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Debt and Lines of Credit - Debt (Details) - USD ($) | Dec. 01, 2009 | Aug. 31, 2019 | Aug. 31, 2018
--- | --- | --- | ---
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Total debt outstanding |  | $ 356,600,000 | $ 356,800,000
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract] |  |  |
2020 |  | 350,300,000 |
2021 |  | 4,400,000 |
2022 |  | 400,000 |
2023 |  | 400,000 |
2024 |  | 300,000 |
After 2024 |  | 900,000 |
Senior Unsecured Notes | Unsecured Notes |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Total debt outstanding |  | 350,000,000.0 | 350,000,000.0
Senior unsecured public notes due December 2019, unamortized discount and deferred costs |  | (100,000) | (500,000)
Carrying value of debt to be refinanced |  | 341,200,000 |
Senior Unsecured Notes | Unsecured Notes | ABL |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes | $ 350,000,000.0 |  |
Interest rate (percent) | 6.00% |  |
Senior unsecured notes, discount rate | 99.797% |  |
Senior unsecured notes, maturity terms (years) | 10 years |  |
Capitalized deferred issuance costs | $ 3,100,000 |  |
Term of notes | 10 years |  |
Industrial Revenue Bond | Industrial revenue bond |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Total debt outstanding |  | $ 4,000,000.0 | 4,000,000.0
Long-term debt interest rate (percent) |  | 1.70% |
Bank loans | Fixed-rate Bank Loans |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Total debt outstanding |  | $ 2,700,000 | $ 3,300,000
Minimum | Bank loans | Fixed-rate Bank Loans |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Interest rate (percent) |  | 0.80% |
Maximum | Bank loans | Fixed-rate Bank Loans |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |
Interest rate (percent) |  | 2.00% |

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