SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934

March 14, 1996
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(Date of Report, date of earliest event reported)

VALHI, INC.
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(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware              1-5467             87-0110150
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(State or other        (Commission         (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of        File Number)        Identification
incorporation)                             No.)

5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, TX     75240-2697
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(Address of principal executive offices)     (Zip Code)

(214) 233-1700
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(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not applicable
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(Former name or address, if changed since last report)

Item 5:  Other Events
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On March 14,  1996 , the Registrant issued the press

release attached  hereto as  Exhibit 99.1  which is  incorporated
herein by reference.

Item 7:  Financial Statements,  Pro Forma  Financial Information
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and Exhibits
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(c)  Exhibit
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Item No.             Exhibit Index
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99.1        Press release dated March 14, 1996
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issued by the Registrant

SIGNATURES
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Pursuant to the requirements  of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  the Registrant has  duly caused this  report to  be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

VALHI, INC.
(Registrant)

By:/s/ Steven L. Watson
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Steven L. Watson
Vice President & Secretary

Date:  March 11, 1996
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Valhi to Close New Mexico MDF Plant

DALLAS, March 14, 1996:   Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI)  announced
today that  it plans  to close  its  Medite Las  Vegas,  New
Mexico medium density fiberboard (MDF) operations by May 13,
1996.  In connection  with the closure  Valhi will record  a
charge of approximately  $15 million  after-tax ($.13  cents
per share).  Cash costs net of tax benefits are not expected
to be  material.   Medite will  continue its  operations  in
Oregon and The Republic of Ireland.

Michael A. Snetzer,  Chairman and CEO  of Medite said  ``Our
decision was  based upon  the prohibitive  additional  costs
required to  seek and  possibly obtain  long-term  operating
permits, particularly in  light of high  operating costs  of
the older multi-opening  press technology  employed at  this
plant, the high cost of raw materials used by the plant  and
a  weak  MDF  pricing  environment.    These  problems   are
magnified by significant MDF  capacity additions which  have
been announced  elsewhere  in  North America  and  the  weak
pricing environment we expect until this new capacity can be
absorbed by the MDF market.  Accordingly, we do not  believe
the cost  of  further  investment in  this  plant  could  be
recovered.''     Mr.  Snetzer   added  ``we  are   presently
evaluating alternatives for  disposition of  the New  Mexico
plant's assets.''

Medite employs  approximately  120 hourly  and  40  salaried
personnel in the New Mexico plant which in 1995 had sales of
$28 million to 162 customers in 36 states and seven  foreign
countries.  In the  months between today's announcement  and
final closure, Medite expects to  work closely with its  New
Mexico  employees,  customers  and  suppliers  as  well   as
government officials in  this period of  transition to  make
the adjustments which will inevitably result from closure of
the new Mexico operations.

Medite will continue to serve MDF customers from its  larger
MDF plants in  Ireland and Oregon  which together  accounted
for 1995 sales of $121 million (81% of Medite's MDF  sales).
In addition to  its MDF  business, Medite  owns and  manages
170,000 acres of timberland in Southern Oregon and  operates
a sawmill and veneer/wood  chip facility in close  proximity
to its timber holdings.   These traditional timber  products
activities had 1995 sales of $50 million.

In 1995, Medite's  total MDF operations  accounted for  less
than 8% of Valhi's 1995 sales.  Valhi is a major producer of
titanium dioxide  pigments,  refined sugar,  MDF  and  other
products.