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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  | 12 Months Ended |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  | 12 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
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Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Component Products Segment Harley Davidson Inc | Dec. 31, 2012 Customer Concentration Risk Component Products Segment Harley Davidson Inc | Dec. 31, 2011 Customer Concentration Risk Component Products Segment Harley Davidson Inc | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Component Products Segment San Mateo Postal Data | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Waste Management Segment Tennessee Valley Authority | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Waste Management Segment Studsvik, Inc. | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Waste Management Segment Department of Energy | Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers Component Products Segment | Dec. 31, 2012 Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers Component Products Segment | Dec. 31, 2011 Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers Component Products Segment | Dec. 31, 2013 Chemicals TiO2 Product Customer | Dec. 31, 2012 Chemicals TiO2 Product | Dec. 31, 2011 Chemicals TiO2 Product | Dec. 31, 2013 Chemicals Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers | Dec. 31, 2012 Chemicals Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers | Dec. 31, 2011 Chemicals Customer Concentration Risk Top Ten Customers | Dec. 31, 2013 Chemical Segment Feedstock Ore | Dec. 31, 2013 Chemical Segment Other Supply And Service Contracts | Dec. 31, 2013 Surety Bond Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 Additional Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2012 Additional Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 Additional Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2011 Additional Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 Additional Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 Other Environmental Cleanup Matters | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Cases | Dec. 31, 2013 NL One Beacon | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Environmental Remediation Sites Nl Named As Prp Or Defendant site | Dec. 31, 2011 NL Insurance claims Lead Pigment Litigation With Insurance Carriers | Dec. 31, 2010 NL Insurance claims Lead Pigment Litigation With Insurance Carriers | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Environmental Obligations | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Environmental Obligations Certain Obligations Discounted to Present Value | Dec. 31, 2013 NL California Lead Paint Litigation | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Product Liability And Occupational Exposure Litigation Claims Pending Claims Plaintiff Cases | Dec. 31, 2013 NL Product Liability And Occupational Exposure Litigation Claims Administratively Dismissed Claims Plaintiff | Sep. 30, 2013 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Pricing Litigation Settlement | Dec. 31, 2013 Behr Process Corporation Chemicals Customer Concentration Risk | Dec. 31, 2012 Behr Process Corporation Chemicals Customer Concentration Risk | Dec. 31, 2013 Valhi Surety Bond Contran Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2012 Valhi Surety Bond Contran Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2011 Valhi Surety Bond Contran Waste Control Specialists
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases settled and dismissed and found not liable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period by which loss contingency claims settled and dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments for litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,150,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Additions charged to expense, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,300,000 | 5,600,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Aggregate payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis, 2012 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis, 2013 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis, 2014 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis, 2015 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments related to additions charged to expense on undiscounted basis, 2016 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Aggregate payments related to additions charged to expense on discounted basis |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 400,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters | 122,700,000 | 50,200,000 | 43,200,000 | 42,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9,000,000 |  |  | 114,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of sites associated with remediation ad related costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 45 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Upper end range, estimate costs for remediation and related matters |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 154,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of sites for which NL not currently able to estimate range of costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Insurance recoveries | 9,400,000 | 3,300,000 | 16,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,900,000 | 7,200,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cases pending |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,130 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs involved |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,643 | 8,298 |  |  |  |  |  |
Case conclusion settlement amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 35,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
General and administrative | 375,100,000 | 273,300,000 | 268,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 35,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Concentration risk percentage |  |  |  |  | 12.00% | 12.00% | 13.00% | 13.00% | 30.00% | 15.00% | 10.00% | 42.00% | 38.00% | 39.00% | 90.00% | 90.00% | 92.00% | 34.00% | 34.00% | 30.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10.00% | 10.00% |  |  |
Sale of TiO2, number of customers |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum purchase commitments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 820,000,000 | 123,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rent expense | 15,800,000 | 16,300,000 | 13,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Surety bond purchased from third party insurance company |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 119,500,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32,200,000 | 23,400,000 | 20,000,000
Collateral trust as a percent of value of bonds |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.50% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash payments to collateral trust |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Surety bond purchased of state of Texas in aggregate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12,350,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Increase in restricted cash |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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