Is this worth doing, insulation

[ss]

I am currently trying to get one of the free deals for cavity wall and loft insulation, each time my wife appears to earn around £200 per year too much to qualify, I am going to keep shopping around and hopefully get a deal somewhere. in the meantime I have loads of sheets of polystyrene (I know fire hazard) and about 20 sq meters of half inch fibre type underlay (was used for wooden floor tiles) Is it worth using this in the loft short term to increase insulation by laying over the rafters or would the gain be minimal to the point of not worth doing and just wait until I get the real thing. I am just trying to see it through the next few months of winter weather.

[mogga]

EDF have it free at the moment

General

We may be unable to offer free insulation in some areas of the UK. These include most postcodes in the Isles and northern Scotland. We?ll let you know if this is the case when you apply. Confirm that we?ll be able to insulate at least two third of the total loft surface/wall cavities. Confirm you don?t have a larger (i.e. five bedrooms) or non-standard property, or that we?ll have to use specialist equipment. If we do, there will be a charge. This will be advised to you at the time of the survey.

[ss]

will check them out but invariably I find they have restrictions re income. thanks for the link.

[The Natural Philosopher]

If you need loft insulation buy a mask, some rubber gloves and a disposable boiler suit and juts get enough 4" rockwool to do the job, It will be very cheap.

about £6 per square meter.

[TMC]

Wickes 4'' base layer

per sq metre

[The Natural Philosopher]

That's the roll stuff. but yes, its not expensive.

[Matty F]

Polystyrene can be treated to not burn. However yours probably isn't. Did everyone know that polystyrene must not be allowed to touch PVC wiring, or the house might burn down? I'm just pulling my whole house apart to put conduit everywhere. Google for [polystyrene cable] before you start arguing.

[NT]

It might be possible to stop a flammable material sustaining a flame on its own, but when caught in a house fire, there's no chemical treatment that will stop it getting burnt up - and polystyrene is bad news in a fire.

NT

[Matty F]

The polystyrene in my house was sold as being not flammable. I have set fire to pieces of it and it does not burn, and just shrivels away into almost nothing. I imagine it will emit fumes, but them so will timber and most furniture in a house. Polystyrene inside a wall with 30 minute fire rated pumice board (like many houses here) is regarded as safe enough.

[ARWadsworth]

I used it in my brothers extension:-)