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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Dec. 31, 2017
Mar. 31, 2017
Income Tax [Line Items]      
U.S. Federal statutory income tax rate 21.00% 35.00% 35.00%
Transition tax   $ 76.2  
Income tax liability payable period 8 years    
Noncurrent payable to affiliate $ 70.1 70.1  
Income tax expense (benefit) related to increase (decrease) in reserve for uncertain tax positions $ 1.4    
Canada - Germany APA      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Advance Pricing Agreement, description None of our U.S. and non-U.S. tax returns are currently under examination. As a result of prior audits in certain jurisdictions, which are now settled, in 2008 we filed Advance Pricing Agreement Requests with the tax authorities in the U.S., Canada and Germany. These requests have been under review with the respective tax authorities since 2008 and prior to 2016, it was uncertain whether an agreement would be reached between the tax authorities and whether we would agree to execute and finalize such agreements.    
Canada - Germany APA | Canadian and German Subsidiaries      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Noncash income tax benefit related to APA tax settlement payment $ 1.4    
European Subsidiaries      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Deferred income tax on undistributed earnings of european subsidiaries 0.4 4.5  
Valhi | Income Tax Payable      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Noncurrent payable to affiliate $ 70.1    
Valhi | Income Tax Receivable      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Current income tax expense payable in next fiscal year   6.1  
Maximum      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Percentage of annual usage limitation on net operating loss carryforward 80.00%    
Germany | Corporate Purposes      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carryforwards   652.0  
Germany | Trade Tax Purposes      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carryforwards   0.5  
Belgium | Corporate Purposes      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carryforwards   $ 50.0  
Germany and Belgian      
Income Tax [Line Items]      
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance     $ (5.0)