the securities laws of such state. The common stock proposed
to be sold may not be sold, nor may any offers to buy be accepted, before a
registration statement is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
becomes effective. An offering of Dal-Tile common stock, if made, will only be
made by means of a prospectus.



Note: SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT
OF 1995: CERTAIN OF THE STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE, PARTICULARLY THOSE
ANTICIPATING FUTURE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, BUSINESS PROSPECTS, GROWTH AND
OPERATING STRATEGIES, NEW PRODUCTS AND SIMILAR MATTERS, CONSTITUTE
"FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS". FOR THOSE STATEMENTS, DAL-TILE CLAIMS THE
PROTECTION OF THE SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THE
PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. THE STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON
ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN ITS SALES GROWTH AND
GROSS MARGINS AND TO CONTROL COSTS AND ON ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE
OF THE ECONOMY. THESE STATEMENTS ARE BASED LARGELY ON THE COMPANY'S EXPECTATIONS
AND ARE SUBJECT TO A NUMBER OF RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES, AND OTHER FACTORS THAT
COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE EXPRESSED IN THE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. SUCH FACTORS INCLUDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE IMPACT
OF COMPETITIVE PRESSURES AND CHANGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ON THE COMPANY'S
BUSINESS AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY,
THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY IS HIGHLY LEVERAGED, RELIANCE ON THIRD PARTY
SUPPLIERS, INCREASES IN PRICES OF RAW MATERIALS AND ENERGY, CURRENCY
FLUCTUATIONS, OTHER FACTORS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FOREIGN MANUFACTURING
OPERATIONS, THE IMPACT OF PENDING REDUCTIONS IN TARIFFS AND CUSTOMS DUTIES,
ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS, AND THE RISK FACTORS OR UNCERTAINTIES LISTED
FROM TIME TO TIME IN DAL-TILE'S FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION.