ATRIUM COMPANIES AND WING INDUSTRIES COMPLETE COMBINATION
             WITH AN AGGREGATE VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY $325 MILLION  

DALLAS, October 7, 1998--Atrium Companies, Inc., a leading domestic 
manufacturer and distributor of residential windows and patio doors, today 
announced that it has completed its previously announced combination with 
Wing Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of interior door products, and 
R.G. Darby Company, a premium building material installer.  As a result of 
the combination, G.E. Investment Private Placement Partners II, L.P. and 
Ardshiel, Inc., a New York-based investment firm specializing in investing 
private equity and debt in mid-sized transactions, which control Wing and 
Darby, acquired a controlling stake in Atrium from Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst 
Incorporated.  Members of Atrium's, Wing's and Darby's management hold an 
equity stake of approximately 15% in the combined company.  The aggregate 
value of the transaction, including the acquisition and recapitalization of 
Atrium and the recapitalizations of Wing and Darby, was approximately $325 
million.

On October 9, 1998, as required under Atrium's 10-1/2% Senior Subordinated 
Notes indenture, Atrium commenced a change of control offer to purchase the 
Notes at 101% plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase.

The combined company will be one of the five largest door and window 
companies in the United States based on revenues and one of a limited number 
of national, full-service providers of door and window products.  The 
combined company will have access to multiple broad distribution channels 
covering the entire U.S., including independent distributors and nationally 
recognized home centers.

Randall S. Fojtasek, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium, will 
hold the same position with the combined company.  Mr. Fojtasek said: 
"Atrium, Wing and Darby are an ideal strategic fit, with complementary 
product lines and distribution channels, and with virtually no geographic 
overlap.  We believe the combined enterprise will be exceptionally 
well-positioned to serve our customers' needs, to build brand equity and 
to achieve our growth objectives."

Daniel T. Morley, President of Ardshiel, noted: "One of the key positives of 
this transaction is the opportunity to combine two strong and deep management 
teams.  The breadth of experience across a wide range of home building 
materials markets will enable the combined company to benefit from the 
collective knowledge and savvy of one new combined management group."

The combination creates a national building materials company with revenues 
of approximately $400 million, with more than 20 facilities throughout the 
U.S. and approximately 3,000 employees.  By combining Atrium's strength in 
the single-family home new construction market with Wing's presence in the 
repair and remodeling market and Darby's focus on the multi-family new 
construction segment, the combined company will have a strong presence in all 
major




distribution channels for doors and windows. Additionally, numerous 
cross-selling opportunities exist within each of the individual companies' 
respective markets.

Atrium manufacturers aluminum, vinyl and wood windows and doors, which it 
sells under the highly recognized "Atrium" and "H-R" brand names. Atrium is 
one of the two largest aluminum window manufacturers in its primary markets, 
which include the fast-growing southern, southeastern and southwestern 
regions of the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Atrium also has 
operations in Houston, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Portland, OR; Anaheim, 
CA; Union City, CA; Clinton, MA; and Bridgeport, CT.

Wing manufactures and distributes a full range of interior solid wood and 
hollow core bifold and passage doors, and also distributes exterior doors and 
columns. Wing offers the broadest product line of interior wood doors in the 
industry and is a leading provider of interior doors to the home center 
industry in the United States. Headquartered in Greenville, TX, Wing has 
operations in Mt. Pleasant, TX; Chicago, IL; Allentown, PA; and Cleveland, 
OH. Wing is currently opening a facility in Charlotte, NC.

R.G. Darby, headquartered in Florence, AL, pre-hangs, distributes and 
installs interior doors, and distributes and installs other products 
primarily in high-end, multi-family real estate developments.