Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	$ 117	$ 393
Short-term investments	10	7
Accounts receivable, net	725	601
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	301	257
Raw materials and supplies	135	103
Other current assets	78	72
Total current assets	1,366	1,433
Investment in unconsolidated entities	49	45
Deferred income taxes	18	21
Other assets, net	128	134
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,059	1,047
Goodwill	122	112
Other intangible assets, net	85	82
Total assets	2,827	2,874
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	504	483
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	128	109
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	90	83
Income taxes payable	18	12
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	63	47
Other current liabilities	118	127
Total current liabilities	921	861
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	3,706	3,665
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	209	234
Deferred income taxes	21	21
Other long-term liabilities	154	163
Total liabilities	5,011	4,944
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,183)	(2,069)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(2,184)	(2,070)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,827	2,874
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	9	165
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	220	179
Intercompany accounts receivable	87	190
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	248	216
Finished and in-process goods	115	105
Raw materials and supplies	58	38
Other current assets	29	27
Total current assets	766	920
Investment in unconsolidated entities	339	351
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	21	31
Intercompany loans receivable	1,083	1,251
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	532	491
Goodwill	66	52
Other intangible assets, net	58	47
Total assets	2,865	3,143
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	166	165
Intercompany accounts payable	185	130
Debt payable within one year	27	20
Intercompany loans payable within one year	29	173
Interest payable	4	10
Income taxes payable	5	4
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	22	19
Other current liabilities	66	65
Total current liabilities	504	586
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	353	309
Intercompany loans payable	3,398	3,388
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	641	762
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	39	50
Deferred income taxes	7	7
Other long-term liabilities	106	110
Total liabilities	5,048	5,212
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,183)	(2,069)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(2,183)	(2,069)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,865	3,143
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	2	5
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	103	89
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	105	94
Investment in unconsolidated entities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	56	59
Intercompany loans receivable	3,364	3,355
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	3,525	3,508
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	4	0
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	85	72
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	89	72
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	3,326	3,326
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	2	2
Other long-term liabilities	0	6
Total liabilities	3,417	3,406
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	108	102
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	108	102
Total liabilities and deficit	3,525	3,508
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	2	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	1	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	3	0
Investment in unconsolidated entities	33	29
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	1	2
Intercompany loans receivable	28	29
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	65	60
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	6	7
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	244	261
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	250	268
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(185)	(208)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(185)	(208)
Total liabilities and deficit	65	60
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	106	223
Short-term investments	10	7
Accounts receivable, net	503	422
Intercompany accounts receivable	82	374
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	29	278
Finished and in-process goods	186	152
Raw materials and supplies	77	65
Other current assets	49	45
Total current assets	1,042	1,566
Investment in unconsolidated entities	30	28
Deferred income taxes	18	21
Other assets, net	50	42
Intercompany loans receivable	13	4,221
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	527	556
Goodwill	56	60
Other intangible assets, net	27	35
Total assets	1,763	6,529
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	338	318
Intercompany accounts payable	84	523
Debt payable within one year	101	89
Intercompany loans payable within one year	248	321
Interest payable	1	1
Income taxes payable	13	8
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	41	28
Other current liabilities	52	62
Total current liabilities	878	1,350
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	27	30
Intercompany loans payable	1,084	5,461
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	170	184
Deferred income taxes	12	12
Other long-term liabilities	48	47
Total liabilities	2,219	7,084
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(455)	(554)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(456)	(555)
Total liabilities and deficit	1,763	6,529
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0, $0 and $16, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(273)	(653)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(277)	(494)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(550)	(1,147)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(353)	(363)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(4,488)	(8,856)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(5,391)	(10,366)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(273)	(653)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(277)	(494)
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(550)	(1,147)
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(4,488)	(8,856)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(885)	(1,023)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(5,923)	(11,026)
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	532	660
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	532	660
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (5,391)	$ (10,366)