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Business and Geographic Segments - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) Segment | Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Number of operating segments | Segment | 3 |
Non-U.S. subsidiaries |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Net assets of non-U.S. subsidiaries | $ | $ 565 | $ 563
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Valhi Incorporation |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Direct ownership percentage by parent | 50.00% |
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | NL |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Indirect controlling interest in subsidiary | 30.00% |
NL | Valhi Incorporation |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Direct ownership percentage by parent | 83.00% |
LandWell | Valhi Incorporation |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Direct ownership percentage by parent | 27.00% |
LandWell | BMI |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Indirect controlling interest in subsidiary | 50.00% |
BMI | Valhi Incorporation |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Direct ownership percentage by parent | 63.00% |

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- Definition Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120311839&loc=d3e8672-108599 + Details
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