Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 29, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 29, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	May 12, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net earnings attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc.	$ 227,013	$ 270,025	$ 632,365	$ 731,260
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest	(670)	(46)	(975)	(46)
Net earnings available to common stockholders	$ 226,343	$ 269,979	$ 631,390	$ 731,214
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic and diluted:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic (in shares)	74,603	74,338	74,599	74,330
Add weighted-average dilutive potential common shares-options to purchase common shares and RSUs, net (in shares)	342	503	378	500
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted (in shares)	74,945	74,841	74,977	74,830
Earnings per share attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc.
Basic (in usd per share)	$ 3.03	$ 3.63	$ 8.46	$ 9.84
Diluted (in usd per share)	$ 3.02	$ 3.61	$ 8.42	$ 9.77
KAI Group
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Percentage of voting interests acquired					90.00%

Percentage of voting equity interests acquired at the acquisition date in the business combination.

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