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Employee Benefits (Narrative Defined Benefit Plans) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
subsidiary
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Estimated prior service cost to be amortized from other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost during 2012 $ 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfPriorServiceCostCredit
Estimated net loss to be amortized from other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost during 2012 2,308us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss
Expected return on plan assets 7.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
Percentage of investments for long-term growth included in investment strategy 55.00%wlk_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetAllocationPercentageOfAssetsLongTerm
Percentage of investments for short-term growth included in investment strategy 45.00%wlk_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetAllocationPercentageOfAssetsShortTerm
Discretionary range for pension fund trustee included in investment policy 10.00%wlk_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetAllocationPercentageOfAssetsDiscretionaryRange
Number of subsidiaries company provides post-retirement healthcare benefits to 2wlk_NumberOfSubsidiariesCompanyProvidesPostRetirementHealthcareBenefit
Post-Retirement Healthcare Benefit Plans [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Estimated prior service cost to be amortized from other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost during 2012 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfPriorServiceCostCredit
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Estimated net loss to be amortized from other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost during 2012 384us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Wage Pension Plan [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Expected contributions 349us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= wlk_WagePensionPlanMember
Salaried Pension Plan [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Expected contributions $ 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= wlk_SalariedPensionPlanMember
Equity Securities [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Fixed income, target allocation percentage 55.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Fixed income securities  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Fixed income, target allocation percentage 45.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_FixedIncomeSecuritiesMember
Minimum [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Funded status of pension plans 80.00%wlk_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusPercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
Maximum [Member]  
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]  
Funded status of pension plans 100.00%wlk_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusPercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember