Amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Cash consideration receivable upon sale of interest in subsidiary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Divestiture of interest in subsidiary deemed payment of loans in full as part of consideration.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=vhi_SnakeRiverMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

Marketable Securities - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2018	May 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Schedule Of Available For Sale Securities [Line Items]
Noncurrent liability	$ 1,061.7		$ 1,041.5
Snake River
Schedule Of Available For Sale Securities [Line Items]
Cash consideration receivable upon sale of interest in subsidiary		$ 12.5
Divestiture of interest in subsidiary deemed payment of loans in full as part of consideration		$ 250.0
Noncurrent liability	$ 250.0