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Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]      
Valuation reserves for other deferred tax assets $ 1,725us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance $ 7,390us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance $ 11,474us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Domestic net operating loss carryforward 30,750us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsDomestic    
Foreign net operating losses carryforward 60,943us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign    
Effect of the repatriation provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and the provisions of the Income Taxes Topic of the ASC (1,887)shw_EffectOnProvisionForIncomeTaxDueToRepatriationProvisionsAndProvisionsForIncomeTax 4,411shw_EffectOnProvisionForIncomeTaxDueToRepatriationProvisionsAndProvisionsForIncomeTax 7,572shw_EffectOnProvisionForIncomeTaxDueToRepatriationProvisionsAndProvisionsForIncomeTax
Retained earnings invested by foreign subsidiaries for which provision was not made 3,683shw_RetainedEarningsInvestedByForeignSubsidiaries    
Undistributed foreign earnings 539us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings    
Unrecognized tax benefits adjusted 28,208us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 27,767us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 25,011us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Amount of unrecognized tax benefits where significant change is reasonably possible 4,372us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit    
Income tax interest and penalties 2,144us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 103us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 1,532us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Accrued income tax interest and penalties $ 5,732us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued $ 6,246us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued $ 6,178us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued