Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	30 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	8 Months Ended								3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 Total Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters	Dec. 31, 2013 Total Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters	Jun. 30, 2014 Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	Jun. 30, 2013 Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	Nov. 01, 2013 W. L. Gore	Apr. 30, 2014 W. L. Gore	Dec. 31, 2013 W. L. Gore	Jun. 30, 2014 W. L. Gore	Jun. 30, 2014 W. L. Gore	Jul. 31, 2010 W. L. Gore	Mar. 31, 2009 W. L. Gore	Dec. 31, 2007 W. L. Gore	Mar. 31, 2009 W. L. Gore Attorney Fees	Mar. 31, 2009 W. L. Gore Prejudgment Interest	Jul. 31, 2010 W. L. Gore Minimum	Jul. 31, 2010 W. L. Gore Maximum	Dec. 31, 2013 W. L. Gore Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	Jun. 30, 2007 Hernia Product Claims LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event Plaintiff	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event United States LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event United States LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event Canada LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event Federal Law Claims LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Subsequent Event State Law Claims LegalMatter	Mar. 31, 2013 Hernia Product Claims Arbitration Proceedings Carriers	Mar. 31, 2013 Hernia Product Claims Arbitration Proceedings Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Superior Court of State of Rhode Island Subsequent Event State Law Claims Plaintiff LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Hernia Product Claims Superior Court of State of Rhode Island Subsequent Event State Law Claims LegalMatter	Jul. 31, 2013 Filter Product Claims State Law Claims LegalMatter	Jun. 30, 2013 Filter Product Claims State Law Claims LegalMatter	Jun. 30, 2013 Filter Product Claims Minimum State Law Claims LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Filter Product Claims Subsequent Event Plaintiff LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Filter Product Claims Subsequent Event State Law Claims LegalMatter	Jul. 31, 2012 Women's Health Product Claims	Jun. 30, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2013 Women's Health Product Claims New Jersey state case Claim	Jun. 30, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Minimum LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Subsequent Event Claim Plaintiff LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Subsequent Event	Jul. 07, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Subsequent Event United States LegalMatter	Jul. 07, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Subsequent Event Canada LegalMatter	Jul. 31, 2013 Women's Health Product Claims Multi District Litigation	Jun. 30, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Multi District Litigation Claim	Sep. 30, 2013 Women's Health Product Claims Multi District Litigation Claim	Jan. 16, 2014 Women's Health Product Claims Multi District Litigation LegalMatter
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits																											1		220	105				85
Number of individual plaintiffs																									325								85					50						12,445
Number of putative class actions																										2													3							5	4
Number of previously filed class action lawsuits consolidated into putative class actions																											10
Number of Putative Class Actions Settled																												3
Number of Multidistrict Litigations																								1
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages																																								$ 3.6								$ 2.0
Loss contingency claims settled number																																										1							1	1
Loss contingency claims dismissed number																																																		1
Number of individual case for trial																																																			200
Number of plaintiffs law firms in settlement agreement																																									2
Number of claims in settlement agreement																																					30						500
Number of currently scheduled trials																																																	0
Generic complaints																																												1,020
Number of claim not yet filed																																						165						2,115
Percentage of cases indemnified																																													50.00%
Number of putative class actions dismissed																																				2
Number of putative class actions with class certification denied																																			1
Period for additional Filter Product Claims trials																																							12 months
Non-cash charge write off related to insurance receivable																																25.0
Non-cash charge write off related to insurance receivable after tax																															24.5
Number of insurance carriers																															1
U. S. District Court award for damages																109	371	185	19	20
Court-assessed royalty rate																					12.50%	20.00%
Litigation judgment or settlement, amount											894.3
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement																							894.3
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement, after tax													557.4
Litigation related royalty revenue												37.6		75.2
Cumulative Litigation Settlement Amount															969.5
Product Claims, charges incurred before taxes								259.0	108.0	293.0
Product Claims, charges incurred after tax	236.0	92.0	276.0
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters	1,076.1	662.4		1,076.1	1,076.1
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters, accrued expenses	136.8	117.5		136.8	136.8
Payments to qualified settlement fund				0	177.1
Payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds				6.7	167.5
Other payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds				3.8	33.2
Receivables related to product liability matters						$ 381.3	$ 234.9