Michel Lagrange: from the history of floors to the profession of floor restorer

After a career spent devoting his expertise to the service of construction and chemical cleaning product companies, Michel Lagrange came to a troubling conclusion: solutions intended for the renovation of a wide range of materials were being used for the wrong purpose, incorrectly applied, overused and even applied as standard regardless of the context. He realised that floors in particular, with their traditional materials, were suffering from such misuse.

With a keen interest in the traditions of his country and his region, he was dismayed to see Provençal “tomette” floor tiles covered in red paint, encaustic cement tiles torn up or covered with screeding, and mosaics hidden by rugs or destroyed so that new pipes could be laid. In addition the standardised approaches employed by companies in the sector were detrimental to these materials.

In 2000, he founded a company, SOLAG, and less than two years later he created a new trade: Paving Restorer. In 2005, SOLAG moved to its own premises: 379 Route de Pernes, 84450 St Saturnin lès Avignon. In 2016, SOLAG has moved to Le Thor, where Michel opened an exhibition area of 70 m² dedicated to presenting traditional floors and expertise

Key dates :

• 2006 – Awarded the title of Artisan (Floor renovation and sanding)
• 2007 – Awarded the title of Artisan Craftsman (Paving restoration)
• 2008 – Awarded the Ministerial label: Living Heritage Company (For rare and exceptional expertise)
• 2010 – The Institut Supérieur des Métiers (ISM) designates SOLAG as an expert in the restoration of historic floors for its unique expertise
• 2010 – The “SOLAG” brand is registered with the INPI (national reg. no. 3739373)
• 2012 – Awarded the title of Master Craftsman (Floor restoration and conservation)
• 2013 – Awarded the “Living Heritage Company” label for a further five years. (“SOLAG is a showcase of French expertise for clients all over the world”)
• 2015 – Romain Lagrange, Michel Lagrange’s son, is awarded the title of “Certified Artisan” for meeting the highest standards for services relating to the treatment of parquet floors.