Driveway Resealing vs. Repaving

The gold standard is hot bitumen with stone chips but expesive and not practical on most driveways

The reason that most driveway sealers do not work over cracks is that they are not flexible enough. This is particularly true where there are wide and rapid temperature variations. The cracks act as expansion joints, accomodating thermal shrink and growth. Also, a freeze/thaw cycle can be hard on pavement, when water gathers in pockets and freezes, the expansion of the ice formation can create tremendous stresses. The best long term solution, though expensive, is to lay a geomat(a woven fiberglass or engineering fiber mat designed for roadbuilding) and then lay "rubberized" asphalt over it. Only a few contractors have the special knowledge needed to do it right. The geomat will prevent ground movement from transferring up through the asphalt, and the rubber in the asphalt will accomodate thermal expansion/contraction. Also, the rubberized asphalt is waterproof, whereas the regular asphalt will let water migrate through, worsening the freeze/thaw problems. My solution is also the frugal one, I just have a gravel driveway, add as needed.-Jitney