Everyone deserves a little respect - including builders. Increasingly the trade is hitting back at its media-led cowboy image. Many are fed up being labelled as dishonest, shoddy workers. Most are hardworking, honest and take pride in their work and feel it's time we all recognised this.

So how can we show them respect and treat them well?

First, if a builder agrees to quote for your job, recognise that this will take time and he may not ultimately get any work out of it.

Are you a small business with money to gamble? Ready to set up on your own for the first time and throw away a few hundred pounds before getting your first job? Of course not. Yet this is the risk small business owners may be taking when they get themselves listed in offline business directories like Yellow Pages or Thompson.

But surely these directories have been around for ages and are a trusted source of information, a familiar part of life.

Forget the scientists and politicians, it's you and your plumber who are going to save the world! There are many things you can get your plumber to do that will make your home more environmentally friendly.

Two big areas of concern which a plumber can help with are water and heating.

Water conservation is a huge issue in all areas of the country but particularly in the south east where reservoirs are running dry and increased housing is putting added pressure on water supplies.

Rooftop gardens are surprising, impressive and fun. Maybe it's because they are so counter-intuitive that people view them with admiration and wonder. They are a step away from reality. An organic, natural phenomenon in a completely unnatural place.

Rooftop gardens make a refreshing change from the usual mundane concrete roofs of buildings.

Hooray its bathtime! The highlight of any kid's day - all those splashes, bubbles and squirty toys are hard to beat. So if you're doing up your bathroom to cater for your children's needs think about how you can make bathtime even more fun and the room a safe and happy part of your home.

There are several elements to a bathroom and each can be made more child friendly.

Climate change is taking its grip on our lives and that includes our gardens. So it makes sense to confront the issue and plan your garden accordingly. While some traditional plants may find the changing conditions tough to cope with others will thrive.

The first thing to understand is how climate change will manifest itself. How is the weather going to change? Immediately we have a problem as nobody can be certain.

Have you hired a bricklayer and you're not sure what he'll get up to? Here's a quick guide so you know what's in store...

Bricklayers do small one-off jobs but they are also an essential part of a building team, constructing and maintaining various structures. These include internal and external walls, chimney stacks and tunnel linings on both domestic and commercial buildings.

Gardens are a magical part of family life. Some outdoor space, however limited, is a real bonus when you have children. A space to run around in, play with a ball and learn to dig, water and nurture plants is really beneficial to kids growing up.

A good gardener can give you all sorts of ideas for your patch, whether you have a balcony or an acre or two.

You can't beat wooden floors. They are clean, durable and warm and look good in any style of home. They are timeless and never seem to go out of fashion, in fact they mature beautifully. And they will add value to your home.

Wooden floors even have health benefits. Any dust settles on the floor and can easily be hoovered up or swept away. On carpets, dust nestles into the fibres and is much more difficult to clean.

These days it seems everything has a carbon footprint, and that includes how we look up local business phone numbers and email addresses. So for those of us wanting to minimise our contribution to climate change what's the most energy efficient way to find a local service?

The short answer is probably to walk to your neighbour and ask them if they know a good local butcher, builder or bar.