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Fair Value Measurements (Schedule Of Carrying And Fair Values Of Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Jul. 17, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 1997
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2012
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Stated interest rate   6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage      
3.60% Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Senior Notes, Carrying Value   $ 249,108us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
  $ 248,990us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
 
Senior Notes, Fair Value   248,630us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
  236,905us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
 
Stated interest rate 3.60%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
3.60%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
  3.60%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
3.60%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_ThreePointSixZeroPercentageSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyTwoMember
Maturity date 2022 2022      
GO Zone 6 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2029 [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Senior Notes, Carrying Value   100,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
  100,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
 
Senior Notes, Fair Value   116,384us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
  109,490us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
 
Stated interest rate   6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
  6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndOneHalfPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyNineMember
 
Maturity date   2029      
GO Zone 6 3/4% Senior Notes Due 2032 [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Senior Notes, Carrying Value   250,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
  250,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
 
Senior Notes, Fair Value   285,545us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
  265,148us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
 
Stated interest rate   6.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
  6.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixAndThreeQuartersPercentSeniorNotesDueTwentyThirtyTwoMember
 
Maturity date   2032      
GO Zone 6 1/2% Tax-Exempt Revenue Bonds Due 2035 [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Senior Notes, Carrying Value   89,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  89,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Senior Notes, Fair Value   106,504us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  94,606us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Stated interest rate   6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_GoZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Maturity date   2035      
Ike Zone Six Point Five Percent Tax Exempt Revenue Bonds Due Twenty Thirty Five [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Senior Notes, Carrying Value   65,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  65,000us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Senior Notes, Fair Value   77,784us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  69,094us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Stated interest rate   6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
  6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_IkeZoneSixPointFivePercentTaxExemptRevenueBondsDueTwentyThirtyFiveMember
 
Maturity date   2035      
Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds Due 2027 [Member]          
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]          
Loans, Carrying Value   10,889us-gaap_LoansPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_WasteDisposalRevenueBondsDueTwentyTwentySevenMember
  10,889us-gaap_LoansPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_WasteDisposalRevenueBondsDueTwentyTwentySevenMember
 
Loans, Fair Value   $ 10,889us-gaap_LoansPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_WasteDisposalRevenueBondsDueTwentyTwentySevenMember
  $ 10,889us-gaap_LoansPayableFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wlk_WasteDisposalRevenueBondsDueTwentyTwentySevenMember
 
Maturity date   2027 December 2027