ReMaterials

ReMaterials will solve the problem of poor roofing in slum housing with a superior roofing panel. Approximately 850 million Indians live in slums and villages, out of which 70%, or 600 million people, cannot afford the conventionally aspired concrete slab roof. They are forced to use cement and metal sheet roofing that gets very hot, requires regular maintenance, cracks and corrodes easily, and contains toxic substances like asbestos. These roofs are also noisy in monsoon season – almost 70 decibels, equivalent to noise from a busy street. Additionally, families must repair these low quality roofs 6 to 9 times a year, using valuable working hours from already constrained time, representing a total to 2 to 3 person-weeks over a year. ReMaterials is a start-up company in Ahmedabad, India committed to solving the problem of low quality roofing. The company utilizes the best in scientific and engineering expertise to transform waste products into durable, attractive materials priced affordably for middle-low income families in the developing world. Rematerials’ core product is an innovative, low cost modular roofing panel for local slum. It is made entirely from packaging and agricultural waste, and converted into panels through a self-developed manufacturing process. ModRoof has strength and density properties comparable to various types of wood, and with superior insulation. A custom coat is then added to render them waterproof. ModRoofs are designed to connect in a modular, interchangeable manner so roofs are easy to ship, install, maintain, and repair. The panels have aesthetic appeal, hold at least 800 pounds, and make homes 12 degrees Celsius cooler as compared to cement sheets in lab tests. These features—insulation, aesthetic appeal, easy of instillation and repair—are achieved at 40% of the cost of concrete slab roofs. This makes the ModRoof panel affordable for purchase by the underserved middle-low income families of India’s urban slums.