Long-Term Debt - Term Loan - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
May. 31, 2015
Feb. 28, 2014
Feb. 28, 2013
Dec. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Jun. 30, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Loss on prepayment of debt, net           $ (8,900,000)  
Cash on hand used to repay term loan           150,000,000  
Term Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument face amount             $ 400,000,000
Payment of Principal Amount           390,000,000  
Term Loan | 2014 Term Loan, Amended 2015              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument maturity date Feb. 29, 2020            
Long term debt prepayments terms       A provision was added whereby if we elected to call all or a portion of the outstanding principal balance within six months of completing the amendment (i.e. before November 2015), a 1% call premium of the aggregate principal amount so prepaid would apply.      
Call premium percentage 1.00%            
Fee in connection with amendment $ 750,000            
Percentage of average interest rate, during period       4.29%      
Percentage of average interest rate, at period end       4.00%      
Unamortized discount       $ 1,200,000 $ 1,500,000    
Debt Issuance Cost       4,700,000 5,000,000    
Term Loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | 2014 Term Loan, Amended 2015              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate 3.00%            
Term Loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | 2014 Term Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate   3.75%          
Term Loan | Base Rate | 2014 Term Loan, Amended 2015              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate 2.00%            
Term Loan | Base Rate | 2014 Term Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate   2.75%          
New Term Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument face amount   $ 350,000,000          
Principal amount percentage of loan raised   99.50%          
Aggregate amount of loan issued   $ 348,300,000          
Minimum LIBOR rate   1.00%          
Quarterly principal repayments   $ 875,000          
Commencement date of quarterly principal repayments   Jun. 30, 2014          
Debt instrument maturity date   Feb. 29, 2020          
Minimum amount of debt default for using customary default provisions   $ 50,000,000          
New Term Loan | U.S. wholly-owned subsidiaries              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Term Loan Collateralized Priority   100.00%          
New Term Loan | Canadian First-Tier European Subsidiaries              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Term Loan Collateralized Priority   65.00%          
New Term Loan | Kronos International, Inc              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Loan pledged as collateral from wholly-owned subsidiary   $ 395,700,000          
New Term Loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate   3.75%          
New Term Loan | Base Rate              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument basis spread on variable rate   2.75%          
New Term Loan | Contran              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Payment of Principal Amount   $ 170,000,000          
Promissory note | Contran              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Borrowing for prepayment of term loan           190,000,000  
Borrowings under credit facility during the period     $ 190,000,000     190,000,000  
Repayments of Lines of Credit           20,000,000  
Revolving North American Credit Facility              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Borrowing for prepayment of term loan           $ 50,000,000  
Borrowings under credit facility during the period       0 81,000,000    
Repayments of Lines of Credit       $ 0 $ 92,100,000