Industry Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2011	Mar. 27, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 25, 2010	Dec. 26, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			$ 2,417,797,000	$ 2,059,797,000	$ 1,547,225,000
Cost of goods sold			2,115,677,000	1,774,811,000	1,327,022,000
Depreciation and amortization			36,865,000	40,364,000	41,568,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense			135,953,000	131,211,000	116,660,000
Litigation settlement			(10,500,000)
Insurance gain	(6,800,000)	(23,300,000)	0	(22,736,000)	0
Impairment charges			0	0	29,755,000
Operating income			139,802,000	136,147,000	32,220,000
Interest expense			(11,553,000)	(11,647,000)	(9,963,000)
Other expense, net			1,912,000	(2,650,000)	872,000
Income before income taxes			130,161,000	121,850,000	23,129,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets			25,633,000	20,669,000	13,942,000
Segment assets			1,347,604,000	1,258,996,000	1,180,141,000
Percentage of net consolidated sales threshold constituting a major customer			10.00%
United Kingdom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations			112,000,000
Mexico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations			45,300,000
Luxembourg [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations			47,900,000
China [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net assets of foreign operations			27,300,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			2,417,797,000	2,059,797,000	1,547,225,000
Long-lived assets			320,905,000	346,682,000	371,298,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			1,830,001,000	1,567,606,000	1,208,757,000
Long-lived assets			267,060,000	289,714,000	309,986,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | United Kingdom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			272,809,000	214,643,000	173,223,000
Long-lived assets			23,962,000	24,088,000	27,312,000
Segment, Geographical, Groups of Countries, Group One [Member] | Country Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			314,987,000	277,548,000	165,245,000
Long-lived assets			29,883,000	32,880,000	34,000,000
Tube and fittings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			1,082,150,000	898,615,000	686,102,000
Brass rod and forgings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			662,369,000	581,660,000	418,376,000
OEM components, tube and assemblies [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			401,623,000	327,092,000	213,905,000
Valves and plumbing specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			217,985,000	204,074,000	198,333,000
Other products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			53,670,000	48,356,000	30,509,000
Plumbing and Refrigeration Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Worldwide sales to one customer					175,100,000
Net Sales			1,330,435,000	1,115,614,000	892,071,000
Cost of goods sold			1,139,932,000	951,170,000	744,880,000
Depreciation and amortization			20,947,000	24,940,000	26,289,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense			84,795,000	78,573,000	74,397,000
Litigation settlement			0
Insurance gain				(22,736,000)
Impairment charges					19,462,000
Operating income			84,761,000	83,667,000	27,043,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets			12,686,000	13,774,000	7,876,000
Segment assets			532,458,000	574,671,000	542,834,000
Single customer percentage of sales during the year (in hundredths)					11.00%
OEM Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			1,119,796,000	958,855,000	664,088,000
Cost of goods sold			1,007,654,000	837,649,000	590,361,000
Depreciation and amortization			14,634,000	14,300,000	14,208,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense			24,838,000	26,789,000	20,501,000
Litigation settlement			0
Insurance gain				0
Impairment charges					10,293,000
Operating income			72,670,000	80,117,000	28,725,000
Expenditures for long-lived assets			12,586,000	6,684,000	6,066,000
Segment assets			296,997,000	296,978,000	284,480,000
Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales			(32,434,000)	(14,672,000)	(8,934,000)
Cost of goods sold			(31,909,000)	(14,008,000)	(8,219,000)
Depreciation and amortization			1,284,000	1,124,000	1,071,000
Selling, general, and administrative expense			26,320,000	25,849,000	21,762,000
Litigation settlement			(10,500,000)
Insurance gain				0
Impairment charges					0
Operating income			(17,629,000)	(27,637,000)	(23,548,000)
General Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Expenditures for long-lived assets			361,000	241,000	0
Segment assets			$ 518,149,000	$ 387,347,000	$ 352,827,000