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Commitments and Contingencies - Lead Pigment Litigation-NL and Environmental Matters and Litigation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2015 Cases | Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters | 118,100,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies | $ 118,500,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
Other Environmental Cleanup Matters |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters | 8,300,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies / us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostByPropertyAxis = vhi_OtherEnvironmentalCleanupMattersMember |
NL | Environmental Remediation Sites Nl Named As Prp Or Defendant |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters | 110,000,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies / us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostByPropertyAxis = vhi_EnvironmentalRemediationSitesNlNamedAsPrpOrDefendantMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember |
Number of sites associated with remediation ad related costs | 47 vhi_NumberOfEnvironmentalRemediationSitesWithReasonablyEstimableCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostByPropertyAxis = vhi_EnvironmentalRemediationSitesNlNamedAsPrpOrDefendantMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember |
Upper end range, estimate costs for remediation and related matters | 149,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMaximum / us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostByPropertyAxis = vhi_EnvironmentalRemediationSitesNlNamedAsPrpOrDefendantMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember |
Number of sites for which NL not currently able to estimate range of costs | 5 vhi_NumberOfEnvironmentalRemediationSitesWithoutReasonablyEstimableCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostByPropertyAxis = vhi_EnvironmentalRemediationSitesNlNamedAsPrpOrDefendantMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember |
Lead Pigment Litigation | NL |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Number of cases settled and dismissed and found not liable | 100 us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledAndDismissedNumber / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = vhi_LeadPigmentLitigationMember |
Period by which loss contingency claims settled and dismissed | 20 years |
California Lead Paint Litigation | NL |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Amount awarded to the plaintiff | 1,150,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vhi_NlIndustriesIncMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = vhi_CALeadPaintLitigationMember |

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