CRACKING TALE

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of a long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its achievements, for which he was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way home to my house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

When the Greenview Estate, the first residential estate of Albany Creek, was developed in the late 60’s, it was with dirt roads, water tanks and septic systems. It was seen to be flawed.

With growth came achievements such as bitumen roads, stormwater drainage to creeks, removal of water tanks and sewers replaced septics; all of which removed moisture from the clay base soils.

Since March 2005, Brisbane has been the driest recorded history. Numerous instances of cracked bricks and moving foundations have created a mini boom for building inspections. Why we continue to build brick in there heavy clay soils, continue to confound me.

Before succumbing to the technical engineering (often times very expensive) solution, remember the tale of the Chinese Water Bearer. Perhaps the combination of removal of lillypilies, durantas and mock orange from within 2 metres of foundations and a trench filled with stones and (a bucket watering ‘weekly’, will suffice) rather than an expensive underpinning job.

It’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so interesting and rewarding. Peter Campbell has many years of local experience. The local experience makes the difference. Contact Peter direct on 0418 774 663.

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Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663