Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

Certain reclassifications of prior year's data have been made to conform to current year's presentation. In February 2013, the company sold its Performance Coatings business (which represented a reportable segment). In accordance with GAAP, the results of Performance Coatings are presented as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for all periods presented. The sum of the individual earnings per share amounts from continuing and discontinued operations may not equal the total company earnings per share amounts due to rounding. The cash flows and comprehensive income related to Performance Coatings have not been segregated and are included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and Comprehensive Income, respectively, for all periods presented. Amounts related to Performance Coatings are consistently included in or excluded from the Notes to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements based on the financial statement line item and period of each disclosure. See Note 2 for additional information.

Venezuelan Foreign Currency Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Venezuelan Foreign Currency

Venezuela is considered a highly inflationary economy under GAAP and the U.S. dollar (USD) is the functional currency for the company's subsidiaries in Venezuela. During the first quarter 2014, the Venezuelan government enacted certain changes to the country’s foreign exchange systems including the expansion of the use of the Complementary System of Foreign Currency Acquirement (“SICAD 1”) auction rate and introduction of the SICAD 2 auction process. The official exchange rate continues to be set through the National Center for Foreign Commerce (CENCOEX, previously CADIVI) at 6.3 Bolivar Fuertes (BsF) to USD. The SICAD 1 and SICAD 2 exchange rates were 10.60 BsF and 49.98 BsF, respectively, at June 30, 2014. Based on its evaluation of the restrictions and limitations affecting the availability of specific exchange rate mechanisms, management has concluded that the SICAD 2 auction process would be the most likely mechanism available. As a result, effective June 30, 2014, the company changed from the official exchange rate of 6.3 to the SICAD 2 exchange rate to remeasure its BsF denominated net monetary assets, which resulted in a $58 pre-tax charge within other income, net in the second quarter 2014. Subsequent to June 30, 2014, the company expects it will use the SICAD 2 exchange rate to remeasure its Venezuelan BsF denominated revenues, expenses and net monetary assets unless facts and circumstances change.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) jointly issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The ASU is effective for public entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted under GAAP and retrospective application is permitted, but not required. The company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on its financial position and results of operations.

In April 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance amending existing requirements for reporting discontinued operations.  Under the new guidance, discontinued operations reporting will be limited to disposal transactions that represent strategic shifts having a major effect on operations and financial results. The amended guidance also enhances disclosures and requires assets and liabilities of a discontinued operation to be classified as such for all periods presented in the financial statements. Public entities will apply the amended guidance prospectively to all disposals occurring within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years. The company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2015. Due to the change in requirements for reporting discontinued operations described above, presentation and disclosures of future disposal transactions after adoption may be different than under current standards.