Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015	Oct. 01, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net earnings attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc.	$ 269,878	$ 214,905	$ 696,614	$ 423,743
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest	(53)	(31)	(53)	(191)
Net earnings available to common stockholders	$ 269,825	$ 214,874	$ 696,561	$ 423,552
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic (in shares)	74,154	73,915	74,084	73,384
Add weighted-average dilutive potential common shares-options to purchase common shares and RSUs, net (in shares)	459	523	467	523
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted (in shares)	74,613	74,438	74,551	73,907
Earnings per share attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc.
Basic (in usd per share)	$ 3.64	$ 2.91	$ 9.40	$ 5.77
Diluted (in usd per share)	$ 3.62	$ 2.89	$ 9.34	$ 5.73

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The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

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The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

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Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent. Also defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests.

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Net income after adjustments for dividends on preferred stock (declared in the period) and/or cumulative preferred stock (accumulated for the period).

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Amount of decrease to net income for accretion of temporary equity to its redemption value to derive net income apportioned to common stockholders.

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The sum of dilutive potential common shares or units used in the calculation of the diluted per-share or per-unit computation.

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The average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS or earnings per unit (EPU), determined based on the timing of issuance of shares or units in the period.

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Number of [basic] shares or units, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares or units and other shares or units not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares or units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

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