Segment reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) segment	Apr. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments \| segment	3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 2,412,202	$ 2,220,645
Operating income (loss)	268,399	274,784
Assets	12,560,372		$ 12,094,853
Global Ceramic segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	876,548	784,969
Flooring NA segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	950,358	939,496
Flooring ROW segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	585,296	496,180
Operating segments \| Global Ceramic segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	876,548	784,969
Operating income (loss)	113,417	116,036
Assets	5,029,225		4,838,310
Operating segments \| Flooring NA segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	950,358	939,496
Operating income (loss)	74,748	92,142
Assets	3,847,555		3,702,137
Operating segments \| Flooring ROW segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	585,296	496,180
Operating income (loss)	89,060	76,095
Assets	3,410,958		3,245,424
Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Corporate and intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	(8,826)	$ (9,489)
Assets	$ 272,634		$ 308,982

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(11))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

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