XML 105 R88.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
May 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Cases
Plaintiff
site
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jun. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Number of cases administratively dismissed or inactive   100us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledAndDismissedNumber        
Liable periods   twenty-year        
Litigation settlement amount   $ 1,150,000,000us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount   $ 14,964,000us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount    
Net Payments, net   10,106,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesPayments 3,299,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesPayments 8,098,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesPayments    
Payments   2,900,000nl_PaymentsForEnvironmentalLossContingencies        
Aggregate amount of payments   6,000,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesGross        
Amount due in 2012   2,000,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedDueWithinOneYear        
Amount due in 2013   1,000,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedDueInSecondYear        
Amount due in 2014   2,900,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedDueInThirdYear        
Discount rate   3.00%us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesDiscountRate        
Prepayments during 2014   1,900,000nl_PaymentsForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesTwoThousandFourteen        
Accrued environmental obligations approximately   110,015,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies 113,636,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies 48,006,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies   41,637,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
Sites associated with remediation   47nl_NumberOfEnvironmentalRemediationSitesWithReasonablyEstimableCosts        
Remediation and related matters possible to estimate costs   149,000,000us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMaximum        
Currently not able to estimate a range of costs to sites   5nl_NumberOfEnvironmentalRemediationSitesWithoutReasonablyEstimableCosts        
Aggregate cash received under settlement agreement 15,600,000nl_ProceedsFromRealEstatePropertyUnderSettlementAgreement          
Litigation settlement gain       14,964,000us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement    
Number of cases pending   186us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber        
Number of Plaintiffs Involved in Pending Cases   736us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs        
Customer Concentration Risk | Sales Revenue            
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Customers accounted   47.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
42.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
38.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
   
Other Litigation            
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Number of cases administratively dismissed or inactive   8,692us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledAndDismissedNumber
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= nl_OtherLitigationMember
       
NL | Proceeds From Real Estate Related Litigation Settlement            
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Litigation settlement gain         $ 15,000,000us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_NlMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= nl_ProceedsFromRealEstateRelatedLitigationSettlementMember
 
Harley Davidson Inc | CompX Security Products Business            
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Customer accounted for 10% or more of sales   12.00%nl_EntityWideRevenueByMajorCustomerPercentGreaterThanTen
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_HarleyDavidsonIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= nl_CompxSecurityProductsBusinessMember
12.00%nl_EntityWideRevenueByMajorCustomerPercentGreaterThanTen
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_HarleyDavidsonIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= nl_CompxSecurityProductsBusinessMember
12.00%nl_EntityWideRevenueByMajorCustomerPercentGreaterThanTen
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_HarleyDavidsonIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= nl_CompxSecurityProductsBusinessMember
   
United States Postal Service | CompX Security Products Business            
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]            
Customer accounted for 10% or more of sales   13.00%nl_EntityWideRevenueByMajorCustomerPercentGreaterThanTen
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_UnitedStatesPostalServiceMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= nl_CompxSecurityProductsBusinessMember
13.00%nl_EntityWideRevenueByMajorCustomerPercentGreaterThanTen
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= nl_UnitedStatesPostalServiceMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= nl_CompxSecurityProductsBusinessMember