Discontinued Operations and Divestiture Activities Narrative (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	May 31, 2014	May 31, 2013	Dec. 13, 2013 Electrical	May 31, 2014 Electrical	May 31, 2013 Electrical	May 31, 2014 Electrical	May 31, 2013 Electrical	Apr. 28, 2014 Viking People [Member]	Jun. 13, 2014 Recreational vehicle [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations and Divestiture Activities[Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs	$ 252,773,000	$ 4,854,000						$ 400,000	$ 35,500,000
Gain on disposal			34,500,000	0	0	34,459,000	0
Future cash outflow of discontinued operations			6,000,000
Estimated proceeds net of transaction costs			$ 225,000,000