Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments - Financial Instruments not Carried at Fair Value (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents	$ 143,400,000	$ 395,900,000
Noncontrolling interest, Carrying amount	335,900,000	358,100,000
Valhi stockholders' equity, Carrying amount	574,900,000	733,600,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents, fair value	143,400,000	395,900,000
Valhi stockholders' equity, Fair value	6,768,800,000	4,238,900,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. \| Common Stock
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, Carrying amount	239,100,000	267,000,000
Noncontrolling interest	350,900,000	442,600,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. \| Note Payable \| Contran
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long term debt - Kronos note payable to Contran	175,000,000
Debt instrument, fair value	175,000,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. \| Term Loan
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans, Carrying amount		384,500,000
Debt instrument, fair value		396,800,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. \| Bank Credit Facility
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Variable rate credit facility, Carrying Amount	46,200,000	13,200,000
Variable rate credit facility, Fair Value	46,200,000	13,200,000
Snake River \| Fixed Rate Loans
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans, Carrying amount	250,000,000	250,000,000
Debt instrument, fair value	250,000,000	250,000,000
WCS \| Fixed Rate Loans
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans, Carrying amount	76,200,000	77,100,000
Debt instrument, fair value	76,200,000	77,100,000
Valhi \| Credit Facility \| Contran
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Variable rate credit facility, Carrying Amount	173,500,000	157,600,000
Variable rate credit facility, Fair Value	173,500,000	157,600,000
CompX \| Common Stock
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, Carrying amount	13,500,000	13,300,000
Noncontrolling interest	21,300,000	23,400,000
CompX \| Promissory Note
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Variable rate promissory note, Carrying amount		18,500,000
Debt instrument, fair value		18,500,000
NL \| Common Stock
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, Carrying amount	83,300,000	77,800,000
Noncontrolling interest	$ 94,000,000	$ 94,800,000

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

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- Definition

Fair value of the entity's equity.

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

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- Definition

Fair value portion of contractual arrangement with a lender under which borrowings can be made up to a specific amount at any point in time.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Line-of-Credit Arrangement

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of loans payable (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of notes payable (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer), excluding current portion.

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- Definition

Total of all stockholders' equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which is directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (that is, noncontrolling interest, previously referred to as minority interest).

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying amount of all types of notes payable, as of the balance sheet date, with initial maturities beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

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- Definition

Fair value portion of notes payable.

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- Definition

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

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- Definition

Total of all stockholders' equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which are attributable to the parent. The amount of the economic entity's stockholders' equity attributable to the parent excludes the amount of stockholders' equity which is allocable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (noncontrolling interest, minority interest). This excludes temporary equity and is sometimes called permanent equity.

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- Definition

Estimated Noncontrolling Interest Fair Value

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Fair Value Disclosure

+ References

No definition available.

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