Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jul. 24, 2019 USD ($) Defendant Installment	Nov. 30, 2018 Cases	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) Installment site	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) Installment	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) Cases Installment site	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Litigation settlement net present value			$ 59,797,000				$ 59,797,000		$ 17,000,000
Litigation settlement expense			(305,000)				19,266,000	$ 62,000,000
Litigation settlement			11,774,000				11,774,000		60,000,000
Number of complaints filed | Cases		2
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters			94,976,000				94,976,000		98,211,000
Insurance recoveries			243,000		$ 526,000		5,240,000	$ 889,000
Environmental Remediation Sites NL Named As PRP Or Defendant
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Accrual for reasonably estimable environmental remediation and related matters			$ 95,000,000				$ 95,000,000
Number of sites associated with remediation and related costs | site			32				32
Number of sites currently not able to reasonably estimate a range of costs | site			5				5
Maximum | Environmental Remediation Sites NL Named As PRP Or Defendant
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Upper end range, estimate costs for remediation and related matters			$ 115,000,000				$ 115,000,000
Environmental Remediation Litigation
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Recoveries receivable									$ 15,000,000
Lead Pigment Litigation
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Line Items]
Number of cases settled and dismissed and found not liable | Cases							100
Period by which loss contingency claims settled and dismissed							30 years
Description of defendants							on July 24, 2019, an order approving a global settlement agreement entered into among all of the plaintiffs and the three defendants remaining in the case (the Sherwin Williams Company, ConAgra Grocery Products and us) was entered by the court and the case was dismissed with prejudice. The global settlement agreement provides that an aggregate $305 million will be paid collectively by the three co-defendants in full satisfaction of all claims resulting in a dismissal of the case with prejudice and the resolution of (i) all pending and future claims by the plaintiffs in the case, and (ii) all potential claims for contribution or indemnity between us and our co-defendants in respect to the case.
Number of defendants | Defendant	3
Litigation settlement amount	$ 305,000,000
NL's portion of global settlement amount, gross value	101,700,000					$ 62,000,000
Litigation initial payment made 60 days after litigation settlement	25,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement charge	$ 76,700,000					$ 20,000,000
Number of annual installments | Installment	6		5			5	5
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in first year	$ 12,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in second year	12,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in third year	12,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in fourth year	12,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in fifth year	12,000,000
Remaining litigation settlement payment due in sixth year	$ 16,700,000
Litigation settlement, current						$ 80,000,000
Litigation settlement charge upon approval of settlement terms						45,000,000
Litigation settlement net present value						$ 17,000,000
Litigation settlement installments payment beginning term from approval						4 years
Discounted rate for estimated present value of remaining litigation amount			1.90%				1.90%
Litigation settlement estimated net present value			$ 96,300,000				$ 96,300,000
Litigation settlement expense				$ 19,600,000			19,300,000
Litigation settlement credit			300,000
Litigation initial payment			25,000,000
Recognized accretion expense			300,000
Litigation payment due			12,000,000				12,000,000
Noncurrent restricted cash			15,600,000				15,600,000
Escrow deposit			$ 9,000,000				$ 9,000,000