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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | ---
May 31, 2016 USD ($) Entity | May 31, 2015 USD ($) Entity | May 31, 2014 USD ($) | Oct. 23, 2012 USD ($) | May 31, 2009
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount funded for trust as per agreement | $ 450,000,000 |  |  |  |
Bankruptcy Note, net present value | 335,000,000 |  |  |  |
Initial payment for long term debt | 450,000,000 |  |  |  |
Business combination, total consideration transferred | 772,600,000 |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | $ 1,219,630,000 | $ 1,215,688,000 | $ 1,147,374,000 |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity | 7 | 6 |  |  |
Number of product line divestiture | Entity | 1 |  |  |  |
Net transactional foreign exchange losses | $ 24,400,000 | $ 22,300,000 | 17,700,000 |  |
Bad debt expense | 8,700,000 | 4,900,000 | 7,600,000 |  |
Advertising cost | 49,700,000 | 40,800,000 | 49,600,000 |  |
Research and development cost | 61,500,000 | 56,700,000 | 54,600,000 |  |
Litigation settlement fund | 9,300,000 |  |  |  |
Gain on remeasurement of joint venture ownership | 7,972,000 |  |  |  |
Deferred debt cost, Current | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 |  |  |
Deferred debt costs, long term net | 8,200,000 | 11,500,000 |  |  |
Consumer Segment |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | $ 572,507,000 | $ 573,053,000 | 575,216,000 |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity | 2 | 2 |  |  |
Consumer Segment | Kirker Reporting Unit |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill, estimated fair value | $ 143,300,000 |  |  |  |
Assumed long-term earnings growth rate | 3.00% |  |  |  |
Weighted-average cost of capital | 8.00% |  |  |  |
Consumer Segment | Kirker Reporting Unit | Maximum |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of fair value of goodwill exceeding carrying value | 8.00% |  |  |  |
Industrial Segment |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | $ 467,028,000 | $ 467,949,000 | 521,528,000 |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity | 2 | 3 |  |  |
Specialty Segment |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | $ 180,095,000 | $ 174,686,000 | 50,630,000 |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity | 3 |  |  |  |
SPHC |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of total consideration | $ 564,200,000 |  |  |  |
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names | SPHC |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 52,700,000 |  |  |  |
Formulas | SPHC |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 2,600,000 |  |  |  |
Customer Relationships | SPHC |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 118,700,000 |  |  |  |
Definite-Lived Trade Names | SPHC |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |  |
RPM Holdco |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership | 21.39% |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of total consideration | $ 208,400,000 |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | 118,700,000 |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 176,000,000 |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of income tax assets | 271,700,000 |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of net deferred tax liabilities | $ 72,300,000 |  |  |  |
Carboline Dalian |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership |  |  |  |  | 49.00%
Remaining ownership interest acquired by parent | 51.00% |  |  |  |
Increased ownership interest by parent | 100.00% |  |  |  |
Second Anniversary |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount funded for trust as per agreement | $ 102,500,000 |  |  |  |
Third Anniversary |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount funded for trust as per agreement | 120,000,000 |  |  |  |
Fourth Anniversary |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount funded for trust as per agreement | 125,000,000 |  |  |  |
Third Party |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Shipping costs | 145,300,000 | 142,900,000 | $ 133,000,000 |  |
Revolving Credit Facility |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity | 800,000,000 | $ 800,000,000 |  | $ 600,000,000 |
Other Accrued Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Bankruptcy Note, net present value | 101,500,000 |  |  |  |
Other Long-Term Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Bankruptcy Note, net present value | $ 233,500,000 |  |  |  |

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