Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Contran | Intercorporate Services Agreements Fees
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction	$ 36,100,000	$ 32,000,000	$ 27,100,000
Contran | Intercorporate Services Agreements Fees | Scenario, Forecast
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction	33,400,000
Contran | Pledge Fee Received
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue and other income from related party transactions	800,000
Contran | Revolving Credit Facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest expense	19,000,000	100,000	500,000
Contran | Unsecured Revolving Demand Note Receivable
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unsecured Revolving Demand Promissory note			65,000,000
Interest at prime plus rate		3.00%
Unsecured Revolving Demand Promissory Note Receivable, due on demand no earlier than date	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Loans outstanding to Contran			11,200,000
Loans to related party		52,800,000
Loan repayment received		64,000,000
Contran | Interest Income | Unsecured Revolving Demand Note Receivable
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue and other income from related party transactions		800,000	36,000
TIMET | BMI | Sale Of Insurance Coverage
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Loans to related party			1,400,000
Revenue and other income from related party transactions			2,800,000
Promissory note bears interest rate			3.00%
TIMET | BMI | Cash | Sale Of Insurance Coverage
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue and other income from related party transactions			1,400,000
CompX | Note Payable TFMC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest expense		300,000	500,000
Tremont | Contran | Promissory Notes
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	19,100,000
Tremont | Contran | Present Value | Deferred payment
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	8,200,000
Tremont | Contran | Face value | Deferred payment
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	11,100,000
TIMET | Utility Services Fee | BMI
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction		1,800,000	1,600,000
WCS | Contran | Surety Bond | VALHI, INC.
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	32,200,000
WCS | Contran | Additional Collateral Trust
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction		700,000	100,000
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	119,500,000
Guarantee Obligations, estimated exposure			56,000,000
Pledged marketable securities released on	Nov. 30, 2016
WCS | Contran | Performance Guarantee
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	5,500,000	5,500,000	5,500,000
WCS | Contran | Letter of credit | Performance Guarantee
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantee Obligations, maximum exposure	6,000,000	6,000,000	6,000,000
Costs related to the Letter of Credit	100,000	100,000	100,000
LPC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Purchase of Ti02 from LPC	224,500,000	250,200,000	144,800,000
Sales of feedstock ore to LPC	$ 141,100,000	$ 143,700,000	$ 93,000,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Contran | Stock Pledged as Collateral
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock pledged as collateral	12.0