Long-Term Debt - Kronos Term Loan - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan	Jun. 30, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan U.S. wholly-owned subsidiaries	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan Canadian first-tier European subsidiaries	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan Libor Rate	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan Base Rate	Feb. 28, 2014 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. 2014 Term Loan Proceeds Used to Repay Other Debt Instrument	Jul. 31, 2013 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Term Loan	Feb. 28, 2013 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Term Loan	Dec. 31, 2013 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Term Loan	Dec. 31, 2012 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of promissory note					$ 350,000,000									$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000
Percentage of loan issued to principal amount					99.50%
Proceeds from borrowings					348,250,000						170,000,000
Minimum LIBOR rate									1.00%
Debt instrument, Variable rate spread									3.75%	2.75%
Quarterly principal repayments					875,000
Quarterly principal repayments, commencing date					Jun. 30, 2014
Loans maturity period					Feb. 28, 2020
Long term debt prepayments terms					Voluntary principal prepayments are permitted at any time, provided that a call premium of 1% of the principal amount of such prepayment applies to any voluntary prepayment made on or before February 2015 (there is no prepayment penalty applicable to any voluntary prepayment after February 2015)
Call premium percentage					1.00%
Voluntary prepayment, earliest date					Feb. 28, 2015
Term Loan Collateralized Priority							100.00%	65.00%
Loan pledged as collateral from wholly-owned subsidiary					395,700,000
Minimum amount of debt default for using customary default provisions					50,000,000
Percentage of average interest rate, during period						4.75%
Percentage of average interest rate, end period						4.75%
Unamortized discount balance						1,600,000
Payment of principal amount												100,000,000	290,000,000
Pre-tax interest charge				(6,600,000)									6,600,000
Cash used for payment of term loan													100,000,000
Borrowing from Contran for prepayment of term loan													$ 190,000,000