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If your driveway is cracked, you can repave it with a process called asphalt overlay. Overlay is more cost-effective than a full replacement but is better suited for minor cracks and issues. If you have major cracks or other problems like water pooling, asphalt overlay isn’t your best bet. Plus, paving over a cracked driveway only extends the lifetime by about 10 years, whereas replacing it would start the clock over completely to give you up to 30 years.

Asphalt and tarmac are not the same thing. Traditional tarmac, short for tarmacadam, uses tar as a binder to hold crushed stone together. Asphalt uses bitumen—a byproduct of crude oil—to bind aggregate. Though tarmac was once a go-to for roads, asphalt has become the modern standard. And these days, most surfaces referred to as “tarmac” are actually asphalt. So, while the names may overlap, the key distinction lies in the binder—tar for tarmac and bitumen for asphalt.

Yes, repaving a driveway increases a home’s value, but the extent to which it increases depends on the materials, design, and overall market conditions in your area. Additionally, if your existing driveway is already in good condition, then repaving it won’t yield as much of a value increase as it would if your existing driveway is in poor condition.

Gravel driveways are the most economical driveway material, followed pretty closely by asphalt and concrete. At about $1 to $3 per square foot, gravel is about a third of the cost of either of the more common alternatives. But, not everyone likes the look and feel of the material and may opt to pay more for something that looks better.