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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.

In most cases, driveway repair is worth the investment. Your driveway is one of the first things people see when they look at your home, so repairing cracks, chips, and potholes can improve your home’s curb appeal and overall value. Repairing your driveway is also almost always more affordable than replacing it entirely—an average of $1,765 compared to the cost of replacing a driveway, which typically costs around $5,000.

Yes, you should lightly wet the sand with a hose before laying the pavers on top. This activates the bonding agents in the sand, ensuring that your pavers don’t shift around during the installation process. However, you should make sure that the sand is not soaked; overwatering can cause the sand and pavers to not set properly.

If pavers are uneven but not sunken, lift the affected bricks and check the bedding sand underneath. In many cases, simply smoothing out or adjusting the sand is enough to level them. Add or remove small amounts as needed, then press the pavers back into place and tap them with a mallet until they sit evenly with the surrounding surface.