Segment Reporting (Summary of segment information) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 29, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments | segment									3
Assets	$ 13,386,680				$ 13,099,123				$ 13,386,680	$ 13,099,123	$ 12,094,853
Net sales	2,424,512	$ 2,519,185	$ 2,584,485	$ 2,442,490	2,448,618	$ 2,545,800	$ 2,577,014	$ 2,412,202	9,970,672	9,983,634	9,491,290
Long-lived assets	7,268,944				7,220,869				7,268,944	7,220,869	6,742,249
Operating income (loss)									827,224	1,095,326	1,354,173
Depreciation and amortization									576,452	521,765	446,672
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									545,462	794,110	905,998
Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,686,645	3,621,193	3,485,245
Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,921,769	3,903,698	3,655,902
Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,501,077	1,553,032	1,519,417
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									861,181	905,711	830,726
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									5,822,593	6,103,789	6,035,200
Long-lived assets	3,391,676				3,485,046				3,391,676	3,485,046	3,339,363
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									2,532,239	2,582,692	2,363,069
Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									385,395	349,220	326,075
Belgium
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,645,104				1,663,470				1,645,104	1,663,470	1,705,947
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,230,445	947,933	766,946
Long-lived assets	2,232,164				2,072,353				2,232,164	2,072,353	1,696,939
Operating segments | Global Ceramic
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	5,419,896				5,194,030				5,419,896	5,194,030	4,838,310
Net sales									3,631,142	3,552,856	3,405,100
Operating income (loss)									340,058	442,898	525,401
Depreciation and amortization									211,679	189,904	161,913
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									244,026	281,125	310,650
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,631,142	3,552,856	3,405,100
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									711,762	714,315	645,341
Operating segments | Global Ceramic | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									269,142	245,867	235,043
Operating segments | Flooring NA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	3,823,654				3,938,639				3,823,654	3,938,639	3,702,137
Net sales									3,843,714	4,029,148	4,010,858
Operating income (loss)									167,385	347,937	540,337
Depreciation and amortization									204,689	184,455	159,980
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									148,820	262,676	355,941
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									55,503	68,337	80,145
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									3,136,474	3,258,029	3,219,971
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									651,737	702,782	710,742
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									6,922	6,487	19,100
Operating segments | Flooring NA | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									66	2	(1)
Operating segments | Flooring ROW
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	3,925,246				3,666,617				3,925,246	3,666,617	3,245,424
Net sales									2,495,816	2,401,630	2,075,452
Operating income (loss)									359,428	345,801	329,054
Depreciation and amortization									145,417	135,350	114,794
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									147,118	232,949	221,763
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									785,295	645,669	435,931
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									849,340	850,250	808,675
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									861,181	905,711	830,846
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,813,555	1,861,890	1,698,628
Operating segments | Flooring ROW | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									116,187	103,351	91,033
Corporate and intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 217,884				$ 299,837				217,884	299,837	308,982
Operating income (loss)									(39,647)	(41,310)	(40,619)
Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	(120)
Intersegment sales | Ceramic & Stone
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Carpet & Resilient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Laminate & Wood
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	(120)
Intersegment sales | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Intersegment sales | Russia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization									14,667	12,056	9,985
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions)									$ 5,498	$ 17,360	$ 17,644