Reportable Business Segment Information Reportable Segment Tables (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 3,682	$ 3,776	$ 3,804	$ 3,486	$ 3,417	$ 3,660	$ 3,782	$ 3,411	$ 7,290		$ 11,066		$ 14,748	$ 14,270	$ 14,241
Segment income			589	673	557		617	720	544	1,230	$ 1,264	1,819	$ 1,881	2,293	2,356	2,287
Legacy items			1	2	(8)		(4)	(10)	(11)	(6)	(21)	(5)	(25)	(2)	(114)	(51)
Restructuring Charges						(191)	0	0	0					0	(191)	(136)
Charges related to transaction related costs			0	(5)	(4)		0	(6)	(2)	(9)	(8)	(9)	(8)	(9)	(8)	(44)
Pension settlement charge		38	0	0	22	0	968	0	0	22	0	22	968	60	968	0
Asset write-down			0	0			0	(10)		0	(10)	0	(10)	(7)	(23)
Income from a legal settlement			0	18			0	0		18	0	18	0	18	0	0
Net gains on the divestitures of businesses			0	25			0	0		25	0	25	0	25	46	0
Interest expense, net of interest income			(22)	(22)	(21)		(28)	(24)	(24)	(43)	(48)	(65)	(76)	(85)	(99)	(86)
Corporate unallocated			(45)	(32)	(56)		(43)	(60)	(63)	(88)	(123)	(133)	(166)	(181)	(220)	(225)
Income before income taxes														2,005	779	1,745
Depreciation and amortization					110					223		340		460	440	446
Share of net earnings (loss) of equity affiliates														12	8	4
Assets	$ 16,973	16,538	17,616	16,973	16,154	15,771				16,973		17,616		16,538	15,771
Investment in equity affiliates		134				46								134	46	94
Expenditures for property (including business acquisitions)														685	729	750
Pretax charges for environmental remediation costs														10	94	9
Performance Coatings Segment
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														8,730	8,580	8,765
Segment income			366	409	284		368	428	279	693	707	1,059	1,075	1,321	1,314	1,302
Depreciation and amortization														272	272	296
Share of net earnings (loss) of equity affiliates														2	5	7
Investment in equity affiliates		32				30								32	30	45
Expenditures for property (including business acquisitions)														224	187	298
Industrial Coatings Segment
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														6,018	5,691	5,477
Segment income			$ 223	$ 264	$ 273		$ 249	$ 292	$ 265	$ 537	$ 557	$ 760	$ 806	972	1,042	985
Depreciation and amortization														164	143	124
Share of net earnings (loss) of equity affiliates														0	1	0
Investment in equity affiliates		13				13								13	13	13
Expenditures for property (including business acquisitions)														328	510	414
Consolidation, Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														0	(1)	(1)
Depreciation and amortization														24	25	26
Share of net earnings (loss) of equity affiliates														10	2	(3)
Investment in equity affiliates		89				3								89	3	36
Expenditures for property (including business acquisitions)														133	32	38
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														14,748	14,270	14,241
Assets		16,538				15,771								16,538	15,771	17,076
Operating Segments | Performance Coatings Segment
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														8,730	8,580	8,765
Assets		9,763				9,168								9,763	9,168	9,917
Operating Segments | Industrial Coatings Segment
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														6,018	5,690	5,476
Assets		4,563				3,972								4,563	3,972	3,643
Operating Segments | Consolidation, Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		$ 2,212				$ 2,631								2,212	2,631	3,516
Intersegment Eliminations | Industrial Coatings Segment
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														0	1	1
Intersegment Eliminations | Consolidation, Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net sales														0	(1)	$ (1)
Mexican Plaka Business
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net gains on the divestitures of businesses	$ 25													25
Other Business Affiliates
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets														$ 13
Legacy Chemical Sites
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Pretax charges for environmental remediation costs															$ 82