Business Restructuring (Schedule of Restructuring Activity) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 Person	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012 Person
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs			$ 160,000,000
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses			5,000,000
Asset Write-offs			53,000,000
Business restructuring	0	12,000,000	208,000,000
Currency Impact	(4,000,000)
Total Reserve Balance at end of year	50,000,000
Employees Impacted			2,232
Activity to date	(154,000,000)
Activity to date	(1,909)
Employees Impacted at year end	323	273
Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs			160,000,000
Currency Impact	(4,000,000)
Severance and Other Costs Balance at end of year	50,000,000
Activity to date	(106,000,000)
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses			(5,000,000)
Activity to date	5,000,000
Asset Write-offs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Asset Write-offs			53,000,000
Activity to date	(53,000,000)
Performance Coatings [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		68,000,000
Employees Impacted		867
Performance Coatings [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		55,000,000
Performance Coatings [Member] | Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses		1,000,000
Performance Coatings [Member] | Asset Write-offs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Asset Write-offs		12,000,000
Industrial Coatings [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		45,000,000
Employees Impacted		394
Industrial Coatings [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		38,000,000
Industrial Coatings [Member] | Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses		(1,000,000)
Industrial Coatings [Member] | Asset Write-offs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Asset Write-offs		8,000,000
Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		59,000,000
Employees Impacted		881
Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		61,000,000
Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member] | Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Pension Curtailment (Gains)/Losses		(5,000,000)
Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member] | Asset Write-offs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Asset Write-offs		3,000,000
Optical and Specialty Materials [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		32,000,000
Employees Impacted		50
Optical and Specialty Materials [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		2,000,000
Optical and Specialty Materials [Member] | Asset Write-offs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Asset Write-offs		30,000,000
Glass Segment [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		3,000,000
Employees Impacted		36
Glass Segment [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		3,000,000
Corporate [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		1,000,000
Employees Impacted		4
Corporate [Member] | Severance and Other Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and Other Costs		$ 1,000,000