Long-Term Debt - Valhi - Additional Information (Detail) - VALHI, INC.	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Contran Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 325,000,000
Debt instrument, Interest rate at period end	4.75%
Debt due date, start date	Dec. 31, 2018
Credit facility, Amount borrowed	$ 15,100,000
Amount available for borrowing	$ 46,100,000
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate	1.00%
Debt instrument, average interest rate during period	4.50%
Notes Payable, Other Payables \| Snake River
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term loan	$ 250,000,000
Loans bear interest at a weighted average fixed interest rate	9.40%
Loans maturity period	Jan. 31, 2027
Recourse loans	$ 37,500,000
Nonrecourse loans	$ 212,500,000

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

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The average effective interest rate during the reporting period.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

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Earliest date the outstanding debt instruments are required to be repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

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Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

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The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

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Including the current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of loans payable (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

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Amount of debt for which creditor does not have general recourse to the debtor but rather has recourse only to the property used for collateral in the transaction or other specific property.

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Amount of cash inflow from contractual arrangement with the lender, including but not limited to, letter of credit, standby letter of credit and revolving credit arrangements.

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Amount of debt for which creditor has general recourse to the debtor.

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