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Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Valuation Allowance [Abstract]      
Valuation allowance $ 1,023,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance $ 995,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance  
State deferred tax assets 244,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal    
Foreign deferred tax assets 1,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign    
Change in valuation allowance (9,000,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance (8,000,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 76,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount 28,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount    
Change in valuation allowance primarily related to the increase in deferred tax assets for pension and other post retirement benefits 112,000,000usg_ChangeinValuationAllowanceResultingFromIncreaseinDeferredTaxAssetsforPensionandOtherPostretirementBenefits    
Change in valuation allowance related to current taxable earnings 47,000,000usg_ChangeinValuationAllowanceResultingFromCurrentTaxableEarnings    
Change in valuation allowance resulting from discrete items 37,000,000usg_ChangeinValuationAllowanceResultingFromDiscreteAdjustments    
Net deferred tax assets 1,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet 3,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet  
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Components [Abstract]      
Approximate federal net operating loss carryforwards 1,898,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards    
Approximate federal alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards 46,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax    
Minimum taxable income needed to fully realize the U.S. federal net deferred tax assets 2,028,000,000usg_MinimumTaxableIncomeNeededToFullyRealizeFederalNetDeferredTaxAssets    
Foreign tax credit carryforwards 8,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount    
Approximate gross deferred tax assets operating loss and tax credit carry forwards that will expire in current year 1,000,000usg_ApproximateGrossDeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryForwardsThatWillExpireInCurrentYear    
Percentage of change in ownership 50.00%usg_PercentageOfChangeInOwnership    
Period of change in ownership 3 years    
Long-term tax-exempt rate 2.80%usg_LongTermTaxExemptRate    
Time period after the change in which amount of the limitation be increased or decreased by built-in gains or losses 5 years    
Annual U.S. federal NOL utilization 113,000,000usg_NetOperatingLossLimitationsOnUse    
Income Tax Penalties and Interest [Abstract]      
Total amounts of tax penalties and interest expense recognized on consolidated balance sheet 3,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 2,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued  
Total amounts of interest and penalties recognized in consolidated statements of operations 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Total amount of unrecognized tax benefit that would affect our effective tax rate 5,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 7,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 7,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Income tax examinations, possible period for resolution 12 months    
Estimated lower range for change in gross unrecognized tax benefit 0us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeLowerBound    
Estimated upper range for change in gross unrecognized tax benefit 6,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound    
Undistributed earnings 540,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Estimate of the amount of deferred tax liability 12,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings    
Minimum      
Income Tax Penalties and Interest [Abstract]      
Period of statutes of limitations 3 years    
Maximum      
Income Tax Penalties and Interest [Abstract]      
Period of statutes of limitations 5 years    
Federal      
Valuation Allowance [Abstract]      
Valuation allowance 773,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
   
State      
Valuation Allowance [Abstract]      
Valuation allowance 249,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
Foreign      
Valuation Allowance [Abstract]      
Valuation allowance $ 1,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember