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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
May 31, 2017 USD ($) | Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($) | May 31, 2017 USD ($) Segment Entity | May 31, 2016 USD ($) Entity | May 31, 2015 USD ($) | May 31, 2009
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business combination, total consideration transferred |  |  |  | $ 772,600,000 |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | $ 1,143,913,000 |  |  | $ 1,143,913,000 | $ 1,219,630,000 | $ 1,215,688,000 |
Number of reportable segments | Segment |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  |  | 7 |  |
Number of product line divestiture | Entity |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |
Net transactional foreign exchange losses |  |  |  | $ 6,400,000 | $ 24,400,000 | 22,300,000 |
Bad debt expense |  |  |  | 16,000,000 | 8,700,000 | 4,900,000 |
Goodwill and Other Intangible Asset Impairments |  |  |  | 193,198,000 |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of other reporting units | no |  |  |  |  |  |
Advertising cost |  |  |  | 52,300,000 | 49,700,000 | 40,800,000 |
Research and development cost |  |  |  | 64,900,000 | 61,500,000 | 56,700,000 |
Litigation settlement fund | $ 9,300,000 |  |  | 9,300,000 | 9,300,000 |  |
Gain on remeasurement of joint venture ownership |  |  |  |  | 7,972,000 |  |
Deferred debt cost, Current |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000 |  |
Deferred debt costs, long term net |  |  |  |  | 8,200,000 |  |
Total undiscounted future minimum payments outstanding for operating lease obligations | 225,000,000 |  |  | 225,000,000 |  |  |
Provision for Income Taxes |  |  |  | 59,662,000 | $ 126,008,000 | 224,925,000 |
Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Provision for Income Taxes |  |  |  | 12,100,000 |  |  |
Kirker Reporting Unit |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |
Fair value in excess of carrying value |  |  |  |  | 8.00% |  |
Percentage of loss on sales |  | 15.00% |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill and Other Intangible Asset Impairments |  | $ 188,300,000 |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  | 46,000,000 |  |  |
Third Party |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shipping costs |  |  |  | 148,900,000 | $ 145,300,000 | 142,900,000 |
Consumer Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | 453,600,000 |  |  | $ 453,600,000 | $ 572,507,000 | 573,054,000 |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  | 2 | 2 |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  |  | $ 53,000,000 |  |  |
Industrial Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | 516,335,000 |  |  | 516,335,000 | $ 475,409,000 | 476,700,000 |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
Specialty Segment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | 173,978,000 |  |  | 173,978,000 | $ 171,714,000 | $ 165,934,000 |
Number of business acquisition | Entity |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |
SPHC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of total consideration | 564,200,000 |  |  | 564,200,000 |  |  |
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names | SPHC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 52,700,000 |  |  | 52,700,000 |  |  |
Formulas | SPHC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 2,600,000 |  |  | 2,600,000 |  |  |
Restore Indefinite-lived Tradename |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible asset impairment loss |  |  | $ 4,900,000 |  |  |  |
Adjustment to intangible asset impairment | 0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Restore Indefinite-lived Tradename | Sales Revenue, Net | Product Concentration Risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of product to total sales |  |  |  |  | 60.00% |  |
Customer Relationships | SPHC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 118,700,000 |  |  | 118,700,000 |  |  |
Definite-Lived Trade Names | SPHC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | $ 2,000,000 |  |  | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |
RPM Holdco |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Of Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership | 21.39% |  |  | 21.39% |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of total consideration | $ 208,400,000 |  |  | $ 208,400,000 |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of goodwill | 118,700,000 |  |  | 118,700,000 |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of intangible assets | 176,000,000 |  |  | 176,000,000 |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of income tax assets | 271,700,000 |  |  | 271,700,000 |  |  |
Business acquisition, fair value of net deferred tax liabilities | $ 72,300,000 |  |  | $ 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% |  |

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