Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 CAD ($)
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
U.S. federal corporate income tax rate										21.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Dividends received from Kronos Worldwide, Inc.										$ 23,948	$ 21,132	$ 21,132
Deferred income tax benefit from change in enacted tax rate										800	(37,500)
Currently payable (receivable)										(200)	(100)	1,500
Income tax expense (benefit)										15,361	5,634	2,777
Current payable to affiliate			$ 567			$ 429		$ 429		567	429
Kronos
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Dividends received from Kronos Worldwide, Inc.										$ 23,900	21,100	21,100
Kronos | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
U.S.-Canada Advance Pricing Agreement, description										During 2016, Contran, as the ultimate parent of its U.S. Consolidated income tax group, executed and finalized an Advance Pricing Agreement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and Kronos’ Canadian subsidiary executed and finalized an Advance Pricing Agreement with the Competent Authority for Canada (collectively, the “U.S.-Canada APA”) effective for tax years 2005 - 2015.
U.S Income tax benefit												$ 3,400
Kronos | Earliest Tax Year | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year												2005
Kronos | Latest Tax Year | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year												2015
Kronos | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	$ (149,900)
Kronos | Effect of Currency Exchange Rates
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance											(13,700)
Kronos | German
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance												$ 153,000
Kronos | German | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	(141,900)
Kronos | German | Corporate Tax Purposes
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards						541,000		541,000			541,000
Kronos | Belgium
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance												20,000
Kronos | Belgium | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	$ (8,000)
Kronos | Belgium | Corporate Tax Purposes
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards			16,000							$ 16,000
Kronos | Non-US
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance												173,000
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance											$ (186,700)
Kronos | Non-US | Current Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance								$ (24,100)	$ (12,700)
Kronos | Non-US | GILTI
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Currently payable (receivable)			3,700
Kronos | European and Candadian Subsidiaries | Undistributed Earnings Previously Considered to be Permanently Reinvested
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Aggregate provisional non-cash deferred income tax expense (benefit)						4,500				$ 2,400
Kronos | One Non US Subsidiary | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization | Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets | Non-cash Deferred Income Tax Benefit
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance						(18,700)
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Valhi
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax liability payable period										8 years
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Valhi | Income Tax Payable
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Payable to affiliate			62,600							$ 62,600
Noncurrent payable to affiliate			56,600							56,600
Current payable to affiliate			6,000							6,000
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Transition Tax
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Currently payable (receivable)						$ 76,200
Current income tax expense payment period						8 years
Income tax expense (benefit)				$ 1,700
Prior tax installments payments			$ 11,900							11,900
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Transition Tax | 2017 Tax Year
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Current income tax expense payable in next fiscal year		$ 6,100
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Transition Tax | 2018 Tax Year
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Current income tax expense payable in next fiscal year										5,800
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax payable												$ 2,300	$ 3
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | Canada-Germany APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Non-cash income tax benefit							$ 8,100			$ 8,600
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | Earliest Tax Year | Canada-Germany APA | Canada Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year							2005
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | Latest Tax Year | Canada-Germany APA | Canada Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year							2017
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | German | Canada-Germany APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Non-cash income tax benefit							$ 2,600
Cash tax refund							$ 6,000
Kronos German Subsidiary | Earliest Tax Year | Germany- Canada APA | Germany Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year					2005
Kronos German Subsidiary | Latest Tax Year | Germany- Canada APA | Germany Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year					2017
Kronos Canadian And German Subsidiaries | Germany- Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Non-cash income tax benefit					$ 1,400