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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) |  |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended |  |  | 1 Months Ended |  | 3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Apr. 30, 2014 Subsequent Event Contran Waste Control Specialists | Mar. 31, 2014 Other Environmental Cleanup Matters | Apr. 30, 2014 Surety Bond Subsequent Event Waste Control Specialists | Sep. 30, 2014 Surety Bond Subsequent Event Waste Control Specialists | Mar. 31, 2014 Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 Collateral Trust Waste Control Specialists | Apr. 30, 2014 Collateral Trust Subsequent Event Waste Control Specialists | Mar. 31, 2014 NL Environmental Remediation Sites Nl Named As Prp Or Defendant site | Mar. 31, 2014 NL Lead Pigment Litigation Cases | Mar. 31, 2014 NL California Lead Paint Litigation | Mar. 31, 2014 NL Product Liability And Occupational Exposure Litigation Claims Pending Claims Plaintiff Cases | Mar. 31, 2014 NL Product Liability And Occupational Exposure Litigation Claims Administratively Dismissed Claims Plaintiff | Mar. 31, 2014 Valhi Surety Bond Contran Waste Control Specialists | Dec. 31, 2013 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 |  |  |  |
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters | 122,200,000 | 122,700,000 |  | 8,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  | 113,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of sites associated with remediation ad related costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 45 |  |  |  |  |  |
Upper end range, estimate costs for remediation and related matters |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 153,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of sites for which NL not currently able to estimate range of costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |
Cases pending |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,130 |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs involved |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,643 | 8,298 |  |
Surety bond purchased from third party insurance company |  |  | 85,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32,200,000
Collateral trust as a percent of value of bonds |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.50% | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash payments to collateral trust |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 | 1,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,700,000 |
Restricted cash |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Decrease in restricted cash |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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