Segment Reporting (Summary of segment information) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 04, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments | segment									3
Net sales	$ 2,182,566	$ 2,294,139	$ 2,310,336	$ 2,172,046	$ 1,997,997	$ 2,150,656	$ 2,041,733	$ 1,881,177	$ 8,959,087	$ 8,071,563	$ 7,803,446
Operating income (loss)									1,279,943	837,566	772,796
Depreciation and amortization									409,467	362,647	345,570
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									672,125	503,657	561,804
Assets	10,230,596				9,934,400				10,230,596	9,934,400	8,285,544
Long-lived assets	5,644,774				5,440,483				5,644,774	5,440,483	4,307,562
Soft surface
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,414,956	3,056,946	2,764,370
Tile
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,258,136	3,094,389	3,087,895
Laminate and wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									2,285,995	1,920,228	1,951,181
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									5,842,683	5,399,561	5,233,796
Long-lived assets	3,092,902				2,945,783				3,092,902	2,945,783	2,381,843
Belgium
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,371,397				1,377,533				1,371,397	1,377,533	949,169
All other countries
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,116,404	2,672,002	2,569,650
Long-lived assets	1,180,475				1,117,167				1,180,475	1,117,167	976,550
Operating segments | Global Ceramic
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,174,706	3,012,859	3,015,279
Operating income (loss)									478,448	414,154	351,113
Depreciation and amortization									135,370	118,801	120,121
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									263,401	247,829	192,642
Assets	4,024,859				3,846,133				4,024,859	3,846,133	3,542,594
Operating segments | Flooring NA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,865,746	3,602,112	3,441,018
Operating income (loss)									505,115	264,271	299,992
Depreciation and amortization									148,067	137,064	122,677
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									248,843	148,598	258,987
Assets	3,410,856				3,164,525				3,410,856	3,164,525	2,587,151
Operating segments | Flooring ROW
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,918,635	1,456,898	1,354,018
Operating income (loss)									333,091	203,370	151,528
Depreciation and amortization									116,048	97,239	92,090
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									144,207	95,447	100,899
Assets	2,689,592				2,805,246				2,689,592	2,805,246	1,909,487
Corporate and intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)									(36,711)	(44,229)	(29,837)
Assets	$ 105,289				$ 118,496				105,289	118,496	246,312
Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	(306)	(6,869)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization									9,982	9,543	10,682
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									$ 15,674	$ 11,783	$ 9,276