Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Oct. 03, 2015	Sep. 27, 2014	Oct. 03, 2015	Sep. 27, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc.		$ 214,905	$ 151,266	$ 423,743	$ 385,097
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest	[1]	(31)	0	(191)	0
Net earnings available to common stockholders		$ 214,874	$ 151,266	$ 423,552	$ 385,097
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic (in shares)		73,915	72,864	73,384	72,814
Add weighted-average dilutive potential common shares-options and RSU's to purchase common shares, net (in shares)		523	512	523	518
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted (in shares)		74,438	73,376	73,907	73,332
Basic earnings per share from continuing operations attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc, (in usd per share)		$ 2.91	$ 2.08	$ 5.77	$ 5.29
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Mohawk Industries, Inc. (in usd per share)		$ 2.89	$ 2.06	$ 5.73	$ 5.25

[1] Represents the accretion of the Company's redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value. See Note 2, Acquisitions for further information.