Segment Reporting (Summary of segment information) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments | segment									3
Assets	$ 13,099,123				$ 12,094,853				$ 13,099,123	$ 12,094,853	$ 10,230,596
Net sales	2,448,618	$ 2,545,800	$ 2,577,014	$ 2,412,202	2,369,097	$ 2,448,510	$ 2,453,038	$ 2,220,645	9,983,634	9,491,290	8,959,087
Long-lived assets	7,220,869				6,742,249				7,220,869	6,742,249	5,644,774
Operating income (loss)									1,095,326	1,354,173	1,279,943
Depreciation and amortization									521,765	446,672	409,467
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									794,110	905,998	672,125
Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,621,193	3,485,245	3,258,137
Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,903,698	3,655,902	3,412,846
Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,553,032	1,519,417	1,493,995
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									905,711	830,726	794,109
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									6,103,789	6,035,200	5,842,165
Long-lived assets	3,485,046				3,339,363				3,485,046	3,339,363	3,092,902
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									2,582,692	2,363,069	2,113,972
Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									349,220	326,075	255,736
Belgium
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,663,470				1,705,947				1,663,470	1,705,947	1,371,397
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									947,933	766,946	747,214
Long-lived assets	2,072,353				1,696,939				2,072,353	1,696,939	1,180,475
Operating segments | Global Ceramic
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	5,194,030				4,838,310				5,194,030	4,838,310	4,024,859
Net sales									3,552,856	3,405,100	3,174,706
Operating income (loss)									442,898	525,401	478,448
Depreciation and amortization									189,904	161,913	135,370
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									281,125	310,650	263,401
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,552,856	3,405,100	3,174,706
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									714,315	645,341	533,339
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									245,867	235,043	180,420
Operating segments | Flooring NA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	3,938,639				3,702,137				3,938,639	3,702,137	3,410,856
Net sales									4,029,148	4,010,858	3,865,746
Operating income (loss)									347,937	540,337	505,115
Depreciation and amortization									184,455	159,980	148,067
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									262,676	355,941	248,843
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									68,337	80,145	83,431
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,258,029	3,219,971	3,042,729
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									702,782	710,742	739,586
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									6,487	19,100	15,628
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									2	(1)	12
Operating segments | Flooring ROW
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	3,666,617				3,245,424				3,666,617	3,245,424	2,689,592
Net sales									2,401,630	2,075,452	1,918,635
Operating income (loss)									345,801	329,054	333,091
Depreciation and amortization									135,350	114,794	116,048
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									232,949	221,763	144,207
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									645,669	435,931	370,117
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									850,250	808,675	754,409
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									905,711	830,846	794,109
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,861,890	1,698,628	1,565,005
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									103,351	91,033	75,304
Corporate and intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 299,837				$ 308,982				299,837	308,982	105,289
Operating income (loss)									(41,310)	(40,619)	(36,711)
Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	(120)	0
Intersegment sales | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	(120)	0
Intersegment sales | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization									12,056	9,985	9,982
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									$ 17,360	$ 17,644	$ 15,674