[Traum]

Long story short -- my asphalt driveway is shot with some major cracks (over 1" wide) that look rather irreparable to me along with a ton of smaller cracks. Add some fairly noticeable unevenness (dipping / sinking, basically) along the parts where the wheels roll over when getting into the garage, I'm leaning towards ripping the whole thing out and repaving it -- if the cost isn't going be prohibitive.

So 2 major questions come to mind:

1) asphalt vs concrete

I did some quick searches comparing the two, so I have a basic understanding that asphalt is generally cheaper, has a somewhat shorter life span (20+ yrs if properly maintained), and is not as good dealing with heat. On the other hand, concrete is more expensive, supposed to last longer (30+ yrs of service life), but doesn't handle the cold as well. But none of that tells me which type is more suitable for our climate since we seem to get both the summer heat and the winter cold (esp the frequent freeze-thaw cycles) here in Vancouver.

2) reputable driveway contractor

Going to need a good recommendation here. A few years ago, my gf's neighbour was building a new house, and I could hardly believe how poorly the driveway was done. It almost felt like they just dumped a bunch of asphalt-bitumen mixture, troweled it, and called it a day. The edges were literally breaking off within a few days of it being paved, and I can't imagine how it is going to last.

If anyone has any additional wisdom to share, I'd really appreciate it. 🙏