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Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities [Line Items] |  |  |
Asset retirement obligation, accretion expense | $ 1.8 us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense | $ 1.7 us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense | $ 0.7 us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense
Compact and Federal LLRW Disposal Facilities |  |  |
Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities [Line Items] |  |  |
Asset retirement obligation |  |  | $ 19.1 us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate / us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis = vhi_CompactAndFederalLLRWDisposalFacilitiesMember

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- Definition Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c)(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Amount of the Increase or Decrease in the amount of the asset retirement obligation during the current period for changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c)(4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | vhi_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilitiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | vhi_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis=vhi_CompactAndFederalLLRWDisposalFacilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |