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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Bank Of Montreal CAD	Dec. 31, 2013 BMI USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 France USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 France USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 France	Dec. 31, 2012 Incremental Tax Benefit Expense Chemicals USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Incremental Tax Benefit Expense Chemicals USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Incremental Tax Benefit Expense Chemicals USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 Canadian Income Tax Audit Canada USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 U.S. Income Tax Audit USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 German corporate Kronos Worldwide, Inc. USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Trade tax purposes Kronos Worldwide, Inc. USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Belgian corporate tax purposes Kronos Worldwide, Inc. USD ($)
Income Taxes Disclosure [Line Items]
Surtax on dividend distributions									3.00%vhi_SurtaxLeviedOnDividendDistributionsPercentage / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_FR
Distributed dividend							$ 0vhi_DividendDistributionToParent / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_FR	$ 0vhi_DividendDistributionToParent / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_FR
Earnings of foreign subsidiaries subject to permanent reinvestment plan		659.0us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries					12.8us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_FR
Net incremental tax benefit		(2.7)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments	(2.0)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments	0.6us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments						(11.1)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_IncrementalTaxBenefitExpenseMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = vhi_ChemicalsMember	8.0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_IncrementalTaxBenefitExpenseMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = vhi_ChemicalsMember	(3.1)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_IncrementalTaxBenefitExpenseMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = vhi_ChemicalsMember
Equity ownership percentage						32.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = vhi_BasicManagementMember
Controlling interest in subsidiary						63.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = vhi_BasicManagementMember
Incremental tax on earnings of Non US and Non tax group companies		(2.2)vhi_IncrementalTaxOnEarningsOfNonUSAndNonTaxGroupCompanies	(18.5)vhi_IncrementalTaxOnEarningsOfNonUSAndNonTaxGroupCompanies	1.0vhi_IncrementalTaxOnEarningsOfNonUSAndNonTaxGroupCompanies		11.1vhi_IncrementalTaxOnEarningsOfNonUSAndNonTaxGroupCompanies / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = vhi_BasicManagementMember
Letter of credit collateralized					7.9us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount / us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis = vhi_BankOfMontrealMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_KronosMember
Non-cash income tax benefit recognized related to release of portion of reserve for uncertain tax positions	3.2us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions												3.0us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_CA	3.1us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Unrecognized tax benefits impact on effective tax rate		24.2us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate	29.2us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate	27.9us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Increase (decrease) in unrecognized tax benefits		5.8us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit
Accrued interest and penalties during the period		1.2us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense	1.3us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense	0.9us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Accrued interest and penalties end of the period		4.1us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued	5.0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued
Net operating loss carryforwards															738us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_GermanCorporateMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_KronosMember	94us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_TradeTaxPurposesMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_KronosMember	87us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = vhi_BelgianCorporateTaxPurposeMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_KronosMember
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance		$ 0us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwardsValuationAllowance

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The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

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Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to other adjustments.

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The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

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Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the valuation allowance pertaining to the deferred tax asset representing potential future taxable deductions from net operating loss carryforwards for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

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The amount of the unrecognized tax benefit of a position taken for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount thereof will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months of the balance sheet date.

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Amount of increase (decrease) to previously recorded tax expense. Includes, but is not limited to, significant settlements of income tax disputes, and unusual tax positions or infrequent actions taken by the entity, including tax assessment reversal, and IRS tax settlement.

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Amount of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries intended to be permanently reinvested outside the country of domicile.

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Amount accrued for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return.

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Amount of expense for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return.

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The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate.

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Dividend distribution to parent.

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Incremental ​tax ​on earnings of non US and non tax group companies.

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Surtax levied on dividend distributions percentage.

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