Reportable Segment Information (Additional Information) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2013 Segment	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Pension Settlement Charge, Canadian wind-up					$ 18
Number of PPG operating segments					12
Number of PPG reportable business segments, based on economic similarities, the nature of their products, production processes, end-use markets and methods of distribution					5
Environmental remediation costs	89				101	159
Costs related to business acquisitions	7	[1]	0	[1]	19	6	[1]
Inventory Step-up to Fair Value identified as one time cost to business					$ 16	$ 6
Essilor International [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
PPG percent ownership interest	51.00%				51.00%

[1] The three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, include $7 million and $19 million of certain acquisition-related costs, respectively. In addition, the nine months ended September 30, 2013 includes $16 million of flow-through cost of sales for the inventory step up to fair value related principally to the AkzoNobel North American architectural coatings business. The nine months ended September 30, 2012, includes $6 million of flow-through cost of sales for the inventory step up to fair value related to the Dyrup and Colpisa acquisitions. 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.