Reportable Segment Information (Segment Net Sales and Income) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																						3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2013 Performance Coatings Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Performance Coatings Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Performance Coatings Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Industrial Coatings Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Industrial Coatings Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Industrial Coatings Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Architectural Coatings - EMEA [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Optical and Specialty Materials Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Optical and Specialty Materials Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Optical and Specialty Materials Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Commodity Chemicals Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Glass Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Glass Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Glass Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Corporate [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Jersey City Manufacturing Plant [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Jersey City Manufacturing Plant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2006 Jersey City Manufacturing Plant [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 3,331	[1]		$ 3,333	[1]	$ 1,124		$ 1,150	$ 1,183		$ 1,076	$ 454		$ 517	$ 314		$ 334		$ 256		$ 256
Segment income (loss)	474			443		172		160	178		150	20		16	99		109		5		8
Legacy items	(46)	[2]		(175)	[2]
Business restructuring	0		(12)	(208)			(68)			(45)			(59)			(32)				(3)			(1)
Acquisition-related (costs) gain, net	(7)	[3]		(6)	[3]
Transaction expenses related to Separation and merger transaction																		(14)
Interest expense, net of interest income	(43)			(41)
Other unallocated corporate expense - net	(60)			(60)
Income before income taxes	318			(47)
PPG percent ownership interest																						40.00%
Environmental remediation costs	$ 12			$ 159																				$ 159	$ 145	$ 165

[1] Intersegment net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 were not material.

[2] Legacy items include current costs related to former operations of the Company, including pension and other postretirement benefit costs, certain charges for legal matters and environmental remediation costs, and certain charges which are considered to be unusual or non-recurring including the earnings impact of the proposed asbestos settlement. Legacy items also include equity earnings from PPG’s approximate 40 percent investment in the former automotive glass and services business. The expense for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 includes nonrecurring environmental remediation pretax charges of $12 million and $159 million, respectively. The 2012 charge relates to continued environmental remediation activities at legacy chemicals sites, primarily at PPG’s former Jersey City, N.J. chromium manufacturing plant and associated sites.

[3] For the three months ended March 31, 2013, the expense includes the flow-through cost of sales of the step up to fair value of inventory acquired from Spraylat and advisory, legal, accounting, valuation and other professional or consulting fees incurred in connection with acquisition activity. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the expense represents the flow-through cost of sales of the step up to fair value of inventory acquired from Dyrup and Colpisa. These costs are considered to be unusual and non-recurring and do not reduce the segment earnings used to evaluate the performance of the operating segments.